ROSIE'S REPLACEMENT?

Let's see: she's a flaming liberal, crude, a crotch-grabber (remember the Star Spangled Banner performance?), loud-mouthed and opinionated.

Yeah, from ABC's standpoint, that'll work! Of course, Cynthia McKinney is unemployed too.

RUN, FRED, RUN!

The Telegraph (UK) reports that Reagan's men are backing - an actor. Works for me! My preference is probably Duncan Hunter BUT, I'd vote for Fred!

CONGRATULATIONS, JEFF GORDON

Yesterday at Talladega, Alabama, NASCAR standout Jeff Gordon, on the day that racing legend Dale Earnhardt would have turned 56, achieved career victory #77, thus moving past Earnhardt's win record. The victory was not popular with many. The great comedian Jeff Foxworthy says people resent Jeff Gordon because he enunciates the English language correctly. And it's understandable that Jeff Gordon achieving this milestone, on this day in this venue was a lot hard to take for many Earnhardt loyalists. But as far as I'm concerned, this was a great victory for Jeff Gordon and for NASCAR.

(And I swear to you that I took very little pleasure in Tony Stewart stomping off the track in one of his famous snits after someone clipped his car and sent him into the wall with less than 2 laps to go. Not that Stewart has EVER needed a reason to whine! Of course, as my sister Linda says, "Real men don't wear orange. Unless it's the jumpsuit issued by the prison system!)

I'M JUST WONDERING

Could my survivors sue the Democrats (and some RINOs) in the U.S. Congress (individually and collectively) for causing me to die from a stroke?

This latest nearly caused my blood pressure to zoom into infinity this afternoon:

Clinton Says Her Southern Twang a Virtue

Apr 27 02:13 PM
US/Eastern
GREENVILLE, S.C. (AP) - Democratic presidential hopeful Hillary Rodham Clinton said Friday she sees her sometimes Southern accent as a virtue. "I think America is ready for a multilingual president," Clinton said during a campaign stop at a charter school in Greenville, S.C.

Is there no end to the sanctimonious and specious bullshit being shoveled by these people? We already HAVE a multilingual president. His name is George W. Bush! He is fluent in Spanish. And you, Senator Clinton, are multilingual in falsehood spewing and phony accents. You're from Chicago you prevaricating crone - that is not the South as near as I can determine. Just pandering to the "little people" again, aren't you dearie? Those of us who aren't as good as you in your estimation. Well guess what, lady - I'm older AND smarter than you. Most everyone I know (including my blogging pals) - all of them, even the ones I disagree with - they are smarter than you. My cat Sam is smarter than you.

I know it's a political campaign, Senator Clinton. But honestly, even you MUST gag at some of the things that are coming out of your mouth!

h/t Laura Lee Donahue

SEDITIOUS COWARDS, ONE AND ALL!

There's a reason their eyes are closed, I'm sure.

For more on Harry the Cowardly Pundit, go to Journal.

AH COME ON JOE, JUST WALK ACROSS THE AISLE
You Don’t Belong With Those Buffoons!

You can read here the text of Senator Lieberman’s speech regarding the bad bill being sent to the President.

BYE, BYE ROSIE!

ABC is indulging itself in what is probably a convenient fiction - that the network and Rosie couldn't come up with a mutually agreable contract to extend her stay on "The View". So she will be leaving when her contract expires in June, 2007. Good riddance. There is a fine line between freedom of speech and license. Ms. O'Donnell's hateful tirades cross that line.

Regardless of that, I take great exception to those who are making what I can only consider hateful remarks regarding Ms. O'Donnell's appearance. That is unacceptable and irrelevant. She'd be a weird creature even if she looked like Elizabeth Taylor in her prime! And it's just plain cruel to denigrate a person's looks when their actions and opinions are so much more to the point.

What I'm saying is leave the name calling to others and deal with the substance of the outrageous things Rosie O'Donnell says and leave her weight, age, sexual orientation and general appearance out of the mix. Okay?

VICE PRESIDENT CHENEY'S REMARKS ABOUT SENATOR REID & CRONIES

How the Senator Reid can POSSIBLY equate these comments with an "attack" is beyond me. Clearly, he's just a wussy little baby who cannot abide being criticized, even when the justification is as clear as it is in this case. The Vice President quoted varying (and contradictory) statements made by Senator Reid and then refuted the falsehoods contained therein. Last time I looked, the TRUTH is always a good defense - and the truth is on the Vice President's side.

I can - and have - criticized Senator Reid in much more pointed terms. But then I'm just one of his 300 million employers, so I can be ignored, right?

Read the entire text here and make up your own mind.

NANCY PELOSI SKIPPING GEN. PETRAEUS' BRIEFING TODAY

Well of course, if you think you know EVERYTHING, why muddle your thinking with facts and reality? Mrs. Pelosi seems to think that she is both the new President and the Secretary of State and that all the American people support this delusion on her part. To disabuse her of that notion, go here: http://speaker.house.gov/contact/.

Remember to be polite and respectful - though I doubt it will be appreciated.

O'REILLY IS INVESTIGATING GEORGE SOROS

When O'Reilly started his "Talking Points Memo" last night, which I actually only caught because I was en route elsewhere on my TV dial (who says men are the only ones who channel surf), I was somewhat startled to hear that he was doing an in-depth investigation of George Soros and all his many tentacles throughout the ultra leftwing opinion making machine.

Either Mr. O'Reilly thinks he is immune from George Soros' retribution or O'Reilly feels that he has weathered worse than Soros can dish out. At the same time, character assassination and the politics of personal destruction are the middle name of George Soros. I applaud the effort to shine the revealing light of day on the machinations of this evil man who is trying to BUY the Presidency of the United States of America for himself at arm's length so that he can completely reshape our entire nation's way of life.

Mr. Soros and his legions of lunatic fringers are a very serious danger to this nation, and yet studies show that very few people are even aware of Mr. Soros' existence. But then a large number of Americans don't know the name of our current Vice President. Why do I think this level of ignorance is frightening? I certainly know that there exist, in otherwise intelligent people, some deep pockets of ignorance about the structure of our nation's institutions. But in the long run, this is our survival and the survival of our Republic for the benefit of future generations not yet born.

I have heard from some who truly believe that the Legislative branch of our government has power over the Executive branch, even though that is a complete fallacy. I have heard from people who genuinely believe that a CITY - namely Washington, D.C. - should have equal status with States such as Michigan and Iowa and that this is provided for in our constitution, although it is not. I think that these people are not willfully ignorant but rather they have been taught poorly. Thank you N.E.A.

I was taught in grade school and onwards that the people of our nation had many wonderful rights. I was further taught that with those rights came EQUALLY important responsibilities and that you could not have one without the other. I was taught that freedom and license were two entirely different things. I was lucky because I WAS taught and granted I joke a lot about having "survived Catholic school" but as I get older, I realize how very much I owe my parents who essentially paid twice for my elementary and high school educations because through taxes they were supporting public schools and still paying additional sums to send me to parochial schools.

The point of all of this to me is, I think, that because people in this country have an imperfect understanding of our Constitution and Bill of Rights and even of the most basic structure of our government, we are leaving ourselves open for someone like George Soros to manipulate himself into a position of power for which he is otherwise not qualified.

Is he even a citizen of this country or a legal resident? I do know that he is a convicted felon in France. (UPDATE: George Soros is a naturalized American citizen. Which means he himself can never be president. A clue?)

So I congratulate Mr. O'Reilly on having the courage - or temerity or even greed for ratings - to get out there and probe the web of organizations behind which Mr. Soros really isn't even trying very hard to hide. Good luck with that.

HARRY REID HAS NOW OFFICIALLY "JUMPED THE SHARK"!

UNBELIEVABLE AND SHAMEFUL CHUTZPAH!

In an article on the Fox News online site, we read the following:

WASHINGTON — Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid effectively declared war Monday on the U.S. commander in chief, calling President Bush the "odd man out" on Iraq and vowing to use Congress to try to change what he said was Bush's "shoot first" diplomacy.

In a scathing speech seemingly aimed at shaming the president into calling for a withdrawal, Reid said the Bush administration is in denial about the war, incompetent in its conduct and unwilling to listen to alternatives.

How much longer are we going to be forced to listen to this incompetent, seditious moron run his ignorant mouth? When will you do the decent thing and resign Senator Reid? Either you are senile or a traitor to your country (and not out of any moral or ethical principles either – purely out of naked political ambition).

SHAME ON YOU!

UPDATE: Go here to see what a grunt who has been SERVING in Iraq for nearly a year has to say about Senator Reid's remarks and about the people "drinking Starbucks" who have the nerve to denigrate his service to our nation.

SENATOR REID - SEDITION, SENILITY OR CYNICISM?

In an article written by Ray Van Dune in the American Thinker entitled: “My Request To Sen. Lieberman”, Mr. Van Dune requests that Senator Lieberman stand up and cross the aisle to prevent any more foolishness by Senator Harry Reid and the rest of his seditious pals in the Senate. The article further requests that Senator Lieberman demand that Senator Reid resign from his post immediately, given the fact that Senator Reid places political gain above the national interests he has sworn to preserve, protect and defend. He closes with the following paragraph:

"Again I thank you, and I hope that you will consider my request, in that it may help steel the resolve of this nation to meet its moral obligations, and show the positions of Senator Reid and other Democrats for the cynical opportunisms that they are."

I couldn’t have said it better myself.

SCIENTOLOGY – A DANGEROUS, DANGEROUS CULT

News that the cult of Scientology has set up shop on the campus of Virginia Tech is making my blood run cold.

Anyone who has known me for a long time (my sister, some of my closer friends) know how disturbing I find any reference to this cult, because of my personal experiences with the cult and with some of its adherents during the 18 years I lived in Los Angeles.

My first encounter with the cult of Scientology came during the early 80s when I was working for a musician (we’ll call him “Bob”) as his personal assistant. Bob told me a blood chilling story one day while we were taking a break.

It seems Bob was taking a stroll down Hollywood Boulevard one day and, on a whim, dropped into a storefront that was offering “Free IQ Tests” (this was a classic Scientology ploy in those days which may or may not continue). About a week later, my friend received a telephone call reporting his “very high” IQ results and further discussing things he had in no way disclosed to them: his income, his savings accounts, properties owned, and so forth. Bob immediately consulted an attorney and served them with a court order requiring that all information obtained by them be eradicated from their records. Possessing a suspicious nature, I have often wondered if this was done.

Some time after I worked for “Bob”, a friend of mine and I decided to try to start a little cottage-industry p.r. firm and the first book we were asked to promote was a book about the romantic relationship between Jeannette MacDonald and Nelson Eddy. We put a lot of effort into that project, got some decent press for the authors who then refused to pay us one cent of the money we billed them. We later learned that they were Scientologists when they told us that because we were NOT, they were under no obligation to deal ethically with us. Being neophytes in those days, and completely unable to afford an attorney (we had never heard of Small Claims Court), we had to let the matter drop. Bitter lesson, indeed. I decided then and there to never trust another Scientologist, if that was their m.o. Over the balance of the time I lived in L.A., every single encounter I ever had with any adherent of Scientology was unpleasant for me or harmful to me.

If you Google “Scientology – Deaths” you will obtain a lot of links to various sites where the deaths of people receiving “medical” treatment at various Scientology centers have led to deaths. Explore these links and make up your own mind.

It is my absolute belief that Scientology is NOT a religion, but rather a cult – and a dangerous one at that. The administration of VT should run their asses off campus NOW and insist that they stay off. There’s been enough death on that campus already thanks to lunatics like this. And yes, I include Cruise, Travolta, Preston, Remini, Jenna Elfman, Kirstie Alley, Mimi Rogers (the 1st Mrs. Tom Cruise), Anne Archer, Priscilla Presley, Lisa Marie Presley, Chick Corea, Isaac Hayes, Greta Van Susteren (I knew there was a reason I didn’t like that woman) among the dangerous lunatics, along with the many other adherents of this cult which can be found here.

BORIS YELTSIN HAS DIED

It has just been reported that Boris Yeltsin, the first freely elected President of Russia, has died at the age of 76. At the time of his election in 1991, I harbored high hopes for his governance of Russia. He was not, however, a particularly skillful leader and, in fact, let his people down in many ways.

NOW ISN'T THAT JUST SPECIAL?!

The U.S. House of Representatives has voted to permit the District of Columbia a vote in the House - in direct violation of the United States Constitution. Next this bill goes to the Senate where it is less likely to be favorably received.

The Dems (and their enablers) no doubt expect to have this Bill (if passed - which isn't likely) vetoed by the President, thus giving them a DNC talking point about President Bush "denying votes to U.S. citizens" which is complete hogwash. If the Bill does pass and somehow become law (I don't see how), then the Dems are relying on the courts to give them what they cannot legally obtain - which is another standard DNC tactic.

I sometimes think I'm a bit cynical - but I'm an angel in comparison to these fools!

MY LAST POST ON THE VIRGINIA TECH TRAGEDY

And it is only to commend to your attention a brilliantly written, meticulously researched article in the Washington Post, by David Maraniss. The title is: 'That Was the Desk I Chose to Die Under'.

I don't believe I have EVER recommended anything appearing in "Pravda on the Potomac", nor do I expect to do so soon again. But this is a cogent and brilliant piece of research and writing and deserves to be read. In fact, it should be the ONLY thing you read. It is clear, unsentimental (without being cold) and completely riveting.

THEY REALLY AREN'T WORTH A NICKEL'S WORTH OF SPIT!

The reliably brilliant A.J. Strata makes an excellent point about the cheese-eating-surrender-Democrats in yesterday’s post entitled: Democrats Caving On Iraq.

Congress authorized this war. This is not just Bush’s war. And Democrats need to understand “Oops, I was wrong” is not what America will tolerate as a response to seeing their best and brightest killed and maimed. Democrats have no choice now. They have admitted many times they will fund the troops and now they are watering down the surrender language. If they can water it down then they can just remove the language. Alternatively, if the withdrawal language is so damn universally popular as the Dems claim, put it in a stand-alone Bill and pass it on its own!

I have to confess, the attitude and the unreasoning, baseless and rabid hatred of George W. Bush confounds me. Both our President and our Vice President are good men. They are dedicated to preserving the security of this nation and the safety of EVERY citizen of this country regardless. They are ethical and moral men and the foul canards thrown at them, the infantile name calling and the baseless accusations of all manner of violations of both law and ethics contribute nothing worthwhile to any debate.

It used to be called "the loyal opposition". When did it become the "seditious weasals"?

All we can do is pray for strength - both ours and our President's.

Feel-good headline of the day!

Hillary Losing Steam

THE CHO VIDEOS

Airing the videos was an appallingly bad decision by NBC. The endless re-broadcast of them by every other news outlet served only to compound the offensive nature of the videos and sound bites. Do the parents of murdered young people really need to see the cause of their crushing grief given this kind of attention? If I found it offensive, what must they be feeling?

That Seung-Hui Cho was a mentally disturbed young man is obvious. There were numerous indications that all was not well with this young man. Seung-Hui Cho was judged "mentally ill" and a possible "danger to self or others," according to a court order that led to a brief hospitalization in late 2005. That is not to say that he had no responsibility for his heinous behavior because in my view he is wholly responsible. While he may have been mentally disturbed, he was capable of organized and meticulous planning as demonstrated by everything he did in the days leading up to April 16th and on that horrendous day. His actions leading up to that day showed that he knew what he was doing, he knew that it was illegal and he went ahead and did it anyway.

There had been numerous complaints about his behavior from other residents of his dorm and even from one of his professors who insisted that he be removed from her class due to his unwillingness to conform in any way to the basic rules of classroom behavior. His offensive behavior included using his camera phone to photograph the legs of the female students in the French class and refusing to follow any directives of Nikki Giovanni, the teacher. When the female students in that class insisted that they attend via remote rather than in person, Ms. Giovanni went to her supervisor and demanded that Cho be removed from her class, which he was. Why was nothing done at THAT point? In addition, there was the classroom fire and the arrests due to his stalking of several other female students.

The production of the various videos and sound bites was an act of pure self-aggrandizement and this murderous oaf should not be receiving the benefit of 24/7 replays of his ravings. Moreover, the saturation of the air waves with the insanity of this one, narcissistic thug can only encourage others who seek to garner attention through antisocial and murderous behavior to emulate Cho’s rampage.

I have some questions. Cho ranted on and on about rich kids. Yet, he apparently had sufficient funds to make his warped and despicable dreams come to fruition. Apparently his parents had a thriving business, so what was his bitch about really? That they weren’t Donald-Trump-rich? Or was this just whining crap coming out of the mouth of a monster? And speaking of Cho’s parents, how did they not know that they were raising an aberration in human form? How is it that, despite the troubles he had created for himself at VT, they permitted him to continue to go to school there? It's for damned sure that he wasn't paying his tuition himself, after all.

Finally, I wonder how the babbling bloviators of the left can continue to prattle on about guns being the problem. Virginia Tech was proudly proclaimed a Hand Gun Free Zone. Did Cho not get the memo? My civil rights are not abrogated in any way simply by virtue of my enrollment in an institute of higher learning. And given the dangers attendant upon said enrollment - I'm packing!

UPDATE: NBC said the material was aired because it helped to answer the question of why Cho killed 32 people and himself on the Virginia Tech campus Monday. And they stated that they were scaling way back on the showings of the video.

Right, sure, NBC - ratings had nothing whatsoever to do with it and you are scaling back because by now, everyone's got it so there's no advantage!!

DEMOCRATIC HYPOCRISY - AGAIN!

Harry Reid is the embodiment of Democratic Party hypocrisy without any doubt whatsoever. Just read the following gleaned from The Voklokh Conspiracy if you doubt my word:

"Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) was among those who denounced yesterday's Supreme Court ruling upholding the Federal Partial Birth Abortion Act. Commenting on the decision, Reid said "A lot of us wish that Alito weren't there and O'Connor were there," indicating his desire that there has been a fifth vote to invalidate the statute, as Justice O'Connor had provided the fifth vote to invalidate Nebraska's partial-birth abortion ban in Stenberg v. Carhart.

What is curious about Reid's statement, as NPR and some news outlets have noted, is not Reid's criticism of Alito -- Reid opposed Alito's confirmation -- but the fact that Reid supported, and voted for, the federal statute upheld in yesterday's decision. Reid was one of 17 Senate Democrats voting in favor of the bill in 2003. Reid also voted in favor of a ban on partial-birth abortion in 1999 (see here) and , as indicated in this "Meet the Press" interview, Reid was one of only two Democratic Senators to vote against a resolution reaffirming Senate support for the holding of Roe v. Wade."

I'm curious - do these despicable clowns ever actually LISTEN to what's dribbling out of their own mouths? Or is Reid too senile to REMEMBER his vote for that statute?

It boggles the mind!

THE BEGINNING OF THIS GREAT NATION

April 19, 1775 - The "Shot Heard Round the World" - the Battle of Lexington and Concord. Too many Americans fail to know our nation's real history. Fewer still appreciate how very fortunate we are to be part of this great country.

Today is a good day to give thanks for our bounty as Americans.

WELL NOW – THIS IS GOOD NEWS!

"PRAGUE (Reuters) - Scientists in the Netherlands have discovered a fungus in elephant dung that will help them break down fibres and wood into biofuel."

Now we can run our cars on the product of one kind of dung, while our politicians shovel out the equine variety!

A REMARKABLY DUMB COMMENT FROM ROBERT KENNEDY, JR.

Truly the DNA dilutes exponentially in a family like the Kennedys. There’s no other explanation for the inescapably DUMB statement by Robert Kennedy, Jr.:

STAMFORD, Conn. — Robert F. Kennedy Jr. says his cousin's insistence that he is innocent of a 1975 murder was enough to convince him to investigate it himself.

Kennedy has become one of Michael Skakel's staunchest supporters as Skakel seeks to overturn his 2002 murder conviction in the fatal beating of his Greenwich Neighbor, Martha Moxley, when both were 15.

"If I thought that Michael Skakel was guilty, I would say it publicly," Kennedy said outside court Tuesday. "He's incapable of telling a lie."

Mr. Kennedy – I fully understand that you love your cousin and want to support him, but IF Michael Skakel is guilty of MURDER (and a jury says that he is), why would he draw the line at telling a convenient LIE?

GUN CONTROL IS NOT THE ANSWER!

I am compelled to react with gut-wrenching fury when the European press alludes to how the "gun culture" infuses our nation.

Their blathering neglects to mention the Constitution which guarantees this right to all Americans. A right which is, incidentally, constantly under attack.

For more on this nutty bloviating and the entire Virginia Tech tragedy, go to see Blogmeister and The Anchoress, both of whom say everything that needs to be said - and both deliver some extraordinary insights.

DOES ANYONE ELSE RECOGNIZE THE STARK CONTRAST?

From the New York Daily News:

Virginia Tech University Prof. Liviu Librescu, described as a family man who once did research for NASA, sacrificed his life to save his students in the shooting rampage yesterday.

"When he heard the gunfire, he blocked the entrance and got shot through the door," his daughter-in-law Ayala Schmulevich said.

"He realized he had to save the students," she said. "That was the kind of man he was."

The hero educator was beginning a class on solid mechanics when all hell broke loose on the second floor of Norris Hall."


Would any of the blathering masses of leftist liberals in this country have done likewise? Somehow I don't think so.

But then, Dr. Librescu was a refugee from the Holocaust and from Romania. He understood the value of human life in a way the whining infants on the left never could! The only life that matters to most of THEM is their own.

Rest in peace, good and courageous man.

UPDATE: It is being revealed that there were more than a few heroes on Monday and that gives me some measure of hope for our nation's future.

IN THE MIDST OF MIND-NUMBING TRAGEDY, SOMETIMES

WE NEED A MINDLESS SMILE!

Ergo, the following!

A distinguished young woman on a flight from Switzerland asked the priest beside her, "Father, may I ask a favor?"

"Of course. What may I do for you?"

"Well, I bought an expensive electronic hair remover that is well over the Customs limits and I'm afraid they'll confiscate it. Is there any way you could carry it through Customs for me? Under your robes perhaps?"

"I would love to help you, dear, but I must warn you: I will not lie."

"With your honest face, Father, no one will question you."

When they got to Customs, she let the priest go ahead of her.

The official asked, "Father, do you have anything to declare?"

"From the top of my head down to my waist, I have nothing to declare."

The official thought this answer strange, so asked, "And what do you have to declare from your waist to the floor?"

"I have a marvelous little instrument designed to be used on a woman, but which is, to date, unused."

Roaring with laughter, the official said, "Go ahead, Father."

Next!

WHAT CAUSES PEOPLE TO GO THIS NUTS?

I do not care what your issues might be - killing your fellow man randomly, as appears to have happened today in Blacksburg, Virginia is not the solution.

First, let's dispose of the anti-gun whackos. The Second Amendment to the Bill of Rights protects my right to keep and bear arms in defense of myself or my country. Period. While it is beyond tragic that some idiot used one or more firearms to visit this kind of tragedy upon people who no doubt were completely blameless in this entire debacle, nevertheless, blame the nutcase who wielded the weapon and not the weapon itself.

Second, if you don't want to be banned from my blog in perpetuity, DO NOT blame President George W. Bush. He is not responsible for this outrage any more than you are.

While we're on the subject, it wasn't George W. Bush who caused the terrorists to bomb the World Trade Center, but rather their pathological hatred of this nation, our rights as individuals, our success, our comfort, our FREEDOM - all of which are interdicted in the minds of these unhinged zealots.

I'm throwing a theory out here - if there is anyone who might possibly be culpable in the smallest degree (other than the nutcase who picked up a gun and started killing people who should carry 99% of the responsibility), might it possibly be a culture that lacks respect for human life in any logical way? I mean, liberals have NO PROBLEM murdering innocent babies. It's convicted killers for whom they have sympathy. How screwed up is that mindset? Very.

THIS IS THE SEVENTH DAY OF THE SHARPTON-JACKSON WATCH

The always provocative Sigmund, Carl & Alfred declared April 12, 2007 to be the FIRST day of the Sharpton-Jackson Watch, thus:

"We’re waiting to see how fast Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson will demand the cancellation of recording contracts and removal from the public stage of the most foul mouthed, racist and bigoted rap artists. Reverends Sharpton and Jackson, we’re waiting."

UPDATE: 4/18/07 - Al, Jesse: We're still WAITING! What's taking so long? No money in an apology? What wimps you both are!

MORE ABOUT THE DEMOCRATS AND THEIR "ALTERNATIVE FOREIGN POLICY" INITIATIVES

David Limbaugh, an remarkably gifted writer and thinker, opines today in his Jewish World Review column:

"Their puerile petulance is one thing, but we are talking about an area over which the president is primarily in charge: foreign policy. This means it is incumbent on them to come to the White House to discuss the matter. Chief Justice John Marshall wrote, "The President is the sole organ of the nation in its external affairs, and its sole representative with foreign nations.… The [executive] department is entrusted with the whole foreign intercourse of the nation." But these Democrats will not honor protocol, will not play by the rules and will not respect their constitutional role, even though their abominable behavior guarantees negative consequences to our national security and fighting forces."

*****
"Meanwhile, Harry Reid fiddles, the globe-trotting Nancy Pelosi flouts presidential authority and the Logan Act, Sen. Biden waxes negative and Sen. Byrd exhorts all of these charlatans to ratchet up their mischief. "

*****
"If I were not actually witnessing this spectacle unfold before our eyes, I wouldn't believe it. "

NEITHER WOULD I, FOLKS, NEITHER WOULD I.

AS USUAL, THE EXTRAORDINARY DR. KRAUTHAMMER HAS IT RIGHT

Dr. Charles Krauthammer is a national treasure and his Thursday Op-Ed in the Washington Post makes his genius clear:

“How at this point -- with only about half of the additional surge troops yet deployed -- can Democrats be trying to force the United States to give up? The Democrats say they are carrying out their electoral mandate from the November election. But winning a single-vote Senate majority as a result of razor-thin victories in Montana and Virginia is hardly a landslide.

Second, if the electorate was sending an unconflicted message about withdrawal, how did the most uncompromising supporter of the war, Sen. Joe Lieberman, win handily in one of the most liberal states in the country?

And third, where was the mandate for withdrawal? Almost no Democratic candidates campaigned on that. They campaigned for changing the course the administration was on last November.

Which the president has done. He changed the civilian leadership at the Defense Department, replaced the head of Central Command and, most critically, replaced the Iraq commander with Petraeus -- unanimously approved by the Democratic Senate -- to implement a new counterinsurgency strategy.”

FRIDAY ENTERTAINMENT!

From my handsome and brilliant Cousin Stu in Ajijic, Mexico: "Given that there is now a Muslim in Congress, I’m surprised politicians and the media haven’t been forced to start referring to “pork barrel spending” by a different name. I’m sure they’ll get to that. “Humus bowl outlays” has a nice ring to it."

'Fat' gene found by scientists

In an article in today’s Times Online (UK), it is proclaimed that scientists have discovered the gene that causes different people to metabolize food in different ways, thus leading to weight gain.

Where were they looking? Krispey Kreme? That’s where I find it!

I HAVE A SERIOUS QUESTION

I have been suffering, over a period of many years, with gradually but discernibly severe back pain due to arthritis in my spine which now involves 5 vertebrae. Vioxx was a miracle for a significant period of time, Celebrex never did a thing, and now I am simple taking Alleve which only gives me partial relief.

To say that this ongoing struggle is limiting and annoying is putting it mildly. I used to be a very active person, and I still try to maintain that level of activity. However, there are days when I am simply unable to do much more than get out of bed, get dressed, run a load of laundry and take care of my animals.

I would be interested in any thoughts of anyone reading this blog as to what, if anything, they have been able to do to relieve this kind of arthritic pain without risking my overall health. I do try to remember to take glucosamine and chondroitin but I don't really experience an enormous amount of relief.

NOW THAT DON IMUS IS [TEMPORARILY] UNEMPLOYED

Does that mean that:

1. Rosie O'Donnell will start ascertaining the TRUTH of her bloviating before she does it?
2. Snoop Doggie Dog, 50-Cent and Ludacris will start moderating the content of their lyrics?
3. Al Franken will moderate HIS hate speech?

Naw - I didn't think so either!

Do I think Don Imus will be permanently unemployed? I doubt it!

I GOT NO PROBLEM WITH THAT!

"If the Democrats in Congress have the right to demand the transcripts of Vice President Cheney's Energy Working Group," and if Henry Waxman can ask for e-mails from the RNC and all over the place, and Condoleezza Rice and so forth, "then surely we have a moral right to know what was said between the Speaker and President Assad, and judge for ourselves where the truth lies. It is interesting to note that there is no audio of the meeting that we see looped endlessly on TV. But it is clear," Gerd Schroeder writes here, "through the body language of President Assad that he seems to be clearly lecturing Pelosi] about something, while she appears to be dimly smiling and nodding. What is the discussion about? Will we ever know?" But there aren't any transcripts, and she's offering no details. We're just supposed to accept it at face value that she was over there on a message of unity, taking the president's message to Bashar Assad, despite the fact that Tom Lantos said, "No, that's not what we're doing! We were over there advancing our own Democrat foreign policy." Rush Limbaugh, April 11, 2007 [emphasis mine]

PELOSI: The vice president -- I think he accused me of bad behavior, sounding sort of father figure-ish and probably stay home. We don't accept that -- those instructions.

Speaker Pelosi, the Vice President was absolutely correct to chastise you for bad – and illegal – behavior. Contrary to what some site pests I’ve attracted might think, you have ABSOLUTELY NO BUSINESS INTERFERING IN THE FOREIGN POLICY AFFAIRS OF THIS NATION. You weren’t elected by the entire nation – just a bunch of boneheaded cranks out in San Francisco. The same goes for Senator Reid. The entire nation had the “yay” or “nay” on President George W. Bush and the man is president of the ENTIRE United States. You represent a small portion of looney leftists in the San Francisco Bay area.

The wording of the Constitution, the Bill of Rights and The Logan Act are all impeccably clear. The foreign policy of this country is not up to you or your gang of arrogant and yet strangely brain-dead compadres on The Hill. And if you keep up this nonsense, don’t be surprised if you end up visiting “Camp Cupcake” or somewehere less salubrious for a significant space of time, where you will be unable to travel ANYWHERE and will be wearing really, really unattractive clothing instead of your pricey suits!

Since you have already broken Federal law and lied about the so-called message you were carrying from the Prime Minister of Israel to Assad, it might not be a bad idea to quit while you are going down for the third time.

The direction from which you have the most to fear is not conservatives, nor any Republicans. No, Mrs. Pelosi – you are making WOMEN in positions of power look foolish and inept. Do you honestly think that Senator Clinton is going to allow THAT to continue?

I THINK IT'S A FAIR QUESTION!

From The Drudge Report:

IMUS: 'WHEN WILL SHARPTON APOLOGIZE TO DUKE PLAYERS'?

Thu Apr 12 2007 10:02:02 ET

Patrick Gavin with FISHBOWLDC reports on Imus's radio show this am... Barely 12 hours after being fired from MSNBC...6:12 AM: On Imus' radio program (no longer simulcast on MSNBC) this morning, Chris Carlin, who covers sports for the program, discussed yesterday's dismissal of charges against the Duke lacrosse players. (rough transcript)

DON IMUS: When will Al Sharpton be apologizing to them?

Well, Al, when WILL you be apologizing? When will Jesse Jackson be apologizing? When will Professor Joyner and the Group of 88 be apologizing?

Unless you look good in blue, don't hold your breath.

SOME PEOPLE JUST DON’T “GET IT”, DO THEY?

In the wake of the Attorney General of North Carolina's unequivocal statement today that the three Duke lacrosse players are absolutely INNOCENT, it has already become clear that some people cannot let loose of their agendas long enough to deal with reality. Hence these quotes from the News Observer:

"I hope people who experience sexual violence in any form feel comfortable calling for help ... and know that each case is different, and they can seek help when they've been violated. There's a possibility that the way the media handles high-profile sexual assault cases, and the fear that would happen to any survivor who comes forward, can have a chilling effect and make them reluctant to step forward." — Margaret Barrett, executive director, Orange County Rape Crisis Center in Chapel Hill.

What pious, unadulterated horse manure, Ms. Barrett. Crystal’s false allegations will make it more difficult for any survivor. But hopefully, today's resolution of this case should make it more difficult for LYING ACCUSERS to sully the names of innocent people.

"We respect the integrity of the Attorney General’s investigation and supported the involvement of special prosecutors. If his office believes the state lacks sufficient evidence to convince a jury beyond a reasonable doubt that all the elements of each crime took place, then it is the state’s constitutional duty to dismiss the charges. ... Now, as we have repeatedly said, comes the hard part. How do we proceed toward the healing places in our communities and our hearts? Long after the television vans with their saucer antennas have pulled out of Durham, long after the bloggers have grown weary from typing, those of us who believe in freedom and justice can not rest. How do we work to ensure that the final decisions in this case in no way deter women of color from making claims of violations against them which violate their spirits and their bodies?" — statement from William J. Barber II, president of the North Carolina NAACP

Blah, blah, blah, blah! Barber, you are pretentious boob! The Attorney General didn’t say that the state “lacks sufficient evidence” – he SAID the three young men were INNOCENT and he said that he had considered filing charges against Crystal Gail Magnum. And I notice that you felt that bloggers needed to be brought into your statement? Are you distressed that Nifong’s railroad job caught the attention of some intelligent and eloquent people out in the blogsphere (La Shawn Barber and KC Johnson come to mind immediately, as well as John in Carolina and Liestoppers) who held the State’s feet to the fire until the right thing was done!? So sorry that justice is color blind, sir.

Finally, one voice of common sense and rational thinking processes:

"It confirms that there is a very great deal of damage that an official like a district attorney is capable of doing if they don't exercise their authority properly." — Paul Haagen, a Duke law professor and chairman of Duke's Academic Council.

Clearly, in some itty bitty, subpar minds, even though the three Duke lacrosse players have been declared INNOCENT (Cooper didn’t say “not enough evidence” he said INNOCENT you pusillanimous pipsqueaks), “something must have happened”. Yes, something happened. Crystal Gail Magnum lied, for whatever reason, and three young men’s lives were blasted all to hell! THAT is what happened.

“NO RETREAT, NO SURRENDER”
A Book by Tom DeLay

Tom DeLay is, he is quick to point out, a flawed human being. In other words, that means he is very much as thee and me. Certainly me.

Perhaps the most engaging part of DeLay's new book is a reasonably in-depth examination of his conservative beliefs and how he came to hold them. He further examines how he came to eschew his former hard-partying, heavy drinking days in favor of devoting himself to his family and his country. (I must admit a certain grudging admiration for someone who can quaff between 10 and 12 martinis in an evening and still raise their heads off the pillow the following day, because I know I cannot and never could, nor should anyone else!)

The book presents a bird’s eye view of the workings of the U.S. House of Representatives and the qualities needed to thrive and succeed as a legislator within that body. In addition, Mr. DeLay touches upon the various people he encountered during his legislative career, both in Texas and in D.C.

One of the good reminders from the pages of this book is how susceptible Newt Gingrich is to flattery and how, under the pressure of that flattery, he became more of a sycophant to the Clinton White House than he should have been. Dick Armey’s blind ambition is detailed, as is Denny Hastert’s basic goodness. Tom DeLay is very critical of his own flaws, and equally pointed in describing the major flaw in the modern Democratic Party:

“. . . Liberals in Congress who, knowing that they could not win the battle of ideas, chose to lead a coalition devoted to the politics of personal destruction and to the criminalization of political disagreement.” Page 131

As a result of the Democratic Party’s malevolent attention to him, Mr. DeLay was “forced to . . . turn from the battle for conservative values to the battle against liberal lies.” Thus is our nation deprived, and not just in Mr. DeLay’s case, of talented people who could make life in our nation better. Thus flourishes the culture that encourages the demonizing of people whose political views are moderate or right of center.

I highly recommend that you read this book. Knowledge is power and we’re going to need all that we can gather together in the months prior to the November 2008 election which may, arguably, be the most crucial in the history of our Republic.

DUKE LACROSSE DEBACLE - CHARGES

EXPECTED TO BE DROPPED TODAY

The key players and their families (Reade, Evans and Seligmann) are gathering in Durham as we speak. Rumors are swirling that ALL the charges against these players will be officially dropped as of this afternoon.

Next question: When will the lawsuits of the families of these three innocent young men be filed and against whom? There is no lack of candidates for the honor of answering for the hell through which these three families have been put by Nifong, the Durham police department, Brodhead, Duke University, the Gang of 88 and most especially, the accuser, one Crystal Gail Mangum. My suggestion? Sue the bastards - ALL OF THEM!

UPDATE:

ALL the charges have been dropped as of 2:35 p.m. Following comments include my emphasis:

Statement from North Carolina Attorney General Roy Cooper on the Duke University lacrosse rape case.

"Good afternoon, everyone.

On Jan. 13 of this year, I accepted the request of the Durham district attorney to take over three Durham cases. At the time, I promised a fresh and thorough review of the facts and a decision on the best way to proceed. I also said that we would have our eyes wide open to the evidence, but that we would have blinders on for all other distractions. We've done all of these things.

During the past 12 weeks, our lawyers and investigators have reviewed the remaining allegations of sexual assault and kidnapping that resulted from a party on March 13, 2006, in Durham, N.C.

We have carefully reviewed the evidence collected by the Durham County prosecutor's office and the Durham Police Department. We have also conducted our own interviews and evidence gathering. Our attorneys and SBI (State Bureau of Investigation) agents have interviewed numerous people who were at the party, DNA and other experts, the Durham County district attorney, Durham police officers, defense attorneys and the accusing witness on several occasions. We have reviewed statements given over the past year, photographs, records and other evidence.

The result of our review and investigation shows clearly that there is insufficient evidence to proceed on any of the charges. Today we are filing notices of dismissal for all charges against Reade Seligmann, Collin Finnerty and David Evans.

The result is that these cases are over, and no more criminal proceedings will occur.

We believe that these cases were the result of a tragic rush to accuse and a failure to verify serious allegations. Based on the significant inconsistencies between the evidence and the various accounts given by the accusing witness, we believe these three individuals are innocent of these charges.

We approached this case with the understanding that rape and sexual assault victims often have some inconsistencies in their accounts of a traumatic event. However, in this case, the inconsistencies were so significant and so contrary to the evidence that we have no credible evidence that an attack occurred in that house that night.

The prosecuting witness in this case responded to questions and offered information. She did want to move forward with the prosecution. However, the contradictions in her many versions of what occurred and the conflicts between what she said occurred and other evidence, like photographs and phone records, could not be rectified.

Our investigation shows that:
The eyewitness identification procedures were faulty and unreliable.
No DNA confirms the accuser's story.
No other witness confirms her story.
Other evidence contradicts her story.
She contradicts herself.

Next week, we'll be providing a written summary of the important factual findings and some of the specific contradictions that have led us to the conclusion that no attack occurred.

In this case, with the weight of the state behind him, the Durham district attorney pushed forward unchecked. There were many points in the case where caution would have served justice better than bravado. And in the rush to condemn, a community and a state lost the ability to see clearly. Regardless of the reasons this case was pushed forward, the result was wrong. Today, we need to learn from this and keep it from happening again to anybody.

Now, we have good district attorneys in North Carolina who are both tough and fair. And we need these forceful, independent prosecutors to put criminals away and protect the public. But we also need checks and balances to protect the innocent. This case shows the enormous consequences of overreaching by a prosecutor. What has been learned here is that the internal checks on a criminal charge—sworn statements, reasonable grounds, proper suspect photo lineups, accurate and fair discovery—all are critically important.

Therefore, I propose a law that the North Carolina Supreme Court have the authority to remove a case from a prosecutor in limited circumstances. This would give the courts a new tool to deal with a prosecutor who needs to step away from a case where justice demands.

I want to thank everyone in the North Carolina Department of Justice. I want to thank our investigators, our SBI agents and especially attorneys Jim Coman and Mary Winstead for their hard work in this matter.

I'll take some of your questions now. "

RUMOR HAS IT . . .

Self-appointed State Department guru Nancy Pelosi, who is in gross violation of the Logan Act already, apparently considers her trip to the Middle East to be such a success that she is planning her next trip - to Iran!

Mrs. Pelosi, you have already violated the Logan Act and the separation of powers provided for in the U.S. Constitution. I suggest you quit while you are unindicted!

THE DON IMUS APOLOGY TOUR

By apologizing on Rev. Al Sharpton’s show? Give me a break!

The LAST PERSON who should be receiving apologies from anyone is Al Sharpton. Can we spell Tawana Brawley? In my opinion, just like the Rev. Jesse Jackson, Sharpton is black strictly for business purposes. And when it suits their purposes, I think that both Sharpton and Jackson will shamelessly exploit a situation, especially if there’s a buck to be made. I am amazed that neither of them has been hustling all around Durham, NC since March of 2006, trying to make a personal profit from the shameless persecution of the three Duke lacrosse players for the non-rape of a lying, fraudulent non-victim, all at the hands of a political hustler, ethics-challenged district attorney. Is it possible that even Sharpton and Jackson have standards?

What Don Imus said was offensive and completely indefensible. Why the outrage now? He says things like that nearly every day! But as long as he was making MSNBC and CBS money, and not drawing a whole lot of attention to his despicable comments, both networks were delighted to take the money and run. I have tried to watch his morning show – I find it thoroughly incomprehensible.

Here’s my view. If you are in the public eye, like Don Imus, or a Michael Richards, or even that lunatic Rosie O’Donnell, you ought to have the balls to own what you say without apology. If it offends someone – so what? If it makes you look like an idiot, then maybe you ought to just admit that you ARE an idiot. If it makes you look insane and demented, then Rosie it’s time to enter a treatment facility.

I’m sorry – nowhere in the Constitution or the Bill of Rights is there a right to “not be offended” or not have your little feelings hurt. There’s too damn much political correctness and pussyfooting in America today and we’d all be better off if there was more plain speech and less “nuance” being employed.

We’d also all be a lot better off if the Reverends Sharpton and Jackson reserved some of their ire and vocal chastisements for the various “rap elite” like Snoop Doggie Dog, Ludacris and others of that ilk whose lyrics glorify violence toward women, rape, murder (particularly of policemen) and all manner of violent and anti-social behavior, most especially including a total lack of respect for women, black or white. If there is to be civility on earth, gentlemen, let it start with YOU. But then, there’s no profit in that, is there?

NBC, MSNBC, CBS – keep Imus or fire him. I don’t really give a rat’s eardrum. But if you keep him and start expecting him to be more respectful or politically correct (1) don’t be surprised if he wanders off the reservation sooner rather than later and (2) you’d best be expecting the same kind of politically correct locutions from everyone else on your network INCLUDING demonstrably brain dead Keith Olbermann and the dumb yet strangely opinionated Chrissy Matthews.

NANCY PELOSI - AMATEUR AND DANGEROUS

From the Daily Star – Lebanon

"When a dilettante takes on Hizbullah
By Michael Young, Daily Star staff
Thursday, April 05, 2007
We can thank the US speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi, for having Informed Syrian President Bashar Assad, from Beirut, that "the road to solving Lebanon's problems passes through Damascus." Now, of course, all we need to do is remind Pelosi that the spirit and letter of successive United Nations Security Council resolutions, as well as Saudi and Egyptian efforts in recent weeks, have been destined to ensure precisely the opposite: that Syria end its meddling in Lebanese affairs.

Pelosi embarked on a fool's errand to Damascus this week, and among the issues she said she would raise with Assad - when she wasn't on the Lady Hester Stanhope tour in the capital of imprisoned dissidents Aref Dalila, Michel Kilo, and Anwar Bunni - is "the role of Syria in supporting Hamas and Hizbullah." What the Speaker doesn't seem to have realized is that if Syria is made an obligatory passage in American efforts to address the Lebanese crisis, then Hizbullah will only gain. Once Assad is re-anointed gatekeeper in Lebanon, he will have no incentive to concede anything, least of all to dilettantes like Pelosi, on an organization that would be Syria's enforcer in Beirut if it could re-impose its hegemony over its smaller neighbor." [emphasis mine]

THIS WOMAN IS NOT ONLY AN EMBARRASSMENT, SHE IS ENDANGERING OTHER NATIONS AS WELL! WHY IS SHE NOT BEING PROSECUTED. WHY ARE REPUBLICANS NOT RAISING THE KIND OF RUCKUS THAT DEMOCRATS WOULD, WERE POSITIONS REVERSED? This behavior falls far short of ANYTHING for which Republicans have been excoriated in the past 20 years! And yet, she SKATES! Am I the ONLY person outraged?

THE ANCHORESS' PROTEST MANIFESTO

Anyone who has never trundled on over to The Anchoress site is missing out on some extraordinarily good writing and trenchant observations.

Today she makes some strong points about why she is protesting the obscenely early start to the 2008 primary campaign. I completely agree with her.

NANCY PELOSI PUTS HER FOOT INTO CAMEL DUNG!

In an article appearing in the Washington Times, written by Associated Press writer Donna Abu-Nasr, it is reported that “House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said today that she raised the issue of Saudi Arabia's lack of female politicians with Saudi government officials”.

I have a question for you, Madame Speaker – where have you been for the last twenty some years and how many functional brain cells remain in your cranium?

This woman is not only dangerous, she’s a moron.

Pratfall in Damascus
Nancy Pelosi's foolish shuttle diplomacy

That is the title of today’s Washington Post’s unexpected (but well deserved) drubbing of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s ill-advised and destructive trip to the Middle East.

Nancy – clearly you have “jumped the shark” and it’s time for you to slink quietly off the stage. If "Pravda on the Potomac" is scolding you, you are really heading for the big downhill slide. I told you not to piss off Hillary Clinton, didn’t I? And I guarantee you this, somewhere in that scabrous creature's den of useful minions, some designated “uppity Speaker destroyer” is being patted approvingly on the head by the Queen Bee of Chappaqua.

Read the whole thing yourself. It’s priceless. And wholly justified.

HEAVEN HELP US!

The Associated Press is claiming that Syria played a key role in resolving the standoff over the 15 just-released British sailors and marines. In the next sentence the article refers to the departure of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi who is en route from Syria to Saudi Arabia. Please tell me that this despicable woman is not going to try to claim credit for the release of those 15 British subjects who were kidnapped by pirates?

It is to be hoped the British get those 15 kidnapped innocents out of Iran at all possible speed. Nobody should know better than the citizens of OUR country how unscupulous the Iranians can be about the sanctity of Embassies!

THE LOGAN ACT

§ 953. Private correspondence with foreign governments.

Any citizen of the United States, wherever he may be, who, without authority of the United States, directly or indirectly commences or carries on any correspondence or intercourse with any foreign government or any officer or agent thereof, with intent to influence the measures or conduct of any foreign government or of any officer or agent thereof, in relation to any disputes or controversies with the United States, or to defeat the measures of the United States, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than three years, or both.

This section shall not abridge the right of a citizen to apply himself, or his agent, to any foreign government, or the agents thereof, for redress of any injury which he may have sustained from such government or any of its agents or subjects.
18 U.S.C. § 953 (2004).

Thought this might be of use to AG Gonzales when he draws up the requisite charges against Mrs. Pelosi and the renegade congressmen who accompanied her or preceded her in Damascus. You bet I question their patriotism!

HERE’S THE DEAL!
A Rant

I confess, I’m fed up with Congressional Democrats (and RINOs) and their game-playing. From the moment the November 2006 election was decided, these arrogant and treasonous twits have behaved as though they are, somehow, the new PRESIDENT. Trust me, your majority isn’t that big, y'all. Therefore, you aren’t and, based on current performance, NONE OF YOU EVER WILL BE (Are you listening Ms. Ruthless Ambition, Jr. Senator from New York and Mr. Barely Elected from Illinois? Neither of you have accomplished anything in your current jobs. No legislation. No positive legislative initiatives. Why would we want you to move up a step on the food chain! For what, to continue your feckless behavior?) I know I promised to try to not lose my temper this year, but sometimes being patient with infantile brats is beyond my abilities. And I have to congratulate this current crop of morons - they pissed me off a lot more thoroughly and a lot more quickly than did President William Jefferson Clinton at his worst!

George W. Bush is now and will continue to be President of the United States until his term expires in January 2009. Until that time, the Constitution reserves to him certain powers, powers that your arrogance cannot and will not usurp. Should you have any questions about this, I will refer you to the United States Constitution. Copies can be obtained from the National Archives for a nominal fee. Since clearly Senator Reid and Rep. Murtha never STUDIED the Constitution in school, I suggest that they get a copy now and learn what it says. George W. Bush is the Commander in Chief of our armed forces. Not you, Senator Reid and not you, Rep. Murtha. And just a quick tip to the nutroots: whatever fantasies you might have about impeachment of this President, they will remain just that. Moronic fantasies of people who have chosen to live their lives based on hatred instead of reason and logic. All y'all Kos Kids and HuffPo people - you are all UNHINGED and worthless loons.

The President of the United States is charged with conducting our nation’s foreign policy. Not YOU, Madame Speaker and not any self-important (and seditious) jackass of a congressman or senator (Democrat or RINO). These brain-cell-challenged politicians are not doing their own jobs, but rather attempting to hijack duties that are Constitutionally interdicted to them and for which they are woefully ill-equipped.

When you became House Speaker, Mrs. Pelosi, you proclaimed yourself to be the most powerful woman in the world. Rude but true: you aren’t even close. In the first place, should you ever look like you might get close to being that powerful, the Jr. Senator from New York WILL cut you off at the knees in a heartbeat. You'll never see it coming, but it will come. Secondly, the only woman who is properly charged with conducting our nation’s foreign policy on behalf of the President is named Condoleeza Rice. She is both better looking and way, way, way smarter than you are, Mrs. Pelosi. Actually, Dr. Rice is way smarter than most of the MEN in the U.S. Congress these days – particularly those with the surname of Reid, Murtha, Feingold, McCain, Obama and so on. So Mrs. Pelosi, why is it you thought you had the right to go to Syria when the PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES ASKED YOU NOT TO GO? This is a country that is supporting and encouraging terrorism in the Middle East. This is a country with whom we have NO DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS. Just who in the hell do you think you are, you puffed up, arrogant traitor?

We are living in perilous times and we deserve serious and intelligent representation. Instead we seem to have Karl, Adolf, Evita and Josef on crack!

TODAY'S MUST-READ

Once again, the Anchoress, writing from a heart filled with love, common sense and understanding, examines the vituperative and hate filled treatment of our President and explains why we should admire his fortitude and grace under incredible and difficult circumstances and pray for our President's enemies.

Former President Clinton gave a great deal of attention to his "legacy" as President, thereby ensuring that he has none worth remarking. President George W. Bush continues his presidency as he started: focused, compassionate and steadfast to his Christian values and his love of his country. While he may not experience the respect and admiration he deserves in his lifetime, I know that his remarkable contributions will be understood and valued in the future.

The late President John F. Kennedy once said that no president should be judged until 50 years AFTER the death of his last contemporary. Works for me.

DEMOCRATS OUT OF CONTROL - AND DANGEROUS

As always, Thomas Sowell makes complete sense. Will it have any effect? That question should be answered “yes” but probably we shouldn’t hold our breath.

Our constitution provides a separation of powers that is absolute. And yet the Democrats continue to try to usurp the powers of the Presidency under the Pelosi/Reid/Murtha/Schumer cabal of lunatic seditionists, and nobody seems to want to hold them accountable. Well, yes, we who understand the dangers want them held accountable, but our completely legitimate concerns seem to be of little import.

"April 03, 2007
Democrats Playing With Fire
By Thomas Sowell

. . . That these political games are being played while Iran keeps advancing relentlessly toward acquiring nuclear weapons is a fateful sign of the utter unreality of politicians preoccupied with scoring points and a media obsessed with celebrity bimbos, living and dead.

. . . Once Iran has nuclear weapons, that will be an irreversible change that will mark a defining moment in the history of the United States and of Western civilization, which will forever after live at the mercy of hate-filled suicidal fanatics and sadists."

Once again, I’d like to extend my thanks to those Republicans and Independents who either sat on their hands or voted for Democrats in the last election. You clowns are getting exactly what you deserve. The problem is, those of us with common sense are being endangered as well!

UPDATE: Just for those who didn't study when they were in school, here's the relevant passage of the U.S. Constitution:

The President shall be Commander in Chief of the Army and Navy of the United States, and of the Militia of the several States, when called into the actual Service of the United States; . . .

MUST-READ

Remember the "flying imans" who deliberately incited concerns about their behavior and who are now threatening to sue the other passengers who reported their provocative actions. The House and Senate Democrats are apparently being forced to publicly support a bill to protect "whistle blowers" who report suspicious behavior at airports and other places of public transportation.

Go here to read an article written by someone who should know about why the Democrats are once again showing their true colors. They just aren't serious about protecting America. It is that simple! Time to e-mail your Representative and Senators again!

DURHAM PERSECUTION - UPDATE!

Over the weekend, KC Johnson of Durham-in-Wonderland points to a great column from Bill Anderson, calling for reframing the central question of the case: Since, Anderson notes, “three young men, Reade Seligmann, Collin Finnerty, and David Evans, have lived with these false charges for 11 months, so the question really should not be ‘When will the charges be dropped?’ Instead, it should be, ‘Why were they filed in the first place?’”

The more I thought about it, the more I realized that Anderson is absolutely right. Of course we know that blind political ambition was the probable cause of this disgraceful chapter in the history of Durham's legal system. And one has to wonder what kind of life these three innocent young men can possibly have with this as part of their curriculum vitae.

What I do not, and cannot, understand is how anyone can still be defending Mike Nifong's malicious prosecution and complete lack of prosecutorial integrity in filing and maintaining charges against three young men whose lives he has irrevocably scarred for the sake of his political survival.

GREAT LINES FROM THE MOVIES

Last night, while awaiting the beginning of Showtime's new miniseries "The Tudors", I watched the 2003 version of The Lion in Winter starring Patrick Stewart as King Henry II and Glenn Close as Eleanor of Aquitaine. It is a pretty decent production, although it doesn't rise to the acting level of the original film which starred Peter O'Toole and the magnificent Katherine Helpburn. I don't know if this line was in the original film, but I was startled to hear this very witty line uttered by Glenn Close, as Eleanor:

"Of course he has a knife, he always has a knife, we all have knives! It's 1183 and we're barbarians!"

ROSIE O'DONNELL RANT ADVISORY SYSTEM

Go over to The Razor to see this one. It's hilarious!

BRING BACK THE CONSTITUTION

Writing in the Spring 2007 Claremont Review of Books, Charles R. Kesler proposes a novel concept – Republican candidates should define themselves (and mean it) as supporters of the Constitution of the United States, a document which lately seems to be honored verbally, more than in practice. Whatever positions these candidates choose to espouse should be examined in strict constructionist terms.

The Democrats will, for the most part, base their campaign on their usual “pandering” to those they consider to be “the little people”, people they arrogantly assume are somehow their inferiors and who, therefore, must be “taken care of” rather than assuming responsibility for their own lives. Hence the neverending quest by the Dems to install a “nanny” state mentality. It has already started some 20 months before the next presidential election, if indeed it ever stops.

The Republican Party has historically had difficulty competing against the Democratic Party’s mindset and tactics, although, sad to say, they are doing way better at it in recent years. Word to the wise, the Democrats have been at this a long time – you ridiculous RINOs will never ever equal or outdo their antics.

National defense – including the defense of our borders – is the overriding priority charged to the Federal government by our Constitution. Such things as “entitlements” (Social Security, Medicare) should NOT be the function of the Federal government, although it’s certainly difficult to see how they can be curtailed effectively in the near term. When I was growing up, we were taught that the job of the Federal government was to do ONLY those things that the states could not accomplish on their own. Unfortunately, too many Americans were not educated in the role of the Federal government in our lives, or they were taught incorrect data. Thank you NEA.

Our Constitution dictates that the three branches of government be co-equal and functionally separate. Thus the President is the Commander in Chief (not Harry Reid or Nancy Pelosi). The Judicial Branch is charged with enforcing the laws (not writing them) and Congress is charged with making the laws (not micromanaging our military operations).

Should the Republican Party candidates rediscover the Party’s historical point of view and their own spines and run based entirely on the principles of the United States Constitution as their basic platform, they might discover that an amazing number of Americans are thoroughly sick of abortion on demand, out-of-control Federal judges making law instead of enforcing it. They might discover an American heartland that has absolute respect for the rule of law, the security of our borders and the sanctity of the United States Constitution.

I particularly like one of Charles Kesler’s final questions: “Will future citizens revere the Constitution as they should? Will immigrants regard it, and the language in which it’s written, as focal points of civic unity?”

On purely pragmatic grounds, I can envision Republican candidates running on strictly Constitutional bases, and the Democrats attempting (and mostly failing) to counter that by what? Calling for unconstitutional behavior?

That would indeed be interesting.

UPDATE: RINOs and U.S. House members, Virginia Republican Frank Wolf, Pennsylvania Republican Joe Pitts and Alabama Republican Robert Aderholt, also said they had raised with Syrian officials the issue of stopping the alleged flow of foreign fighters from Syria to Iraq. They apparently didn't get the memo: THE PRESIDENT oversees foreign policy - not the Congress. When, oh when, is this crap going to stop!?