Privatizing Warship Funding

South Korea may have the right idea:

South Korea is seeking to create a private fund in order to pool money for building a total of 117 warships at the earliest possible time, the country's defense procurement agency said Wednesday, according to Yonhap News Agency...
"To replace the aging fleet, we need to invest intensively in the short term, so it is necessary to create a private fund for that end," (the defense agency)-said.

This may be the way to go for America's own sliding warship numbers, now way below 300 ships

Kerry Disparges the Troops

Proving what liberals really think of the troops. Here's the video and these comments via NewsMax:

"You know, education, if you make the most of it, if you study hard and you do your homework, and you make an effort to be smart, uh, you can do well. If you don’t, you get stuck in Iraq.”

Not surprising. I had a teacher repeat basically the same thing when I was in school in the 1980's. They're both wrong. In fact, as this article reveals, the Armed Forces are probably smarter than our liberal-dominated public schools.

According to figures readily available on the Internet, 99.9 percent of the enlisted forces have at least a high school education, 73.3 percent have some college, 16.2 percent have an associate’s degree or equivalent semester hours, and 4.7 have a bachelor’s degree.
What’s more, over 85 percent of field grade officers have advanced degrees – 70.7 percent have master’s degrees, 12.1 percent have professional degrees and 2.5 percent have doctorate degrees.

Update: More from Michelle Malkin.

Why the National Polls are Wrong

Here is some interesting insight on the GOP Voter Vault, or micro-targeting, recently revealed in the MSM, from the book One Party Country: The Republican Plan for Dominance in the 21st Century by Tom Hamburger and Peter Wallsten:

“The more scientific strategy has transformed the way political campaigns are fought, and it has put the Republicans in the lead. While the old-model campaign sought to educate voters about a candidate and his or her views, the new strategy almost completely reversed that approach. Instead of educating voters about Bush, Rove worked at educating himself and his staff about voters-and about how to target them with narrowly cast appeals. One could ask why it mattered if a handful of Jews in Cleveland or Latinos in Orlando or labor union members in West Virginia voted for Bush. The answer was the Republicans ability to send custom-tailored messages to relatively small numbers of voters inside Democratic precincts in swing states enabled them to slice away pieces of the enemy’s base. Each slice might seem inconsequential standing alone, but taken together the slices might add up to something very consequential. Moreover, because these once-Democratic swingers were trimmed away in so many carefully selected but disparate places-creating Bush blocs only where they were needed-the shift didn’t always register in national opinion polls, or on the radar of Democratic strategists. It was the political equivalent of stealth technology in airpower: Democrats would feel the bombs explode, but they would not see the bombers.”

This is why Bush and Rove can feel confident of a GOP victory on Election Day, despite national polls favoring Democrats. Nevertheless, liberals, of course, will blame voter fraud because of new electronic voting machines, given their ingrained paranoia of technology and fear of anything new.

Democrats Supressing the Vote

Amazingly, against their own constituents. From Rush Limbaugh:

The Democrats are saying all this stuff and so what they've done essentially is tell their voters, "Hey, your vote is not being counted, the Republicans are stealing your vote, your vote doesn't matter," so they're suppressing their own turnout, and of course they have really zeroed in on black votes in this regard. Even in Florida in 2000, they really focused on how the black vote was not counted, how blacks were not allowed to stand in line, not allowed to vote. All these things, all these charges, the constant charge of racism that the Democrats have leveled has created in the minds of many of their own voters, "What the hell, man, it doesn't matter, my vote's going to get stolen, or it's going to get counted for somebody else, why show up?"

So keep those conspiracy theories coming Dems! Better for Republicans next week.

It's Diversity, Stupid!

Thomas Sowell on why the Iraq War is so hard:

What is it that has made Iraq so hard to pacify, even after a swift and decisive military victory? In one word: diversity.
That word has become a sacred mantra, endlessly repeated for years on end, without a speck of evidence being asked for or given to verify the wonderful benefits it is assumed to produce.
Worse yet, Iraq is only the latest in a long series of catastrophes growing out of diversity. These include "ethnic cleansing" in the Balkans, genocide in Rwanda and the Sudan, the million lives destroyed in intercommunal violence when India became independent in 1947 and the even larger number of Armenians slaughtered by Turks during World War I.
Despite much gushing about how we should "celebrate diversity," America's great achievement has not been in having diversity but in taming its dangers that have run amok in many other countries. Americans have by no means escaped diversity's oppressions and violence, but we have reined them in.

There's an old saying "try to please everyone and you please no one".

CNN Feels "The Slapdown"

I heard about this over the weekend, but when I saw the video (get it here) I was astounded that a US Media organization needed to be asked by Lynne Cheney "Do you want us to win?":

Cheney: "Right, But what is CNN doing running terrorist tape of terrorist shooting Americans? I mean, I thought Duncan Hunter asked you a very good question and you didn’t answer it. Do you want us to win?"
Blitzer: "The answer, of course, is we want the United States to win. We are Americans. There’s no doubt about it. You think we want terrorists to win?"
Cheney: "Then why are you running- Why are you running terrorist propaganda?"
Blitzer: "With all due respect- With all due respect, this is not terrorist propaganda."
Cheney: "Oh, Wolf!"
Blitzer: "This is, this is reporting the news which is what we do. We’re not partisan."
Cheney: "Where did you get the film?"
Blitzer: "We got the film- Look, this is an issue that has been widely discussed. This is an issue that we reported on extensively. We make no apologies for showing that. That was a very carefully considered decision why we did that. And I think- And I think that if you’re-"
Cheney: "Well, I think it’s shocking."

Today, VP Dick Cheney likened his wife's remarks to "The Slapdown"!

Heroes in the War on Terror

This is a new site at DefenseLink. You have to go there.

Also check out their new site: For the Record. About time for both.

Troops extend helping hand to town

From Multi National Force-Iraq:

RUSHDI MULLA — The first few were hesitant, coming in by ones and twos, but soon the floodgates opened and the citizens here came from all over town to receive medical care for a variety of ailments Oct. 19 at a Multi-National Division – Baghdad medical operation. The Soldiers of 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, conducted the medical operation to get an idea of what medical supplies the town needed and to determine what clinics and health care providers were available in the area.“It’s what we came to do, besides taking care of our own,” said Spc. Carrielynn Spillis, a native of Toledo, Ohio, and a medic with Company C, 210th Brigade Support Battalion, attached to 4th Battalion, 31st Infantry Regiment. “It’s nice being able to come here and help them.”

Afghan School Reopens After Torching

As reported by CentCom:

FORWARD OPERATING BASE WARRIOR, Afghanistan — Officials from the Gelan District ofGhazni Province, Afghan National Policemen and key Coalition leaders joined around 300 enthusiastic children, elders and area villagers for the reopening of a school in the town of Agha Jon, Oct 17. The school reopening came about seven months after Taliban militants set fire to the building and terrorized students, parents and teachers.
Najibullah, a student at the Agha Jon school, located in the Gelan District of Ghazni Province, takes a turn at the blackboard, Oct 17. U.S. Army photo by Sgt. 1st Class Michael Pintagro.

Mir Ahmad, the Gelan District sub-governor, addressed elders, townsmen, teachers and students in the courtyard of the school. “Islam is about knowledge,” Ahmad said. “Islam isn’t about destroying schools and preventing teachers from teaching. It isn’t true Islam the enemy is protecting. Islam is a religion of peace.”

Why Vote Republican

Mona Charen lists 13 reasons. Here are the top 3:

1) The economy. More than 6.6 million new jobs have been created since August 2003. Our 4.1 annual growth rate is superior to all other major industrialized nations. The Dow has set record highs multiple times in the past several weeks. Productivity is up, and the deficit is down. Real, after-tax income has grown by 15 percent since 2001. Inflation has remained low. As Vice President Cheney summed it up at a recent meeting with journalists, "What more do you want?" The tax cuts proposed by President Bush and passed by a Republican Congress can take a bow.
2) The Patriot Act. Democrats and liberals mourn this law as a gross infringement upon civil liberties. Yet the much-discussed abuses simply haven't materialized. The law has, on the other hand, permitted the CIA and FBI to cooperate and share information about terrorist threats -- at least so long as The New York Times isn't publishing the details of our counterterrorism efforts on the front page.
3) The Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty, to which liberals clung with passionate intensity, has been cancelled, permitting us to work on missile defense. In the age of Kim Jong Il and Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, is anyone (except Nancy Pelosi) sorry?

My top reason is not the economy, but Iraq and terrorism.

The Missed Murtha Scandal

Diana Irey fills us in:

The first scandal, or course, is the Mark Foley congressional page scandal.The second scandal—most likely still unknown to you, almost three weeks after it went public—is the unveiling, for the first time ever, of the full 54-minute FBI Abscam surveillance video showing U.S. Rep. Jack Murtha (D.-Pa.) negotiating a $50,000 cash bribe from a man he believed to be an agent of a rich Arab sheik—but who was in reality an undercover agent for the FBI.The video, available at www.YouDon’tKnowJack.org, proves that Jack Murtha has been lying for 26 years about his involvement in Abscam, the biggest congressional corruption scandal in history.

Begs the question: what if Jack Murtha was Republican? He'd be toast.

MiLinks

The Truth About Defense Spending. Asking the question "Is there a war on?"

NO-PLODE IED Countermeasure. This sounds promising.

Homeland Security Department To Evaluate Skyguard High-Energy Laser.

AMC Declares C-130J Operational. The future of the Mighty Hercules!

Surviving a Revolution in Military Affairs. Hi-tech versus high ideals.

Small Diameter Bomb in service. Just in time.

Brits Praise Indian Air Force. Taught them everything they know!

USS Essex Receives History Lesson. While visiting the Philippines.

Navy Tests "pier in the ocean". The future of Maritime Prepositioning.

Unmanned Surface Vehicle for LCS.

The Next Generation Battleship. Bring back the arsenal ship!

Return to the Monitor. Call for a mini-battleship.

The Threat From New Silent Submarines. US Navy gets a lesson from the Swedes.

How China Will Fight. With everything at its disposal.

Michael J. Fox Not Above Criticism

Rush Limbaugh is right on the money saying Democrats are taking advantage of actor Michael J. Fox for political gain. What I’ve never understood is how these actors go through life having a good time (as they should, it’s the American Dream right?). Then they contract some disease and suddenly become crusaders looking for someone to blame. Inevitably they end up testifying before Congress questioning why the government, with all it has to do already, hasn’t spent enough money curing their particular ailment. A real concerned star and an example to all of us, is comedian Jerry Lewis, for years a fund raiser for the Muscular Dystrophy Association. Unlike Fox, Lewis didn’t wait until he contracted MD to do something about it, and he also didn’t pander to the Feds but appealed directly to the American Public in his very famous Labor Day telethons.

Democrats prefer using victims like Michael J. Fox as their spokesman on controversial issues, because we would be shamed to disagree with them. It is the Left’s subtle way of squelching Free Speech and furthering their agenda. Thus, Ann Coulter is demonized for daring to criticize the Jersey Girls, or Swift Boat Vets are themselves “swiftboated” for questioning John Kerry’s war record, and Rush Limbaugh can’t disprove Fox’s view on stem cell research.

Rush is right and Michael should be ashamed, not for his illness but for allowing himself to be exploited for dubious science.

Why don't people trust the media?

Strategypage explains How the Lancet Cooked the Numbers:

The recent survey, published in the British medical journal, "The Lancet," claiming over 650,000 civilian deaths due to the liberation of Iraq, was quickly labeled propaganda, not science. Is the survey accurate? The answer is, apparently not. The survey is widely out of sync with casualty counts by other organizations, and by a wide margin. A 2004 study by the same authors claimed 100,000 civilian casualties – a survey at odds with one done by the United Nations at the same time (which estimated 18,000 to 29,000 deaths). To compare this with other studies – the group Iraq Body Count only claims 49,000 civilian deaths, the Brookings Institution reports 62,000, and the Los Angeles Times has reported 50,000 civilian deaths since the liberation of Iraq...

Another sign this number is off is the fact that it implies that, on average, hundreds of civilians per day have been killed since the liberation of Iraq. Not even the mainstream media has reported death tolls that high. One recently reported "surge in violence" involved a total of 110 people killed in a two-day span. That is an average of 55 people killed per day – which would imply a total of roughly 72,000 civilian deaths (somewhat higher the Brookings Institution estimate).

As Dan Rather might counter: the facts are "Fake but Accurate".

Terrorists Target US Election

This according to top US Generals and the UPI:

Brig. Gen. William Caldwell, a U.S. military spokesman in Baghdad and head of the U.S. forces information operations branch as well as its public affairs unit, Thursday described several reasons why violence in Iraq is up despite a four-month offensive called Operation Together Forward meant to bring Baghdad under control. One of those, he said, was the American political calendar.
"We also realize that there is a midterm election that's taking place in the United States and that the extremist elements understand the power of the media; that if they can in fact produce additional casualties, that in fact is recognized and discussed in the press because everybody would like not to see anybody get killed in these operations, but that does occur," Caldwell said.

I have no doubt this is happening. I also have little concern that they will fail as long as George Bush is in office.

Democrats Fight "Wuss" Factor

Apparently not hard enough. This is from those terrorist sympathizers at CNN:

As part of our election series "Broken Government" CNN asked self-identified Democrats around Miami, Florida, Chicago, Illinois and Los Angeles, California, how they view their party. It was word association, "I say Democrat, you say ... " Not scientific, but instructive.
Here is some of what we heard:
• "Disorganized"
• "Afraid to take a stand"
• "Not giving us anything better to look at"
• "A little soft"
Such views were so widespread, we began to key in on a single question: What is wrong with Democrats?

Uhhhh-All of the above? Plus they no longer believe in anything; God, country, family, morality...

Ted Kennedy's Communist Outreach

Cybercast News reviews a new book by Paul Kengor, a political science professor at Grove City College titled, "The Crusader: Ronald Reagan and the Fall of Communism.":

In his book, which came out this week, Kengor focuses on a KGB letter written at the height of the Cold War that shows that Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.) offered to assist Soviet leaders in formulating a public relations strategy to counter President Reagan's foreign policy and to complicate his re-election efforts.The letter, dated May 14, 1983, was sent from the head of the KGB to Yuri Andropov, who was then General Secretary of the Soviet Union's Communist Party...

Specifically, Kennedy proposed that Andropov make a direct appeal to the American people in a series of television interviews that would be organized in August and September of 1983, according to the letter. "Tunney told his contacts that Kennedy was very troubled about the decline in U.S -Soviet relations under Reagan," Kengor said. "But Kennedy attributed this decline to Reagan, not to the Soviets. In one of the most striking parts of this letter, Kennedy is said to be very impressed with Andropov and other Soviet leaders."

This is interesting. And today, Democrats are looking to our current mortal enemies, the terrorists, to bring them victory at the polls in November.

The GOP Victory

Barron's Magazine declares they will survive! Here's an exert:

JUBILANT DEMOCRATS SHOULD RECONSIDER their order for confetti and noisemakers. The Democrats, as widely reported, are expecting GOP-weary voters to flock to the polls in two weeks and hand them control of the House for the first time in 12 years -- and perhaps the Senate, as well. Even some Republicans privately confess that they are anticipating the election-day equivalent of Little Big Horn. Pardon our hubris, but we just don't see it...

They crunch the numbers and then admit:

It's true that our formula isn't foolproof. In 1958, 1974 and 1994, the wave of anti-incumbent sentiment was so strong that money didn't trump voter outrage. We appreciate that voters in 2006 are hopping mad at the GOP because of the war and because of scandal. We just don't agree that the outrage has reached the level of those earlier times. The reason is that the economy in 2006 is healthier. And the economy is the only other factor that figures in our analysis.

I think many political pundits are in for a surprise, as I've written below.

Brit Backs Bush

On the subject of Iraq. From the UK Times:

...I am not inclined to castigate the US Administration for what has occurred in Iraq. As Matthew correctly says, it is far from obvious that deploying many more troops after Saddam Hussein was toppled would have made sense, or that the “de-Baathification” of the Iraqi Army and bureaucracy was a miscalculation. For a start, “de-Baathification” was scarcely a deliberate US policy. These institutions simply disintegrated when their leader disappeared...I would not bet against Iraq’s future. That country retains extraordinary attributes. To declare it dead and buried a meagre three years after Saddam’s demise is, to me, premature folly.After all, would the recovery of Germany and Japan have been anticipated in 1948, three years after their surrender? Or the fate of Russia accurately assessed in 1994, during the chaos of the Yeltsin years, three years after the Soviet Union was disbanded? Or would anybody have expected that China would be where it is today in 1992, three years after the Tiananmen Square massacre?

Dems Will Stay Home in November

Democrats, the Media, and many Republicans are questioning whether Christian Conservatives will turn out in any numbers to effect the upcoming elections. After the Mark Foley scandal beginning earlier this month to increased violence in Iraq, many polls have given the Left a huge win in perhaps both houses of Congress. The real question is if Democrats, after suffering so many setbacks in recent years, will turn out to support their ailing Party. I began pondering this question as far back as the 2004 Presidential Election, after George Bush trounced Senator John Kerry in an unexpected win. Such was the demoralization of their base; it made national headlines afterwards with Democrats seeking professional counseling to deal with the discouragement. Titles such as these right after the election are revealing: Clinical Depression (Washington Post), Dejection grips city Democrats (Washington Times), and Democrats Confront Identity Crisis (International Herald Tribune). Liberal icon Michael Moore later appeared on the Tonight Show dressed to the nines in suit and tie in a bizarre show of humility, with host Jay Leno making the comparison that he looked like Republican Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert. Today, their lack of message continues, other than the same “We’re not the others guys” which failed them in the last campaign. Add to this the same weak leadership of Pelosi, Kerry, Reid, and Murtha and you see very little in the way of new ideas. In contrast, the outlook for the Right seems as strong as ever. Given liberals lack of leadership on the threat posed by terrorism, conservative governments have risen to power in many countries, including Canada, Germany, and Japan, while maintaining its strength in Australia and America. So, come November don't be surprised if the long-predicted Democrat resurgence turns out to be a washout.

Explosive GOP Ad: "Stakes"

Right here, right now.

No Tet, Not Yet

It becomes pretty obvious why comparisons of recent escalated violence in Iraq to the 1968 Tet Offensive in Vietnam fall short. Here’s what the Press Secretary Tony Snow said to a reporter from CNN yesterday: “Well, your network has shown pictures of snipers hitting Americans, which was used as a propaganda tool.” Back when the networks were more respected than they are today, the free press could get away with something like this. So influential was the Mainstream Media in the days of Vietnam, Walter Cronkite could express the War as a failure, and then cause an American president to lose all hope in his goal to keep a nation from falling to the despotic communists. Now, the Press has so often abused its freedoms, proving themselves anti-American and even treasonous in the eyes of most citizens, their blundering attempts to instigate another Battle of Tet, in which the US wins the battle but loses the war, falls far short. Thankfully now there is the internet blogs and conservative leaning Fox News to give a more balanced interpretation of the Iraqi Conflict, over the one-sided liberal Media viewpoint. A more relevant view, if comparisons must be made, would be the Battle of the Bulge of December 1944. There America, thinking the war nearly won, was struck with a vicious German counterattack from the Ardennes Forest. The only forces General Eisenhower had in place to blunt the attack was a few weak and worn-out divisions who thought they would get a much-needed rest. Instead of panicking, Ike saw this new attack as an opportunity to deliver a blow to Hitler which he would never recover from. This proved to be the case, and when the Allies renewed the offensive in 1945, the Germans had little resistance left in them. Though over 19,000 US troops died in the campaign, the Bulge is considered one of our greatest military victories. It’s all a matter of perspective, and I will choose the President’s view that we are winning in Iraq over the defeatist Democrats and the gloom and doom Press any day.

Bush's Missed Opportunity

Some interesting facts and figures in this article from Opinion Journal:

In retrospect, Mr. Bush missed a historic opportunity after 9/11 to ask government to spend less on non-essential programs so it could spend more on security. Instead, overall federal spending grew by nearly 50% in Mr. Bush's first five years, as he allowed Congress to spend more on just about everything. At least Mr. Bush avoided the trap of asking for a tax increase, which would have slowed the economic growth that we have seen throw off record amounts of revenue in the past two years, and thus fund spending on both guns and butter (or, too often, pork).

To me this is sad, since it could've been a great chance to role back decades of failed government programs, such as the Great Society of the Johnson Administration. This one program alone has completely wrecked many black families, making one of the world's preeminent cultures into a dependant people.

Bush Gives Dems History Lesson

They've forgotten their roots, says the President:

"The Democrat Party that has evolved from one that was confident in its capacity to help deal with the problems of the world to one that is doubting, today still has an approach of doubt and defeat," Mr. Bush said in a campaign speech to donors to the National Republican Senatorial Committee at the Mayflower Hotel near the White House. He said that shift began in 1972, with the nomination of George McGovern to run for president, continued into President Jimmy Carter's administration and characterized Democrats during Republican President Ronald Reagan's administration. "They'd gotten to the point where they didn't think that we could win," Mr. Bush said. "Many of their leaders fought the Reagan defense buildup; they fought his Strategic Defense Initiative; they opposed the liberation of Grenada; they didn't like America's support for freedom fighters resisting Soviet puppet regimes." He contrasted that with Presidents John F. Kennedy and Harry S. Truman, who he said "understood the challenges of their time and were willing to confront those challenges with strong leadership."

Maybe they'd like to take back that Pearl Harbor resolution, for the President Roosevelt"lying to get us into war".

Aircraft Carrier Vs. Cruise Missile 11

This is from the Asia Times:

Being the lone superpower, any major conventional conflict involving the US will necessitate its bringing its forces to bear on its adversaries. This means that the US must cross the Pacific, Indian, and/or Atlantic Oceans in order to bring logistics or troop reinforcements to the battlefield. In so doing, the US will be crossing thousands of miles of sea lanes of communication (SLOC) that can easily become a gauntlet of deadly Chinese and Russian submarines lying in ambush with bottom-rising sea mines, supercavitating rocket torpedoes, and supersonic cruise missiles that even aircraft carrier battle groups have no known defense against. Logistic and transport ships and oil tankers are particularly vulnerable. The air corridors above these sea lanes will also be put at great risk by advanced air defense systems aboard Sovremenny destroyers or similar types of warships in Chinese and Russian inventories. In short, the US will be forced by geography to suffer all the disadvantages of conducting offensive operations against adversaries in Eurasia...

Superpower America is particularly vulnerable to asymmetric attack. A classic example of asymmetric attack is the September 11, 2001, attack on America. Nineteen determined attackers, armed with nothing but box cutters, succeeded in toppling the twin towers of the World Trade Center in New York City and causing the death of some 3,000 Americans. Notice the asymmetry of casualty ratio as well - the most lopsided casualty ratio ever recorded in history. China, Russia, and Iran also possess asymmetric weapons that are designed to neutralize and defeat a superpower like America in a conventional conflict. Supersonic cruise missiles now in their inventories can defeat and sink US aircraft carriers. The same is true for medium- and short-range ballistic missiles with independently targetable warheads, extra-large bottom-rising, rocket-propelled sea mines (EM52s), and supercavitating rocket torpedoes (SHKVAL or "Squall"). The US Navy has no known defense against these weapons.

Rumors of Tet Are Premature

But that won't stop the MSM from trying, according to National Review:

The terrorists have long studied how our media operates. Check out an August 2006 jihadist chat room post by Najd al-Rawi of the Global Islamic Media Front entitled "The Global Media: A Work Paper for Invading the US Media.” Ironically, among the people the insurgents seek to influence, al-Rawi lists “well-known American writers such as [Thomas] Friedman.” I am not saying Friedman is complicit in some kind of terror plot; I am saying the terrorists know how writers generate story lines, and they seek to provide the hooks. Nevertheless, it doesn’t always work. Recently an insurgent group release a video of (they claimed) the bodies of American servicemen being dragged through the streets. Shades of Mogadishu 1994? It was clearly an attempt to evoke that event and the withdrawal that followed, but the manipulation was a little too obvious and it did not catch on.

Another and more fitting attempt at engaging the media’s propensity for seeking Vietnam analogies was the planned attack last spring on the U.S. embassy in Baghdad. (See my original piece on it here . ) Nothing would get the Tet comparison going better than an embassy attack, since during the actual Tet offensive the poorly planned, ineffectively executed and quickly dispatched strike on the Saigon embassy was immediately dubbed a “symbolic victory” for the enemy by the American media. A similar attack in Baghdad would also not have to achieve anything to enjoy the same decisive status.

What gets me is, it doesn't seem to bother the Press they are being played like a fiddle, sometimes by the administration, and usually by the enemy. Reminds you of a loose woman who doesn't care who they sleep with.

Renowned military historian John Keegan weighs in declaring Iraq is not Vietnam:

By January 1968, total American casualties in Vietnam — killed, wounded and missing — had reached 80,000 and climbing. Eventually deaths in combat and from other causes would exceed 50,000, of which 36,000 were killed in action. Casualties in Iraq are nowhere near those figures. In a bad week in Vietnam, the US could suffer 2,000 casualties. Since 2003, American forces in Iraq have never suffered as many as 500 casualties a month. The number of casualties inflicted in Iraq are not established, but are under 50,000. In any year of the Vietnam war, the communist party of North Vietnam sent 200,000 young men to the battlefields in the south, most of whom did not return. Vietnam was one of the largest and costliest wars in history. The insurgency in Iraq resembles one of the colonial disturbances of imperial history.

If you really think about this, compared to other wars in America's history, the Civil War, WW 2, Iraq is much ado about nothing. Any death is regrettable, but our country use to think freedom was worth fighting for.

Conservatives Will Turn Out

So claims Hugh Hewitt and he's done the polling to prove it:

I have been in Minnesota, Colorado, Pennsylvania, and Ohio over the past five days. I have appeared at rallies that filled large rooms to capacity with enthusiastic volunteers. I have had candid conversations with four members of the House --Mark Kennedy, Mike Sodrel, David Dreier and Deborah Pryce, three senators, Rick Santorum, Jim Talent, and Norm Coleman, and other candidates such as Rick O'Donnell and Doug Lamborn in Colorado, Michele Bachmann and Alan Fine in Minnesota, and Ken Blackwell in Ohio.
More importantly I have talked with hundreds of members of the GOP base in a varioety of different cities, each with a unique set of political circumstances. I polled every audience.
To this I add literally thopusands of e-mails from listners and readers as well as continual calling to various pundits and political pros, and the compulsive assessment of the polls --good and bad-- that stack up at RealClearPolitics.com.
There is simply no data to support the idea of significant if any turnout diminishment.

I tend to agree. As for myself, with so much at risk as far as the economy, Iraq, and memories of 9/11 so clear, my family will be there on election day!

North Korea Blinks

Bush's strategy is working, from Yahoo News:

North Korean leader Kim Jong Il said Pyongyang didn't plan to carry out any more nuclear tests and expressed regret about the country's first-ever atomic detonation last week, South Korean news reports said Friday.
Kim told Chinese State Councilor Tang Jiaxuan that "we have no plans for additional nuclear tests," Yonhap news agency reported, citing an unnamed diplomatic source in Beijing.
Kim also told the Chinese that "he is sorry about the nuclear test," the mass-circulation Chosun Ilbo daily reported, citing a diplomatic source in China. The North Korean also raised the possibility the country would return to arms talks.

If only we'd listened to Dems and rewarded the communists for their bad behavior, right? No, the President's way is best, keeping the pressure on China, and continuing to involve the North's neighbors in 6 Party Talks. And of course, Kim Jung is his own worse enemy.

A Stunning Rebuke to the Courts

On the issue of detainee trials, Congress tells the Supreme Court to "get out of the war on terror". By John Woo:

They told the courts, in effect, to get out of the war on terror, stripped them of habeas jurisdiction over alien enemy combatants, and said there was nothing wrong with the military commissions. It is the first time since the New Deal that Congress had so completely divested the courts of power over a category of cases. It is also the first time since the Civil War that Congress saw fit to narrow the court's habeas powers in wartime because it disagreed with its decisions.
The law goes farther. It restores to the president command over the management of the war on terror. It directly reverses Hamdan by making clear that the courts cannot take up the Geneva Conventions. Except for some clearly defined war crimes, whose prosecution would also be up to executive discretion, it leaves interpretation and enforcement of the treaties up to the president. It even forbids courts from relying on foreign or international legal decisions in any decisions involving military commissions.

This is good news. Hope we can force the Imperial Courts to stay out of our personal lives as well.

Working for the Enemy No Biggie

For CNN, apparently its a mandate. Via Opinion Journal:

Almost 2,800 Americans have been killed so far in Iraq and one of the most dangerous insurgent opponents is the sniper. CNN has obtained graphic video from the Islamic Army of Iraq, one of the most active insurgent organizations in Iraq, showing its sniper teams targeting U.S. troops. The Islamist Army says it wants talks with the United States and some Islamist Internet postings call for a P.R. campaign aimed at influencing the American public. The video is disturbing to watch but CNN believes the story, shocking as it is, needs to be told.

Here's the photo. My question is, when does all this become treason? Looking at all the footage of a negative slant coming from the MSM, its not hard to see who's side they are on. But God Bless Our Troops!

Dreaming of Nuclear Spaceships

This gets weirder. First Bush discusses the militarisation of space, after I write my own article on the subject. Then Defense Tech (and Boing Boing) reveals plan for an Atomic Spaceship dubbed Orion from the 1950's. I was also calling for nuclear rockets to spring us further into space exploration.

Standing Up to the Bullies

The Iraq War has become an essential issue for Democrats, in that for the first time in decades they finally have an issue to rally their base around. For America, winning the Conflict is vital, as the first big test in what some are calling the Long War: the Global War on Terror. How this struggle is won or lost will be the template over who will be victorious in the end, democracy or tyranny.

A positive outcome for the US will have repercussions in the present day. North Korea, Iran, and other oppressive regimes are emboldened by what they perceive is a weakness in our resolve in Iraq. This attitude along with comparing the war to Vietnam, have been eagerly fed by the sensation seeking Media and liberal Democrats in their “get out the vote” campaign for 2006. For this, they must be forgiven for they do not know what they do. One would hope the Democrats are not eager to see our country “cut and run” before the perpetrators of 9/11, who it is obvious we are fighting there.

So, the choice remains between finishing the job in Iraq or withdrawal. Will America continue to stand up for the world’s poor against the bullies, or will we give in to self-serving liberalism and allow others to fight out battles? The problem with this latter solution is no one seems eager to take up the mantle once we cast it aside.

Rove Predicts GOP Win

He should know, since he's been a winner so far for Bush. This is from the Washington Times:

At a luncheon with editors and reporters at The Washington Times, Mr. Rove -- who is widely credited as the architect of the party's historic 2002 midterm election gains -- said Republicans are beginning to make significant headway in defining their party's differences from congressional Democrats, especially on national security. "I'm confident we're going to keep the Senate; I'm confident we're going to keep the House. The Foley matter has impact in some limited districts, but the research we have shows that people are differentiating between a vote for their congressman and a member from Florida," Mr. Rove said, referring to the Republican who resigned last month after his sexually explicit online messages to former congressional pages were discovered...In the hourlong interview, Mr. Rove was upbeat, telling stories from the campaign trail and joking about skewed political coverage that disproportionately shows Democrats poised to take control of Congress.

I see this as well. I think the polls are as untrustworthy as the exit polls were back in the 2004 elections. Still, people shouldn't vote by polls, but Party and Principle!

MiLinks

The Stryker in Iraq. Take it from some one who's been there!

New high-tech gear on display at AUSA. Somebody's knockin, better let 'em in!

Boeing Tests Laser Gunship. Brings new meaning to "death from above".

Northrop Grumman Fires Most Powerful Laser Ever! The day of the death ray is here.

Israel makes first operational use of tactical laser cannon. Enough with the laser already!

US Air Force To Study A Pilotless U-2. Too late to help Gary Powers!

China's Russian Weapon Purchases. Think maybe the ChiComs can do better?

Merlin Tests Anti-Ship Missile. This chopper can do it all!

TOW Missiles go Wireless. Would that make it a "To" Missile?

Harrier Upgrade Unveiled. Better than the vertol JSF?

More Strykers on the Way. The future is now. Even still...

Army arms chief fights for Future Combat.

Mystery Catamaran Revealed. This is awesome!

Don't hold your breath for a USS Bill Clinton dinghy. This is about the LCS.

British amphibious group in Sierra Leone. And the Germans are in Lebanon. Hmmm...

Harry Reid in Ethics Probe

Whose culture of corruption? This was briefly on the Yahoo front page:

Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid has been using campaign donations instead of his personal money to pay Christmas bonuses for the support staff at the Ritz-Carlton where he lives in an upscale condominium. Federal election law bars candidates from converting political donations for personal use. Questioned about the campaign expenditures by The Associated Press, Reid's office said Monday his lawyers had approved them but he nonetheless was personally reimbursing his campaign for the $3,300 he had directed to the staff holiday fund at his residence...Larry Noble, the Federal Election Commission's former chief enforcement lawyer, said Reid's explanation is aimed at a "gray area" in the law by suggesting the donations were tied to his official Senate and political work.

The whole system is screwed if you ask me.

The upcoming Democratic burlesque

John Burtis fires both barrels against those dreaming of a Democrat controlled Congress:

Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter, our two most hopelessly ineffectual, personally destructive, and selflessly indulgent former chief executives, have made new careers out of wandering the world and holding the applause meter up in the air to gauge how poorly we're thought of. Their cheap jacking of America has known no bounds and set standards hard to surpass by any future chief executive, save one released from the very asylum where these two racket pedaling churls belong.
According to these two erudite of our most deeply biased itinerant America bashers, we need a brand new socialist government to fit in internationally. A government that will appeal to the likes Jacques Chirac, Idi Amin, Juan Bokasa, Ayman al-Zawahiri, Kim Jong Il, and the rest of those who have complained about us so bitterly for so terribly long.
And a liberal cabal led by the likes of that roving robber baron Harry "Don't Fence me In" Reid, the antique rocking chair thief Hillary Clinton, that proud easily incensed red house operating Barney Frank, the presidential impeachment impresario Charlie Wrangel, the cut and run and cut again Majority Leader Nancy Pelosi, the privacy knight errant Chuck Schumer, and the rest of those tiny torquemadas of the progressive chicken coop, are now acceptable to the world's most legitimate and effete judges of character, balance, and decency. And they are just what the hectored dictators and jet-setting pimps are calling for.

Whew!!

Mend Your Ways, Democrats

So declares Joe Lieberman, from Townhall:

Sen. Joe Lieberman, running as an independent after losing the Democratic primary, said Tuesday he hoped Democrats seize control of Congress _ with one caveat: a Democratic-led Congress, he said, must change its ways.
"It won't represent progress that's real," Lieberman told reporters while stopping at a transportation forum in New Haven. "It's not going to be much of a step forward if there's a new Democratic leadership that doesn't change the tone in Washington."

It looks as if even more gridlock, scandals, and corruption await us in a Democrat controlled Congress.

Welcome Lowcountry!

Just noticed that Postscripts, A Lowcountry Blogosphere Hotspot has added New Wars to its lists. I've listed their site in the Links section as well!

Judge Praises Terrorist Collaborator

This shocking story is from Judicial Watch:

The Clinton-appointed federal judge who outraged Americans by giving a convicted terrorist facilitator a light sentence, actually praised the convict in open court and said she had performed a public service to the nation.
Manhattan Federal District Court Judge John Koeltl said radical liberal attorney Lynne Stewart had demonstrated enormous skill and dedication during her sentencing hearing this week, adding that it was no exaggeration to say that she performed a public service not only to her clients but to the nation.

Yeah, like collaborating with the enemy.

SEAL Takes Grenade for Comrades

A story of real heroes in action, from CentCom:

Petty Officer 2nd Class Michael A. Monsoor, 25, of Garden Grove, Calif., died Sept. 29 while conducting combat operations against enemy forces in Ramadi, Iraq. Monsoor was a Navy SEAL assigned to a West-Coast based command
Monsoor gave his life in order to save the lives of his brothers in arms. An Iraqi insurgent threw a grenade into a position occupied by Monsoor and three other SEALS. According to a report in the Associated Press Monsoor was struck in the chest by the grenade. Monsoor immediately threw himself on top of the grenade saving the lives of the other three. Two other SEALs where injured and the fourth was unhurt.

Let's never forget their sacrifice. NO CUT AND RUN!!!

Democrat's Message is Murky

W. Thomas Smith, Jr lists the Democrat's record for (not) fighting terrorism:

The Democrats have for decades consistently voted against an effective missile defense shield for the continental United States. The Dems, more than anyone else, were responsible for gutting our human-intelligence (spies on the ground) capability over the years. And it was the Dems who permitted the sale of sensitive defense technologies to the Chinese in the 1990’s.
The Dems voted for the 2003 invasion of Iraq, but now contend they supported the invasion based on lies and bogus intelligence, and that they should somehow not be faulted for that (What happened to Democrat Harry Truman’s “The buck stops here?”).
The Dems also say they support the troops. Yet they accuse the troops – prior to any charges, trials, or convictions – of “murdering” civilians “in cold blood” (ala John Murtha). They say the troops are “terrorizing” families in their homes (ala John Kerry). They say that the troops’ commander-in-chief is “encouraging and countenancing torture” (ala John Conyers). And who might the CiC be “encouraging” to commit those tortures? Who else, but the troops?The Dems see the war on terror as more of a law enforcement operation than a military operation: They’ve said so, and often.
They’ve vocally opposed the Patriot Act.

Here's my own list in How Liberals Fight Terrorism.

Al Qaeda in Iraq in Trouble

Seem to be quarreling, as Bill Roggio details:

Al Arabiya television has aired a videotape of a member of al-Qaeda in Iraq denouncing the organization's current leadership, singling out Abu Ayyub al-Masri for undertaking "'unjustified violations' such as the killing of prominent sheikhs in Iraq," according to Reuters. The jihadi's nom de guerre is Abu Osama al-Mujahid, and he is calling for an Iraqi to lead al-Qaeda in Iraq after the death of Abu Musabal-Zarqawi...Al-Mujahid is from the Zarqawi faction, and is lamenting over the Zarqawi faction's loss of power inside al-Qaeda in Iraq. He is appealing to the leadership of al-Qaeda by projecting two of Attyia and Zawahiri's criticisms of Zarqawi onto al-Masri. First, the the accusation that al-Masri has been assassinating tribal sheikhs and other jihadi groups is an attempt to show al-Masri has not moderated his behavior. "They also killed leaders from other factions who the Crusaders offered bounties worth hundreds of thousands of dollars so as to either arrest or kill them," said Al-Mujahid.

Meanwhile, advocates of cut and run claim there is no hope in Iraq.

More On Fox Faith

This article from Agape Press goes into detail about the efforts to put a Christian face on new films from Fox Studios:

Some might see these early releases and conclude that we are headed for another round of "Jesus junk" films -- post-Passion of the Christ movies, like the latest installment of the Left Behind series, that are preachy and poorly made. Even though such films might be able to scare up a little box office, they are not the stuff you want to build a new brand around.
The question Christians need to ask is, "Where should we set the bar for success?" If Christians insist that all films coming from FoxFaith meet the standards represented by movies such as Chariots of Fire, Shadowlands, and The Passion of the Christ, then we are setting them up for failure. If that was the general litmus test for all studio releases, theaters would get about five or six films a year. Christians need to recognize that not every movie will be a blockbuster. Imagine if we used the same kind of standard for sermons. Let's face it, not even the best pastor hits it out of the park every week.
FoxFaith is a business with a mission, but they are still a business. They know that if they are going to succeed in theatrical release that they will have to make films that lots of people, not just Christians, will want to pay money to see. They don't have the resources for big budget films; but small budgets do not have to mean bad movies. Last year's Academy Award-winning film, Crash, was made for $6.5 million. Sling Blade was produced for $1 million. And big budgets are no guarantee of success. Last summer's Poseidon cost $160 million to make and it bombed.

Some of my favorite films are B movies. As this story states, it doesn't take a huge budget to make a good film. Often the extra cash works against a movie. I think we are spoiled since the 70's with expensive FX taking the place of good stories and decent acting.

Why We Don't Need Aircraft Carriers

This video is proof positive they have too much time on their hands! (But God bless these guys!)

British Want US Destroyer

Pretty cool article from Stars and Stripes, on an impressive Navy ship and crew:

In a rare move, the British Navy has asked for a U.S. destroyer to sail as part of the British strike group, U.S. Navy officials said Wednesday.
The crew of the guided-missile destroyer USS Barry made such a positive impression earlier this year during the ship’s participation with the British Navy in the Neptune Warrior exercise that one of the U.S. military’s closest allies asked exclusively for the crew’s return, said U.S. Navy Capt. John Nowell Jr., commander of Destroyer Squadron 60.
“I don’t think that has ever happened before,” Nowell said in an interview following a change-of-command ceremony aboard the warship as it sat pierside in downtown Naples’ busy port.

Here's the Barry's website.

Driving Down "Route Irish"

This is an interesting story from CentCom, on what was once called “the most dangerous road in the world” in Iraq:

...has come a long way in the past year. In 2004 and much of 2005, Route Irish from Baghdad International Airport was a true gauntlet, besieged with improvised exploding devices and small-arms ambushes by western Baghdad’s worst insurgents. But joint operations in early 2006 by 3rd Infantry Division and Iraqi Army troops — and a concerted effort since by some 101st Airborne and Iraqi National Police units to keep the area clear — have brought incidents down to nothing. Security in a Route Irish convoy is as tight as ever, but these days the drivers, who’ve been making this run since the beginning, will tell you they’re always ready for trouble but no longer expecting any.

Soldiers Provide Medical Support to Djiboutians

This is from CentCom:

DJIBOUTI - Hospital Corpsman Second Class Jason Moore, assigned to the Expeditionary Medical Force at Camp Lemonier, Djibouti, traveled with Army veterinarians, medics, and security personnel to rural Djibouti to provide medical and veterinary care to the indigent and refugee populations. Here is his account of the medical services provided.
Once we arrived in the district of Ali-Sabieh, we unloaded and organized $40,000 worth of medications including antibiotics, de-wormers, anti-inflammatory agents and multi-vitamins. Boxes were piled to the ceiling after the medicines were sorted.
Our first mission was to the village of Assamo where we set up at a small school. Classrooms became the provider offices for Lt. Cmdr. Christopher Hults, a general surgeon; Hospital Corpsman First Class Steven Wood, an independent duty corpsman; three Djiboutian nurses; an Army medic, and myself. The kitchen became our pharmacy. We saw 240 patients that day, many of them children. The patient population seemed surprisingly healthy, considering the harsh conditions under which they live and minimal resources they have.

Happy Birthday Fox!

I'm a day late, but the wishes are the same, from Thomas D. Segel:

The only bright light on the news horizon seems to be The Fox News Channel...and it is the latest entry into cable news. Today, while celebrating its tenth year on the air, Fox News rightfully boasts it is the Number One cable news network. According to Glenn Garvin, writing for McClatchy Newspapers it has held this ranking..."for the past 58 months with an audience almost as big as its two main competitors combined. It took Fox News just five years to surpass MSNBC, with its powerful corporate backers, and CNN with its 16 year head start." Garvin goes on to say that Fox News reached the 90 million-subscriber mark faster than any cable channel in history.

I'd have given up on honesty in the news long ago if not for Fox News and Brit Hume. Many more!

When the Democrats Lose

Not if, but when, from the American Thinker:

In the likely event that Democrats wake up on the Wednesday after the first Tuesday in November and find that the federal government is firmly in Republican hands for another two years how will they react? After licking their wounds by dabbling in deranged conspiracy theories about election fraud, they will fall to fighting among themselves like starving sled dogs. There will be casualties. Howard Dean, Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid will all have trouble keeping their jobs in the wake of yet another failure...

If the Democrats ceased to be the leftist party they would lose their all-important propaganda apparatus in the heirloom media. They would lose all their intellectual firepower (such as it is) in the universities and all the cachet of Hollywood. Their fundraising base would disappear. They would become a me-too party relegated to winning elections in most of the country only when the Republican candidate got caught in bed with either a live boy or a dead girl.

The only way for Republicans to lose this election, if they give it away!

Bush Misunderestimated

He has the Democrats eating their words, according to David Limbaugh:

First, he said he would not be intimidated from using the Democrats' words against them by their false charge that he was questioning their patriotism. He will continue to call their position on Iraq "cut and run," because it's an accurate descriptor. He noted that Sen. Kerry had advocated a date certain for withdrawal from Iraq, which amounts to "cutting and running" before the mission -- enabling Iraq to "defend itself, sustain itself and govern itself" -- is complete.
In the turning-their-words-against-them department, President Bush also cited House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi's laughable assertion that she "loves tax cuts." President Bush allowed as how he found this quite curious, given Pelosi's record of always voting for tax increases. Boy is the truth painful to its strangers!

Second, the president not only refused -- "for about the fifth time" -- to acknowledge that invading Iraq was a mistake. He got right back in their faces and affirmed, defiantly, that it was the right thing to do -- and said he couldn't wait until we could have an actual debate on this subject. He was daring Democrats to defend the Saddam regime, what with its use of WMD, its systematic torture and its burying alive of its own people -- not to mention its support of terrorists.

Are Dems hypocrites? Only everytime they open their mouths!

75% of Communists Agree with Democrats

This according to JB Williams:

"The Nov. 7 midterm elections are less than six weeks away. The stakes have never been so high: Control of the House and Senate and governorships nationwide. A recent poll shows that 75 percent of voters are disgusted by the Republican majority House and Senate, the highest disapproval rate since 1994. They are frustrated at Bush's endless Iraq war, by Republican cronyism and corruption, tax giveaways to the rich, cutbacks in vital services, and criminal negligence in the wake of Hurricane Katrina."
"Bush's policies of war and repression have made us less secure. The people are angry and they want change."
Are these the words of DNC Chairman Howard Dean? John Kerry? Ted Kennedy? Nancy Pelosi? Harry Reid? Al Gore? Dick Durbin? George Soros? Is it Hillary Clinton? Is it one of the Hollywood cast of idiots, or maybe the Ditzy Chicks? While all of these people and their many minions have regurgitated these words until we're sick of hearing them, this quote is taken directly from a mid-term campaign appeal issued by The National Board of the Communist Party USA, released Sept. 25, 2006.

Seems as if the Commies are beating the terrorists to the Vote Democrat bandwagon!

Show Trials for the Sane

John Burtis echoes my example of the global warming worshipers as the New Inquisition:

...all we get are calls for show trials, inquisitions, shouts of death for the non-believers and global warming deniers, and calls for miles of open pits for those who dared believe that man may not be totally at fault for all the planet's ills, change of habitats, and every extinction imaginable.
In the case of the environment, which has most of the wild eyed radicals of the left in a torch burning tirade calling for the blood of the heathen, it's time to move beyond Spain of the 15th century and the Auto-da-Fe operations of that desperate Inquisition. Back then you were at least allowed to renounce your misdeeds and recant your sins without being put on public trial before you were burned at the stake, but not today.
Nope, currently, the radical environmentalists want to drag you right up front for a perfectly good show trial, preferably in front of those clowns on the 9th Circuit, in their peaked caps, eye masks, and long flowing black robes, no doubt, and have a good public go at you, with rocks, vegetables, and all, thrown by the believers, with immediate guilty verdicts all around.

That's right. Liberalism is a religion and the high priests are the liberal dominated courts. The rest of us are all heritics and blasphemers who must be reeducated or eliminated.

How Carter Gave NK the Bomb

This article from the Baltimore Sun says there's plenty of blame to go around, but Jimmy played his part:

In 1993, North Korea refused to allow the International Atomic Energy Agency to conduct special inspections of some of its facilities and threatened to withdraw from the treaty.Tensions escalated, and in 1994, Clinton began making contingency plans for a possible military strike on the Yongbyon facility, said Matthew Bunn, who worked on nuclear security issues in the Clinton White House.The secretary of defense went to China to alert leaders to U.S. plans. Clinton sent bombers to Guam, said Bunn, now a nuclear security specialist at Harvard University.But those plans were set aside when former President Jimmy Carter flew to North Korea in June 1994, Bunn said. The talks led to an agreement signed in Switzerland that October.

I remember this well and remember being heart broken at the opportunity that was lost, for the free world and North Korea's long-suffering millions.

Democrats New Take on History

It's so neat! You can change it anytime to fit whatever agenda, according to Austin Bay and the Left’s new history on missile defense:

That’s Rep. Ellen Tauscher’s line on C-SPAN’s Washington Journal this morning– liberal Democrats have always supported missile defense. Hogwash. The LibDems have spent over two decades demonizing those of us who do support missile defense. The NoKo bomb has changed the LibDem tune. That’s good, but please, let’s not try and change history — the history of hysterical opposition to strategic missile defense. (Tauscher comes on about 2 hours into the show. Two hours and one minute into the program. Her comments on missile defense crop up about 2:25 into the show. Toggle forward at the C-SPAN site.)
Tauscher says she’s for a “missile defense system” that works. Hah. These folks have fought funding and testing tooth and nail. She’s also something of a “unilateralist” when it comes to diplomacy vis a vis North Korea. (Engage North Korea!) Sheesh.

The next lesson will be: how Ted Kennedy and Jimmy Carter won the Cold War.

Good News for GOP

This according to the Washington Post via Donald Lambro: For starters, GOP strategists took comfort in the Post's finding (buried deeply in the story) that "60 percent of those surveyed in the new poll said they approve of the performance of their own member." As for the House-page scandal, polls show it will have little impact on how people vote. Only two in 10 said it would in the Post survey. This is confirmed by the GOP's own internal polling in the past week. "The anger at the grassroots is geared toward one man, Mark Foley," a senior party official said. Meanwhile, despite the Democrats' relentless criticism that Iraq has little or nothing to do with the war on terrorism, 51 percent still "agreed with (President) Bush's argument that Iraq is a front in the global campaign against terrorism," the Post said. As for the Democrats' anti-war push for getting out of Iraq, "there is no significant support for withdrawing U.S. forces immediately," the Post said. Only one-fifth would support such a move. And Democrat smear tactics are backfiring, as conservative troops mobilize: Polls show the Republicans have rallied around their embattled president and party. The Post poll said 82 percent of Republicans approved of the job Bush was doing, up from 68 percent in May. As long as we ignore the Democrat's hit-men in the MSM, it will be clear sailing in November. http://www.townhall.com/columnists/column.aspx?UrlTitle=hope_springs_eternal_for_gop&ns=DonaldLambro&dt=10/12/2006&page=1

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The GOP's Ted Kennedy

This is Alaska Senator Ted "bridge to nowhere" Stevens, who'll defend to the death his right to waste your taxes: In a caucus of Republican senators, 82-year-old, six-term Sen. Ted Stevens charged that freshman Sen. Tom Coburn's anti-pork crusade hurts the party. Stevens then removed from the final version of the Defense Department appropriations bill Coburn's "report card" requiring the Pentagon to grade earmarks. The House passed, 394 to 22, the bill, stripped of this reform and containing some 2,800 earmarks worth $11 billion. That made a mockery of a "transparency" rule passed by the House earlier this year, supposedly intended to discourage earmarks. "You would think that with a war and all the controversy surrounding earmarks that the appropriators would hold back a little," said Steve Ellis of the non-partisan Taxpayers for Common Sense. "But with an election just weeks away, they dug into the trough to find pearls to send home to their districts." ...after an angry Stevens took Coburn to task for undermining party unity, the rookie was supported by the front-runner for the 2008 Republican presidential nomination. Sen. John McCain asserted that the people backed Coburn, who then made clear he was not intimidated by Stevens. Like the esteemed Senator from Massachusetts, the Congress will be a better place when these dinosaur tax and spenders are gone. http://www.townhall.com/columnists/RobertDNovak/2006/10/12/pork_for_defense

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Nuremberg Trials for Global Warming Deniers

The thought police are getting serious. This is via the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works: A U.S. based environmental magazine that both former Vice President Al Gore (http://gristmill.grist.org/print/2006/9/19/11408/1106?show_comments=no ) and PBS newsman Bill Moyers, for his October 11th global warming edition of �Moyers on America� titled �Is God Green?� (http://www.grist.org/news/maindish/2006/05/09/roberts/index.html ) have deemed respectable enough to grant one-on-one interviews to promote their projects, is now advocating Nuremberg-style war crimes trials for skeptics of human caused catastrophic global warming. Grist Magazine�s staff writer David Roberts called for the Nuremberg-style trials for the �bastards� who were members of what he termed the global warming �denial industry.� Roberts wrote in the online publication on September 19, 2006, "When we've finally gotten serious about global warming, when the impacts are really hitting us and we're in a full worldwide scramble to minimize the damage, we should have war crimes trials for these bastards -- some sort of climate Nuremberg.� (http://gristmill.grist.org/print/2006/9/19/11408/1106?show_comments=no ) Gore and Moyers have not yet commented on Grist's advocacy of prosecuting skeptics of global warming with a Nuremberg-style war crimes trial. This is the new religion and liberals are the inquisition. http://epw.senate.gov/fact.cfm?party=rep&id=264568

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Babs Goes Bats

Using the "F" word against a fan while engaging in an anti-Bush skit:

There was Streisand, enduring a smattering of very loud jeers as she and "George Bush" - a celebrity impersonator - muddled through a skit that portrayed the president as a bumbling idiot.
Though most of the crowd offered polite applause during the slightly humorous routine, it got a bit too long, especially for a few in the audience who just wanted to hear Streisand sing like she had been doing for the past hour.
"Come on, be polite!" the well-known liberal implored during the sketch as she and "Bush" exchanged zingers. But one heckler wouldn't let up. And finally, Streisand let him have it.
"Shut the (expletive) up!" Streisand bellowed, drawing wild applause. "Shut up if you can't take a joke!"

Sorry Babs, no one's laughing at your failing talent!

Army Recruiting Numbers Jump

This good news from the War on Terror is from DefenseLink:

In fiscal 2005, the Army missed its recruiting goal by 7,000. This year, the Army exceeded the goal by 635 soldiers. The goal both years was 80,000. The other services all made their goals, as well, with the Navy enlisting 36,679 new members, the Marine Corps enlisting 32,301, and the Air Force 30,750. The news was almost as good on the reserve-component side, with the Army National Guard just missing its target of 70,000 by enlisting 69,042. The Army Reserve met 95 percent of its goal, with 34,379; the Marine Reserve met 100 percent, enlisting 8,056; and the Navy Reserve made 87 percent of its goal, at 9,722. The Air National Guard made 97 percent of its goal, at 9,138; and the Air Force Reserve enlisted 106 percent of its goal at 6,989.

And the reasons?

First, focus,” (David S.C. Chu, undersecretary of defense for personnel and readiness) said. “Focus by the military services putting more recruiters out there. “Second is patriotism,” he continued. “One of the things we read into the survey results of young Americans today is (that) patriotism has risen to a much higher place on the list of reasons why people join the military. In a sense, we are seeing right before our eyes the unfolding of a new ‘greatest generation’ in the history of our republic.”

Is the President Listening to Me?

Concerning the newly released US National Space Policy, probably not. But in my article for Opeds.com last week I called for an increase in military use of space citing:

Americans should get over their fear of the militarization of space. No other government agency in recent decades has so transformed itself to changing times as the US Military, as proved in its dramatic rebirth in Operation Desert Storm after the debacle of Vietnam.

Here's the President's take:

The report lists four basic goals: develop space professionals; improve space system development and procurement; increase and strengthen interagency partnerships; and strengthen and maintain the U.S. space-relate science, technology and industrial base.
In the national security subsection, the document spells out the right to use space to support forward-based military missions, calling on the U.S. to "develop and deploy space capabilities that sustain U.S. advantage and support defense and intelligence transformation."
An unclassified 10-page summary of the report also lists goals for commercial space, civilian space, RF spectrum management, space nuclear power, international cooperation and space security classification.

I also called for the utilisation of space nuclear power, or other more efficient forms of propulsion which can produce sustained speeds in space, thereby hastening its exploration.

MiLinks

Raytheon Delivers First Excalibur Production Rounds To The US Army.

New Radar Flies High As Crucial Tests Begin.

India to Buy Israeli "SPYDER" Mobile Air Defense System.

Some Say Global Strike Not Feasible.

Swedish Missiles for Polish Navy.

Air Force Will Get New Bomber, Upgrades To Fighters.

Israel Looks to Bolster Arms Capabilities.

The US Military as Social Workers.

F-22 Raptor Vs. F-35 Lightning II.

Armored vs. Blast Resistant.

New Arms Race in Space?

US, Chinese Warships Train Together.

Commercial Standards for Navy Ships.

USS George H.W. Bush Christened.

Stark Words About the Navy From a Former Navy Secretary.

Russia Bringing Back the Czar?

Best Campaign Ad You Won't See

Except here via YouTube.

Update: Google has censored the above link so check out Drudge's.

Why Not Vote Democrat?

David Limbaugh says conservative voters can't afford to stay home this November:

Can you imagine the Democrats winning a debate over national security when they've vigorously opposed almost every tool President Bush has tried to use to prosecute the war on terror? How would they gain from a true debate over Iraq, when Democrats still don't have a plan and can't even decide whether they favor withdrawal, "timetables" or "benchmarks"?
Can you imagine Democrats prevailing on a values debate where it would be emphasized that they actively promote the radical homosexual agenda and castigate one of the finest institutional exemplars of traditional values in our nation's history -- the Boy Scouts -- for their moral refusal to permit homosexuals to be scoutmasters? Does Nancy Pelosi truly support the National American Man/Boy Love Association (NAMBLA) or just proudly march in parades with them and receive 90 percent approval from their ACLU enablers? Inquiring minds surely want to know.

This is my point, aside from their obvious failure on National Security. How can the Party which has chased God out of public life bring back morality to this country?

Why Vote Republican

Cal Thomas says just look at what the other guy wants to do:

For all of their promises to do a better job of fighting this war, Democrats have no plan, other than retreat. That is the plan the terrorists have for us. Retreat is not in their playbook. The terrorists in Iraq and elsewhere don't speak of timetables for withdrawal or bringing their fighters home in time for Ramadan. They're in it for the long haul. They believe we are not. A victory by Democrats next month will validate their view and encourage them to fight harder.

Strike a blow against Islamic Fascism and vote Republican this year!

McCain Blasts Clinton Failure' on NK

Most of the time I'm against McCain, but he's right on the money here:

"I would remind Senator (Hillary) Clinton and other Democrats critical of the Bush administration's policies that the framework agreement her husband's administration negotiated was a failure," McCain said at a news conference after a campaign appearance for Republican Senate candidate Mike Bouchard.
"The Koreans received millions and millions in energy assistance. They've diverted millions of dollars of food assistance to their military," he said.

The Price of Appeasement.

North Korean Shakedown

"Shakedown" was the first word which came to mind when I read this:

A North Korean official said the United States should agree to hold direct talks with his government on security guarantees to avert a situation in which Pyongyang would feel compelled to launch nuclear-armed missiles, South Korea's Yonhap News Agency reported today.

In other words, the Norks are saying "give us a bribe and we won't threaten anymore nuclear tests, except we will". This is why Democrats are so for direct talks as they are so used to being shaken down by people in their party, as this is why Kim has ( apparently) nukes today, because of Clinton and Carter.

Bush is taking the correct path: the key to North Korea is through China, who seems to have enough themselves of their neighbor's arrogance. Add to this South Korea and Japan putting pressure on the rogue state and the dictators haven't a chance.

NK Nuke Test May Be Dud

This is being reported by Austin Bay, among others:

It looks like a small, less than one kiloton device — the articles says 550 tons. 1000 tons is a kiloton. (The Hiroshima bomb was the equivalent of 13 to 15 kilotons.) I say “looks like.” The Russians say they are one hundred percent certain Pyongyang tested a device.
Such a small boom means this could have been a failed test (they wanted a larger explosion). I doubt the NoKos have the sophistication to produce a small, efficient “low yield” nuclear weapon.

Democrat Congress No Biggie for Bush

While my personal opinion is the Democratic Party is on the way out, mainly for their stand against the Iraqi Conflict, there are many on the Right who claim that upcoming elections will be a disaster for their own Party and President Bush. They site statements by Democrat leaders who intend to start impeachment hearings, withdraw from Iraq, and role back Bush’s tax cuts, which many say is the reason for our currently expanding economy. I would like to remind the fear-mongers of another President who was faced with seemingly overwhelming opposition in Congress from another Party and who not only survived but thrived. Bill Clinton served during a time of a great Republican resurgence in the country, thanks mainly to the leadership and example of Ronald Reagan. Soon into Clinton’s first term, Republicans gained control of both Houses of Congress for the first time in 40 years, led by the very effective Senator Newt Gingrich. Almost immediately afterwards, the conservatives led a standoff against Clinton over the 1994 budget, but the President persevered. In the 1996 elections, despite intensive counterattacks from the new medium of talk radio, Clinton was reelected with 49% of the popular vote and 70% of the Electoral College. In 1998 the Lewinsky scandal began and the Republican House led impeachment hearings, mainly for the President lying to Congress. Though impeached in the House, Clinton kept his office when the Senate voted to acquit him. Today the “comeback kid” remains very popular in the country as well as around the world. What does Clinton’s example hold for Bush today? In the unlikelihood of Democrat resurgence in the Congress, Bush will not be faced with a Newt Gingrich or arguably the most effective Republican Party in 100 hours, but a waning Democrat Party led by the likes of Nancy Pelosi, Charley Rangel, and Harry Reid. And rather than 6 years of contending with a belligerent opposition Party as Clinton endured, the President only has 2 years to deal with the Democrats, who have consistently failed to cause a withdrawal from Iraq, to end the Patriot Act, to halt Bush’s Supreme Court nominees, or grant American Constitutional Rights to Al Qaeda terrorists. In other words, a Democrat controlled Congress which liberals dream of and conservatives dread will be a cake walk for post-9/11 George Bush.

How Liberals Fight Terrorism

To discredit the war effort, they fail to differentiate between legal American citizens, and terrorist who want to kill us. This is by Garrison Keillor:

The U.S. Senate, in all its splendor and majesty, decided that an "enemy combatant" is any non-citizen whom the president says is an enemy combatant, including your Korean greengrocer or your Swedish grandmother or your Czech au pair, and can be arrested and held for as long as authorities wish without any right of appeal to a court of law to examine the matter. If your college kid were to be arrested in Bangkok or Cairo, suspected of "crimes against the state" and held in prison, you'd assume that an American foreign service officer would be able to speak to your kid and arrange for a lawyer, but this may not be true anymore. Be forewarned.The Senate also decided it's up to the president to decide whether it's OK to make these enemies stand naked in cold rooms for a couple of days in blinding light and be beaten by interrogators. This is now purely a bureaucratic matter: The plenipotentiary stamps the file "enemy combatants" and throws the poor schnooks into prison and at his leisure he tries them by any sort of kangaroo court he wishes to assemble and they have no right to see the evidence against them, and there is no appeal.

Clinton's October Surprise

John Burtis' lethal pen details how Clinton rescues the Democratic Party again, maybe:

Their October surprise, this fall, is a sad sorry assault made up of the desperate mewlings of a Republican representative toward what now appears to be an 18 year old man, if half of what passes for news can be accepted as truth-- released in a concerted campaign with the progressive media - an assemblage who are merely following the orders of the Clintons out of fear, who broadcast the tarted up assemblage as news without a bit of investigation.
When viewed in a historical light, their great heralded early autumn offensive is nothing more than another mournfully vicious attack based on what passes as morality. But in the supremely distorted reality of the Democratic/Clinton lens, it is nothing more than a tool designed to destroy another man, another youth, and whoever else gets in their way, with the aid and comfort of the Party and the press.
The mid-term election is coming and with it is another chance for the long fabled return to power for the Democrats.

We're Saved!

You can sleep easy in your beds, folks. The UN Cavalry is coming!:

Security Council expected to meet on N.Korea's nuclear test.

Why am I still worried?

Conservatives Must Stay the Course

Having conceded the Security issue to Republicans, Democrats are returning to a tried and true formula, scandal mongering, which has worked well for them, at least in past decades. The Republican leadership seems to be wavering after the revelation that prominent Republican Congressman Tom Foley is apart of a sex scandal, and some are even calling for Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert’s resignation. It’s the liberals strategy of turning the conservative base of Family Value voters against them. One begs the question, would Democrats who support gay marriage, killing unborn children through abortion, and lax laws for child molesters, do a better job on the issue? Haven’t they themselves created this “culture of corruption” by their Party’s abandonment of right-and-wrong since the 1960’s? Time and time again since 9/11 polls have clearly shown that the preeminent issue for American voters is National Security. The liberals know that Iraq is their Battle of Waterloo. In spite of the horrible future we can expect from a terrorist victory over US forces in the Middle East, the Dems are determined to restore their Party to power, whatever the cost to the country. Admittedly, the Republicans are in a bad way. They spend like liberals and have failed to control the deficit, have done little to roll back big government, and actually increased the beauracracy to monolithic proportions. Still, they are our last best hope. We must defeat the Al Qaeda terrorists who seek to end our freedoms, our tolerate religion, and way of life. Now is not the time to waiver and concede to the scandal mongering MSM. Let’s win the election and fix the problems in Congress later. The only other choice is appeasement and death.