From Rasmussen:
Understand: Palin is under attack because she was such a good choice.
Remember the Democrats' central charge on McCain - "He's a Bush clone." By choosing Palin, something George Bush would never have done, McCain showed how really different he is. (more)
She is viewed more favorable than Biden :After her debut in Dayton and a rush of media coverage, a new Rasmussen Reports telephone survey finds that 53% now have a favorable opinion of Palin while just 26% offer a less flattering assessment.
Palin earns positive reviews from 78% of Republicans, 26% of Democrats and 63% of unaffiliated voters. Obviously, these numbers will be subject to change as voters learn more about her in the coming weeks. Among all voters, 29% have a Very Favorable opinion of Palin while 9% hold a Very Unfavorable view. (here)
And is already on the number two list of people voters would most like to meet. (here) And that before that great speech last night.
I think the Dems should be even more worried than they already are...
Thursday, September 4, 2008
Palin's Home Run
I don't have anything to add except that I thouroughly enjoyed the speech. The WSJ hits on all the points that I felt including that I have not felt so enthused about a candidate since Reagan. I'm ready to go volunteer. I felt as if we were watching the beginning of something grand...
..."what we out west call openin' a whole can of whip a— on your opponents."...
...Her line about her job as a small-town mayor being "sort of like a 'community organizer,' except that you have actual responsibilities"... brought the hall to its feet in a frenzy.
From the WSJ:
One of the standard operating theories this Election Year is that Barack Obama and the Democrats are much more energized, excited and willing to work hard for victory in November.
After Sarah Palin's remarkably effective speech, I don't think any pundits or politicians will be able to count on a decisive Democratic enthusiasm edge. Sarah Palin electrified the hall, and from what I can tell from my e-mail inbox that excitement is being replicated in living rooms across the country. (more)
..."what we out west call openin' a whole can of whip a— on your opponents."...
...Her line about her job as a small-town mayor being "sort of like a 'community organizer,' except that you have actual responsibilities"... brought the hall to its feet in a frenzy.
From the WSJ:
One of the standard operating theories this Election Year is that Barack Obama and the Democrats are much more energized, excited and willing to work hard for victory in November.
After Sarah Palin's remarkably effective speech, I don't think any pundits or politicians will be able to count on a decisive Democratic enthusiasm edge. Sarah Palin electrified the hall, and from what I can tell from my e-mail inbox that excitement is being replicated in living rooms across the country. (more)
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
What Hillary must be thinking
First Obama cuts in front of her and gets the nomination, then Palin gets a VP nod. Hillary can't get a break. 18 million cracks in the glass ceiling may come tumbling down..
From the Washington Times:
...One downside, she said, is that the Palin nomination will give Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton more reason to campaign seriously and sincerely for Democratic nominee Barack Obama, lest a McCain victory make Mrs. Palin the presumptive Republican nominee in 2012 or 2016 and jeopardize Mrs. Clinton's position as the top female presidential prospect.
"Palin means that Hillary [Rodham Clinton] will be motivated and mobilized to campaign for Obama as she would not have been otherwise," Mrs. Eolis said. "The Clintons feel completely snubbed and insulted by the idea that anyone other that Hillary could go to the head of the class." (more)
From the Washington Times:
...One downside, she said, is that the Palin nomination will give Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton more reason to campaign seriously and sincerely for Democratic nominee Barack Obama, lest a McCain victory make Mrs. Palin the presumptive Republican nominee in 2012 or 2016 and jeopardize Mrs. Clinton's position as the top female presidential prospect.
"Palin means that Hillary [Rodham Clinton] will be motivated and mobilized to campaign for Obama as she would not have been otherwise," Mrs. Eolis said. "The Clintons feel completely snubbed and insulted by the idea that anyone other that Hillary could go to the head of the class." (more)
Why Vote for McCain/Palin?
From Mr Buchanan over at RealClear Politics..spot on.
Liberals howl that Palin has no experience, no qualifications to be president of the United States. But the lady has more executive experience than McCain, Joe Biden and Obama put together.
None of them has ever started or run a business as Palin did. None of them has run a giant state like Alaska, which is larger than California and Texas put together. And though Alaska is not populous, Gov. Palin has as many constituents as Nancy Pelosi or Biden.
She has no foreign policy experience, we are told. And though Alaska's neighbors are Canada and Russia, the point is valid. But from the day she takes office, Palin will get daily briefings and sit on the National Security Council with the president and secretaries of state, treasury and defense.
She will be up to speed in her first year.
And her experience as governor of Alaska, dealing with the oil industry and pipeline agreements with Canada, certainly compares favorably with that of Barack Obama, a community organizer who dealt in the mommy issues of food stamps and rent subsidies.
Where Obama has poodled along with the Daley Machine, Palin routed the Republican establishment, challenging and ousting a sitting GOP governor before defeating a former Democratic governor to become the first female and youngest governor in state history.
Liberals howl that Palin has no experience, no qualifications to be president of the United States. But the lady has more executive experience than McCain, Joe Biden and Obama put together.
None of them has ever started or run a business as Palin did. None of them has run a giant state like Alaska, which is larger than California and Texas put together. And though Alaska is not populous, Gov. Palin has as many constituents as Nancy Pelosi or Biden.
She has no foreign policy experience, we are told. And though Alaska's neighbors are Canada and Russia, the point is valid. But from the day she takes office, Palin will get daily briefings and sit on the National Security Council with the president and secretaries of state, treasury and defense.
She will be up to speed in her first year.
And her experience as governor of Alaska, dealing with the oil industry and pipeline agreements with Canada, certainly compares favorably with that of Barack Obama, a community organizer who dealt in the mommy issues of food stamps and rent subsidies.
Where Obama has poodled along with the Daley Machine, Palin routed the Republican establishment, challenging and ousting a sitting GOP governor before defeating a former Democratic governor to become the first female and youngest governor in state history.
In 2007 Newsweek Praised Palin
From Newsweek via the Drudge Report:
..In Alaska, Palin is challenging the dominant, sometimes corrupting, role of oil companies in the state's political culture. "The public has put a lot of faith in us," says Palin during a meeting with lawmakers in her downtown Anchorage office, where—as if to drive the point home—the giant letters on the side of the ConocoPhillips skyscraper fill an entire wall of windows. "They're saying, 'Here's your shot, clean it up'." For Palin, that has meant tackling the cozy relationship between the state's political elite and the energy industry that provides 85 percent of Alaska's tax revenues—and distancing herself from fellow Republicans, including the state's senior U.S. senator, Ted Stevens, whose home was recently searched by FBI agents looking for evidence in an ongoing corruption investigation. (Stevens has denied any wrongdoing.) But even as she tackles Big Oil's power, Palin has transformed her own family's connections to the industry into a political advantage. Her husband, Todd, is a longtime employee of BP, but, as Palin points out, the "First Dude" is a blue-collar "sloper," a fieldworker on the North Slope, a cherished occupation in the state. "He's not in London making the decisions whether to build a gas line."
In an interview with NEWSWEEK, Palin said it's time for Alaska to "grow up" and end its reliance on pork-barrel spending. Shortly after taking office, Palin canceled funding for the "Bridge to Nowhere," a $330 million project that Stevens helped champion in Congress. The bridge, which would have linked the town of Ketchikan to an island airport, had come to symbolize Alaska's dependence on federal handouts. Rather than relying on such largesse, says Palin, she wants to prove Alaska can pay its own way, developing its huge energy wealth in ways that are "politically and environmentally clean." (more)
..In Alaska, Palin is challenging the dominant, sometimes corrupting, role of oil companies in the state's political culture. "The public has put a lot of faith in us," says Palin during a meeting with lawmakers in her downtown Anchorage office, where—as if to drive the point home—the giant letters on the side of the ConocoPhillips skyscraper fill an entire wall of windows. "They're saying, 'Here's your shot, clean it up'." For Palin, that has meant tackling the cozy relationship between the state's political elite and the energy industry that provides 85 percent of Alaska's tax revenues—and distancing herself from fellow Republicans, including the state's senior U.S. senator, Ted Stevens, whose home was recently searched by FBI agents looking for evidence in an ongoing corruption investigation. (Stevens has denied any wrongdoing.) But even as she tackles Big Oil's power, Palin has transformed her own family's connections to the industry into a political advantage. Her husband, Todd, is a longtime employee of BP, but, as Palin points out, the "First Dude" is a blue-collar "sloper," a fieldworker on the North Slope, a cherished occupation in the state. "He's not in London making the decisions whether to build a gas line."
In an interview with NEWSWEEK, Palin said it's time for Alaska to "grow up" and end its reliance on pork-barrel spending. Shortly after taking office, Palin canceled funding for the "Bridge to Nowhere," a $330 million project that Stevens helped champion in Congress. The bridge, which would have linked the town of Ketchikan to an island airport, had come to symbolize Alaska's dependence on federal handouts. Rather than relying on such largesse, says Palin, she wants to prove Alaska can pay its own way, developing its huge energy wealth in ways that are "politically and environmentally clean." (more)
McCain ad: Palin more qualified than Obama
Politico:
The campaign announced: “The McCain campaign will launch a television ad directly comparing Gov. Palin’s executive experience as a governor who oversees 24,000 state employees, 14 statewide cabinet agencies and a $10 billion budget to Barack Obama’s experience as a one-term junior senator from Illinois.” (more)
View the video here.
The campaign announced: “The McCain campaign will launch a television ad directly comparing Gov. Palin’s executive experience as a governor who oversees 24,000 state employees, 14 statewide cabinet agencies and a $10 billion budget to Barack Obama’s experience as a one-term junior senator from Illinois.” (more)
View the video here.
"fanatical devotion to abortion"
From InsightScoop:
as reported by Catholic News Agency, Michelle Obama says the following about her husband: "He’ll protect a woman’s freedom of choice, because government should have no say in whether or when a woman embraces the sacred responsibility of parenthood.”
Which means, if we try to be logical about this, that the child and the work of parenting is only sacred once the parent(s) decides to "keep" the child and not have him aborted. Which means that we, as mere men and women, have the ability to impart supernatural meaning unto a child. If you're not wanted, you are merely a clump of tissue and cells to be discarded. If you're wanted, you become, by our divine initiative, sacred beings who must be protected at all costs, must not be left behind, must be treasured as our nation and world's future, and so forth.
Which, simply put, is nonsensical....(more)
as reported by Catholic News Agency, Michelle Obama says the following about her husband: "He’ll protect a woman’s freedom of choice, because government should have no say in whether or when a woman embraces the sacred responsibility of parenthood.”
Which means, if we try to be logical about this, that the child and the work of parenting is only sacred once the parent(s) decides to "keep" the child and not have him aborted. Which means that we, as mere men and women, have the ability to impart supernatural meaning unto a child. If you're not wanted, you are merely a clump of tissue and cells to be discarded. If you're wanted, you become, by our divine initiative, sacred beings who must be protected at all costs, must not be left behind, must be treasured as our nation and world's future, and so forth.
Which, simply put, is nonsensical....(more)
EU WARNS RUSSIA-QUIT GEORGIA - OR NO TALKS ON KEY DEAL
Effectively slapping the paw of the bear, fearful that Russia may hold back on it's oil and gas...one more reason to find an alternate source of fuel. Blackmail is not exclusive to the mid-east..
From the NYPost:
BRUSSELS, Belgium - European Union leaders warned Moscow yesterday that talks on a wide-ranging political and economic agreement would be postponed unless Russian troops pull back from positions in Georgia.
The threat to delay talks set for this month on the "partnership and cooperation agreement" with Russia came after Britain and Eastern European nations held out for a tougher line. But Europe's dependence on Russian oil and gas supplies effectively ruled out stronger sanctions. (more)
I've been thinking alot lately about an old Reagan ad, remember? "There is a bear in the woods.." I was just wondering that if the bear's appetite is larger than just parts of Georgia, who I'd want to be in charge...
Good background here at the Economist:
If Russia had really wanted to resolve the separatist conflicts in Georgia, it had opportunities. It might have begun by not handing out Russian passports and then claiming a purported need to defend its “citizens”. It might also have avoided unleashing anti-Georgian and anti-Western hysteria in the Russian media.
And although the latest conflict was triggered by Georgia, the deeper roots of Russia’s invasion lie in domestic events that go back as far as 2003-04: the destruction of the Yukos oil company, and Russia’s perception of the colour revolutions in Georgia and Ukraine as a Western plot to undermine its sovereignty. Mr Saakashvili’s support for Ukraine’s orange revolution particularly irked Mr Putin. (more)
From the NYPost:
BRUSSELS, Belgium - European Union leaders warned Moscow yesterday that talks on a wide-ranging political and economic agreement would be postponed unless Russian troops pull back from positions in Georgia.
The threat to delay talks set for this month on the "partnership and cooperation agreement" with Russia came after Britain and Eastern European nations held out for a tougher line. But Europe's dependence on Russian oil and gas supplies effectively ruled out stronger sanctions. (more)
I've been thinking alot lately about an old Reagan ad, remember? "There is a bear in the woods.." I was just wondering that if the bear's appetite is larger than just parts of Georgia, who I'd want to be in charge...
Good background here at the Economist:
If Russia had really wanted to resolve the separatist conflicts in Georgia, it had opportunities. It might have begun by not handing out Russian passports and then claiming a purported need to defend its “citizens”. It might also have avoided unleashing anti-Georgian and anti-Western hysteria in the Russian media.
And although the latest conflict was triggered by Georgia, the deeper roots of Russia’s invasion lie in domestic events that go back as far as 2003-04: the destruction of the Yukos oil company, and Russia’s perception of the colour revolutions in Georgia and Ukraine as a Western plot to undermine its sovereignty. Mr Saakashvili’s support for Ukraine’s orange revolution particularly irked Mr Putin. (more)
ON DEADLINE: Lieberman facing payback from Dems
Not really surprising to hear the Dems are after a man of character such as Joe Lieberman. For speaking his mind and his conscience. Every bit the liberal in all things but the war. Not enough for the broad arms of the Democrat Party. Here is the article from the Seattle Times.
But there are some real pearls here:
He called Obama "a gifted and eloquent young man" with a promising future. "But eloquence is no substitute for a record - not in these tough times," Lieberman said. He pitched a special appeal for McCain votes to independents and Democrats, saying his is "the real ticket for change this year."
"I'm here, as a Democrat myself, to tell you: Don't be fooled," Lieberman said....
...asked whether Obama sounded like a Marxist. "I must say, that's a good question," Lieberman said. "During this campaign I've learned some things about him, about the kind of environment from which he came ideologically. ... He's got some positions that are far to the left of me and, I think, mainstream America."
"Where he came from ideologically.." has been documented quite well in the Jerome Corsi book,
The Obama Nation: Leftist Politics and the Cult of Personality a a well footnoted examination of this background.
But there are some real pearls here:
He called Obama "a gifted and eloquent young man" with a promising future. "But eloquence is no substitute for a record - not in these tough times," Lieberman said. He pitched a special appeal for McCain votes to independents and Democrats, saying his is "the real ticket for change this year."
"I'm here, as a Democrat myself, to tell you: Don't be fooled," Lieberman said....
...asked whether Obama sounded like a Marxist. "I must say, that's a good question," Lieberman said. "During this campaign I've learned some things about him, about the kind of environment from which he came ideologically. ... He's got some positions that are far to the left of me and, I think, mainstream America."
"Where he came from ideologically.." has been documented quite well in the Jerome Corsi book,
The Obama Nation: Leftist Politics and the Cult of Personality a a well footnoted examination of this background.
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
Dutch Paper: U.S. Will Attack Iran in Weeks
Over at Newsmax we have this:
The largest newspaper in the Netherlands, De Telegraaf, reported this past weekend that its nation's intelligence agency has been working closely with the CIA to help prepare the U.S. in a planned air attack on Iran.
The front-page story in De Telegraaf, published Friday and headlined "Attack on Iran Imminent," claimed that U.S. military strikes on Iran's nuclear and weapons facilities would happen in weeks.
The paper indicated Holland's military intelligence service (Algemene Inlichtingen-en Veiligheidsdienst, or AIVD), has pulled back from its operations inside Iran helping the U.S. to identify targets.
This story is also being reported by the WSJ with this line:
The Dutch? Anti-Iranian infiltration and espionage? Who knew? Way to go guys, seriously. Respect.
But the article goes on :
..Yet indications continue to emerge that the nuclear clock keeps ticking. Even the much publicized 2007 National Intelligence Estimate, which threw cold water on the notion of taking action against Iran, stated that Tehran would technically be capable of producing a nuclear weapon in the 2010-2015 time frame — i.e., starting the year after next. And it is worth noting that such timelines have always consistently overestimated the amount of time needed to produce nuclear weapons — which is why nuclear tests always come as a surprise.
Good article. read the rest here.
I smell another animal in the woods...and it's trying to mess up my retirement. Seriously though, if the Dutch have done their homework then the Iranian's are scurrying about hiding and hardening things. They have buried and hardened their facilites ever since Israel took out the Iraqi reactor. So the intel has to be pretty good for a predator strike to be effective. But air strikes would be better than any other alternative..
The largest newspaper in the Netherlands, De Telegraaf, reported this past weekend that its nation's intelligence agency has been working closely with the CIA to help prepare the U.S. in a planned air attack on Iran.
The front-page story in De Telegraaf, published Friday and headlined "Attack on Iran Imminent," claimed that U.S. military strikes on Iran's nuclear and weapons facilities would happen in weeks.
The paper indicated Holland's military intelligence service (Algemene Inlichtingen-en Veiligheidsdienst, or AIVD), has pulled back from its operations inside Iran helping the U.S. to identify targets.
This story is also being reported by the WSJ with this line:
The Dutch? Anti-Iranian infiltration and espionage? Who knew? Way to go guys, seriously. Respect.
But the article goes on :
..Yet indications continue to emerge that the nuclear clock keeps ticking. Even the much publicized 2007 National Intelligence Estimate, which threw cold water on the notion of taking action against Iran, stated that Tehran would technically be capable of producing a nuclear weapon in the 2010-2015 time frame — i.e., starting the year after next. And it is worth noting that such timelines have always consistently overestimated the amount of time needed to produce nuclear weapons — which is why nuclear tests always come as a surprise.
Good article. read the rest here.
I smell another animal in the woods...and it's trying to mess up my retirement. Seriously though, if the Dutch have done their homework then the Iranian's are scurrying about hiding and hardening things. They have buried and hardened their facilites ever since Israel took out the Iraqi reactor. So the intel has to be pretty good for a predator strike to be effective. But air strikes would be better than any other alternative..
Sarah Palin, Her Daughter, and the Smear Machine
From Pajama's Media
..Privacy? Don’t bet on it. This is a whole fresh pile of mud for the left to start slinging. They’ll attack Palin’s family values stance, talk about how Palin teaches abstinence, and start trotting out the hypocrisy meme. Except this is not Palin who is the unmarried, pregnant teen. It’s her daughter. It’s not particularly shocking when a teenager does something against the parents’ teachings, is it? If we were to call out every parent who taught abstinence from sex, smoking, drugs, or drinking then had a kid indulge in any (or all) of those, we’d be here all day.
The fact is, the left is all about privacy in the matters of the womb. Were they to stay true to their colors, this mantra of theirs would seem to preclude them from judging Bristol’s pregnancy and her choice to keep her child, right? It will be interesting to see how this plays out. The Kos kids and their blog followers have already made one attempt to ruin this girl’s life. Now that they have a story with actual truth behind it, we’ll have to sit back and see how far they run with a teenager’s identity....(more)
..Privacy? Don’t bet on it. This is a whole fresh pile of mud for the left to start slinging. They’ll attack Palin’s family values stance, talk about how Palin teaches abstinence, and start trotting out the hypocrisy meme. Except this is not Palin who is the unmarried, pregnant teen. It’s her daughter. It’s not particularly shocking when a teenager does something against the parents’ teachings, is it? If we were to call out every parent who taught abstinence from sex, smoking, drugs, or drinking then had a kid indulge in any (or all) of those, we’d be here all day.
The fact is, the left is all about privacy in the matters of the womb. Were they to stay true to their colors, this mantra of theirs would seem to preclude them from judging Bristol’s pregnancy and her choice to keep her child, right? It will be interesting to see how this plays out. The Kos kids and their blog followers have already made one attempt to ruin this girl’s life. Now that they have a story with actual truth behind it, we’ll have to sit back and see how far they run with a teenager’s identity....(more)
Teen Sex? Please Do!
From Townhall:
...To that end, Planned Parenthood has created a new promotional Web site that targets youth. It’s called “Take Care Down There” (www.takecaredownthere.org). It features short, near pornographic “public service” video vignettes which, among other things, promote casual sex, immodesty, homosexuality and even group sex.
For example, in perfect keeping with its demonstrably racist, loosey-goosey sexual tradition, one of the Planned Parenthood videos depicts what appears to be a teenage African-American male relegated to performing oral sex – in public – on a white teenage male. Another white male (a creepy adult authority figure who seems just a little too interested) walks up and begins giving instructions. The white teenager then says, “I didn’t even spew.”
In another vignette, a teenage girl appears to drop her pants – again in public – exposing her privates in front of two other girls and the same African-American male. She then asks them, “Do you see anything down there?” referencing potential evidence of sexually transmitted disease. Of course, based on her cavalier sexual attitude and tart immodesty (or is that immodest tart?) the odds strongly favor the likelihood that she does, in fact, have something “down there.”
Ugh...
And we're paying for it... (more here)
...To that end, Planned Parenthood has created a new promotional Web site that targets youth. It’s called “Take Care Down There” (www.takecaredownthere.org). It features short, near pornographic “public service” video vignettes which, among other things, promote casual sex, immodesty, homosexuality and even group sex.
For example, in perfect keeping with its demonstrably racist, loosey-goosey sexual tradition, one of the Planned Parenthood videos depicts what appears to be a teenage African-American male relegated to performing oral sex – in public – on a white teenage male. Another white male (a creepy adult authority figure who seems just a little too interested) walks up and begins giving instructions. The white teenager then says, “I didn’t even spew.”
In another vignette, a teenage girl appears to drop her pants – again in public – exposing her privates in front of two other girls and the same African-American male. She then asks them, “Do you see anything down there?” referencing potential evidence of sexually transmitted disease. Of course, based on her cavalier sexual attitude and tart immodesty (or is that immodest tart?) the odds strongly favor the likelihood that she does, in fact, have something “down there.”
Ugh...
And we're paying for it... (more here)
Monday, September 1, 2008
Iraqi Vet Sends Personal Message to Barack Obama
This guy knows what sacrifice is too. Watch it till the end. Hat Tip to RedState
Video here
read more digg story
Video here
read more digg story
Russia's 5 Principles and It's "Privileged" Sphere of Influence
Without a very strong western response to the Georgian crisis, (up to now not happening) I would expect a continued interferrence if not an all out grab of portions of the former USSR based on #4 and 5.
From the NY Times:
MOSCOW — President Dmitri A. Medvedev of Russia on Sunday laid out what he said would become his government’s guiding principles of foreign policy after its landmark conflict with Georgia — notably including a claim to a “privileged” sphere of influence in the world.
Speaking to Russian television in the Black Sea resort of Sochi, a day before a summit meeting in Brussels where European leaders were to reassess their relations with Russia, Mr. Medvedev said his government would adhere to five principles.
Russia, he said, would observe international law. It would reject what he called United States dominance of world affairs in a “unipolar” world. It would seek friendly relations with other nations. It would defend Russian citizens and business interests abroad. And it would claim a sphere of influence in the world....(More)
From the NY Times:
MOSCOW — President Dmitri A. Medvedev of Russia on Sunday laid out what he said would become his government’s guiding principles of foreign policy after its landmark conflict with Georgia — notably including a claim to a “privileged” sphere of influence in the world.
Speaking to Russian television in the Black Sea resort of Sochi, a day before a summit meeting in Brussels where European leaders were to reassess their relations with Russia, Mr. Medvedev said his government would adhere to five principles.
Russia, he said, would observe international law. It would reject what he called United States dominance of world affairs in a “unipolar” world. It would seek friendly relations with other nations. It would defend Russian citizens and business interests abroad. And it would claim a sphere of influence in the world....(More)
Team McCain Takes the Lead
A pretty good summation I think, of the current state of political affairs from the PostPartisan over at the WashingtonPost:
Two extraordinary things have happened since Thursday afternoon in a presidential election that had been largely stuck in a narrow trading range for the past few weeks.
First, Barack Obama's convention speech -- amazingly, shockingly -- set out to polarize this election in ways bound to anger anyone with a conservative instinct anywhere in their political body. No Democratic class-warfare cliche went unexpressed. No cheap attack on John McCain went unmade -- and made without humor, class or grace. (How could it possibly be an effective Democratic attack to accuse McCain of cowardice in confronting al-Qaeda?) Anyone viewing Obama for the first time would have seen the most typical, ordinary, unreconstructed Democratic nominee since Walter Mondale (though with far greater political skills).
Maybe I am so disappointed because I half-believed in Obama, at least at the beginning. On Thursday night, he made nothing of his historical moment. And he purposely set out to alienate people like me. It worked.
Second, McCain's choice of Gov. Sarah Palin turns out to be brilliant. It achieves four things: (read the reasons here)
Two extraordinary things have happened since Thursday afternoon in a presidential election that had been largely stuck in a narrow trading range for the past few weeks.
First, Barack Obama's convention speech -- amazingly, shockingly -- set out to polarize this election in ways bound to anger anyone with a conservative instinct anywhere in their political body. No Democratic class-warfare cliche went unexpressed. No cheap attack on John McCain went unmade -- and made without humor, class or grace. (How could it possibly be an effective Democratic attack to accuse McCain of cowardice in confronting al-Qaeda?) Anyone viewing Obama for the first time would have seen the most typical, ordinary, unreconstructed Democratic nominee since Walter Mondale (though with far greater political skills).
Maybe I am so disappointed because I half-believed in Obama, at least at the beginning. On Thursday night, he made nothing of his historical moment. And he purposely set out to alienate people like me. It worked.
Second, McCain's choice of Gov. Sarah Palin turns out to be brilliant. It achieves four things: (read the reasons here)
Ferraro Leaves Door Open to Vote for McCain/Palin
From newsbusters:
...Well, on Saturday, Geraldine Ferraro told NPR that she hasn't decided who she's going to vote for in November, while also stating that whatever Sarah Palin doesn't know about foreign policy "she will learn very quickly - she seems smart enough."...(more)
...Well, on Saturday, Geraldine Ferraro told NPR that she hasn't decided who she's going to vote for in November, while also stating that whatever Sarah Palin doesn't know about foreign policy "she will learn very quickly - she seems smart enough."...(more)
US Military Hands Control of Anbar to Iraqi Forces
The culmination of what began three years ago when I was there. ...
From VOA:
The U.S. military Monday handed control of Iraq's Anbar province to Iraqi security forces.
Anbar, once one of Iraq's most dangerous regions, is now one of its most peaceful. It is the 11th of 18 Iraqi provinces the U.S. has returned to Iraqi control.U.S. forces will withdraw to bases and rejoin Iraqi operations in Anbar only at the request of the provincial governor. (more)
From VOA:
The U.S. military Monday handed control of Iraq's Anbar province to Iraqi security forces.
Anbar, once one of Iraq's most dangerous regions, is now one of its most peaceful. It is the 11th of 18 Iraqi provinces the U.S. has returned to Iraqi control.U.S. forces will withdraw to bases and rejoin Iraqi operations in Anbar only at the request of the provincial governor. (more)
Russia Warns That Support of Georgia would be a mistake of "truly historic proportions"
From the Guardian:
Britain today called on the EU to suspend talks on closer ties with Russia in protest at its invasion of Georgia.
As European leaders gathered in Brussels for an emergency summit, Britain, which is advocating a tough line on Russia, urged the EU to put on hold talks on a new strategic pact.
"In light of Russia's actions we should suspend negotiations on a successor to the partnership and cooperation agreement," said a spokesman for the prime minister, Gordon Brown....
...Today, Russia warned against western support for Georgia's leadership, saying it would be a mistake of "truly historic proportions".
In a hawkish speech, the Russian foreign minister, Sergey Lavrov, made it clear that Moscow wanted the Georgian president, Mikheil Saakashvili, to lose power in Georgia. He called for an arms embargo to be imposed on the ex-Soviet republic until a different government is in place.
"If instead of choosing their national interests and the interests of the Georgian people, the United States and its allies choose the Saakashvili regime, this will be a mistake of truly historic proportions," he said in an address at Russia's top foreign policy graduate school. (more)
Britain today called on the EU to suspend talks on closer ties with Russia in protest at its invasion of Georgia.
As European leaders gathered in Brussels for an emergency summit, Britain, which is advocating a tough line on Russia, urged the EU to put on hold talks on a new strategic pact.
"In light of Russia's actions we should suspend negotiations on a successor to the partnership and cooperation agreement," said a spokesman for the prime minister, Gordon Brown....
...Today, Russia warned against western support for Georgia's leadership, saying it would be a mistake of "truly historic proportions".
In a hawkish speech, the Russian foreign minister, Sergey Lavrov, made it clear that Moscow wanted the Georgian president, Mikheil Saakashvili, to lose power in Georgia. He called for an arms embargo to be imposed on the ex-Soviet republic until a different government is in place.
"If instead of choosing their national interests and the interests of the Georgian people, the United States and its allies choose the Saakashvili regime, this will be a mistake of truly historic proportions," he said in an address at Russia's top foreign policy graduate school. (more)
Sunday, August 31, 2008
Is She or Isn't She?
Apparently there was some initial confusion on Palin' "denominational identity":
"From John Allen, Jr., of National Catholic Reporter, The initial confusion surrounding Palin’s denominational identity, therefore, has a simple explanation: She doesn’t have one.
Instead, Palin appears to be part of that rapidly expanding galaxy of “post-denominational” Christianity, where elements of Evangelical and Pentecostal styles of faith and worship fuse into a myriad of unique local combinations, and where old denominational loyalties are essentially dead...."
The folks over at Insight Scoop go on to make an interesting observation:
Who does the serious, orthodox Catholic have more in common with when it comes to living in the real world: the Anglican who is for "gay marriage" and women's ordination, or the Evangelical who upholds traditional sexual morality, opposes abortion, and might even (gasp!) denounce contraceptives? The Methodist who denies the inspiration of Scripture and adheres to radical feminist interpretations of the Bible, or the Fundamentalist who believes the Bible is the Word of God and that objective truth does indeed exist? (read the entire post here that discusses both conversations.)
My favorite quote from the article: "There are many Catholics who are Protestant, and many Protestants who are Catholic."
I'd like to think I fit in that category.
"From John Allen, Jr., of National Catholic Reporter, The initial confusion surrounding Palin’s denominational identity, therefore, has a simple explanation: She doesn’t have one.
Instead, Palin appears to be part of that rapidly expanding galaxy of “post-denominational” Christianity, where elements of Evangelical and Pentecostal styles of faith and worship fuse into a myriad of unique local combinations, and where old denominational loyalties are essentially dead...."
The folks over at Insight Scoop go on to make an interesting observation:
Who does the serious, orthodox Catholic have more in common with when it comes to living in the real world: the Anglican who is for "gay marriage" and women's ordination, or the Evangelical who upholds traditional sexual morality, opposes abortion, and might even (gasp!) denounce contraceptives? The Methodist who denies the inspiration of Scripture and adheres to radical feminist interpretations of the Bible, or the Fundamentalist who believes the Bible is the Word of God and that objective truth does indeed exist? (read the entire post here that discusses both conversations.)
My favorite quote from the article: "There are many Catholics who are Protestant, and many Protestants who are Catholic."
I'd like to think I fit in that category.
Latest Satellite Loop From Gustav
What can I say. After more than 25 years as an Air Force weather forecaster, I still love the weather. Growing up in west Texas we looked forward to hurricanes as they were the only way to break a drought. Still, for those on the coast it can be really bad news.
This link will take you to the latest IR (infrared) shot of Gustav. As of Sunday afternoon the eye is not readily seen which is good news. However current discussions indicate that this will change. Bigger questions than just where it comes ashore loom ahead as some models indicate a southwestern turn after 48 hrs and then stalling. Whether a western turn or a southwestern turn a stalling decaying hurricane means potential catastrophic flooding.
This link will take you to the latest IR (infrared) shot of Gustav. As of Sunday afternoon the eye is not readily seen which is good news. However current discussions indicate that this will change. Bigger questions than just where it comes ashore loom ahead as some models indicate a southwestern turn after 48 hrs and then stalling. Whether a western turn or a southwestern turn a stalling decaying hurricane means potential catastrophic flooding.
How Radical on Abortion Are They?
Good post over at Creative Minority Report: How Radical on Abortion Are They?
.: "But what Democrats are saying now is very different.
In her now infamous interview, Pelosi, on the most highly rated weekend news program in the country, attempted what amounts to a theological defense of abortion. In part, she was positing that the Catholic Church doesn't have a clear teaching on this issue. So she's not even admitting that she sees anything negative or sinful in abortion.
Barack Obama is even worse. He has arguably referred to it as a good.
“Look, I got two daughters — 9 years old and 6 years old,” he said. “I am going to teach them first about values and morals, but if they make a mistake, I don’t want them punished with a baby.”
That is not a 'personally opposed' deal. A man who's running for President of the United States said he would be complicit in the murder of his own grand daughter. Not only is he saying that he would let his daughter make a choice, he's saying 'I don't want her punished with a baby.' He's telling us that he would counsel abortion for his own daughter as a baby would be a punishment."
How radical are they? They nominated a candidate who voted against the "Induced Infant Liability Act" the Illinois version of the "Born Alive Infant Protection Act." I think that is extreme by even Pro choice standards. Add to that the insidious quality of Obama to then deny, and/or call liars the people who call him on it and I think you have a very disturbing answer to the question. Thankfully we all know now, that McCain came through on his VP choice.
.: "But what Democrats are saying now is very different.
In her now infamous interview, Pelosi, on the most highly rated weekend news program in the country, attempted what amounts to a theological defense of abortion. In part, she was positing that the Catholic Church doesn't have a clear teaching on this issue. So she's not even admitting that she sees anything negative or sinful in abortion.
Barack Obama is even worse. He has arguably referred to it as a good.
“Look, I got two daughters — 9 years old and 6 years old,” he said. “I am going to teach them first about values and morals, but if they make a mistake, I don’t want them punished with a baby.”
That is not a 'personally opposed' deal. A man who's running for President of the United States said he would be complicit in the murder of his own grand daughter. Not only is he saying that he would let his daughter make a choice, he's saying 'I don't want her punished with a baby.' He's telling us that he would counsel abortion for his own daughter as a baby would be a punishment."
How radical are they? They nominated a candidate who voted against the "Induced Infant Liability Act" the Illinois version of the "Born Alive Infant Protection Act." I think that is extreme by even Pro choice standards. Add to that the insidious quality of Obama to then deny, and/or call liars the people who call him on it and I think you have a very disturbing answer to the question. Thankfully we all know now, that McCain came through on his VP choice.
Preachers of separatism at work inside Britain's mosques
(Coming?) Soon..
From the UK Telegraph:
...In a large balcony above the beautiful main hall at Regent's Park Mosque in London - widely considered the most important mosque in Britain - I am filming undercover as the woman preacher gives her talk.
What should be done to a Muslim who converts to another faith? "We kill him," she says, "kill him, kill, kill…You have to kill him, you understand?"
Adulterers, she says, are to be stoned to death - and as for homosexuals, and women who "make themselves like a man, a woman like a man ... the punishment is kill, kill them, throw them from the highest place".
These punishments, the preacher says, are to be implemented in a future Islamic state. "This is not to tell you to start killing people," she continues. "There must be a Muslim leader, when the Muslim army becomes stronger, when Islam has grown enough." ... (more)
From the UK Telegraph:
...In a large balcony above the beautiful main hall at Regent's Park Mosque in London - widely considered the most important mosque in Britain - I am filming undercover as the woman preacher gives her talk.
What should be done to a Muslim who converts to another faith? "We kill him," she says, "kill him, kill, kill…You have to kill him, you understand?"
Adulterers, she says, are to be stoned to death - and as for homosexuals, and women who "make themselves like a man, a woman like a man ... the punishment is kill, kill them, throw them from the highest place".
These punishments, the preacher says, are to be implemented in a future Islamic state. "This is not to tell you to start killing people," she continues. "There must be a Muslim leader, when the Muslim army becomes stronger, when Islam has grown enough." ... (more)
New Democrats’ Near-Sighted Gaze
From the NRO:
...One can tell more about a man by what he chooses not to say. The senator didn’t bother to mention the failure of the Doha Round, which keeps poor countries in Africa and Latin America from selling their agricultural products to first world markets. The senator did not address the urgent issue of Russia’s recrudescent nationalism and the vagrant tactics of Vladimir Putin, or the threat that faces the countries of Central Europe. He may have forgotten that many voters in the Middle West have cousins who still live in Putin’s zone of ambition. He offers no strategy to counter Iran’s nuclear program, including the threat that it poses to Europe, the Middle East and the state of Israel. Not even the Europeans believe any longer that “tough, direct diplomacy” will suffice to thwart the nuclear ambitions of Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. And quite noticeably, he made no reference at all to the dangers of Islamic fundamentalism — even while it finds continuing expression in such recent tragedies as the bombing in Algeria.He did not mention the long-term need to keep watch on China as it modernizes its military and gains the capacity to shoot down satellites and impose area-denial on the Seventh Fleet in northeast Asia. He did not call upon our European allies to increase their budgetary commitment to defense, whether to help in peacekeeping in Sudan, or to counter the rising powers of Moscow and Teheran. ... (more)
...One can tell more about a man by what he chooses not to say. The senator didn’t bother to mention the failure of the Doha Round, which keeps poor countries in Africa and Latin America from selling their agricultural products to first world markets. The senator did not address the urgent issue of Russia’s recrudescent nationalism and the vagrant tactics of Vladimir Putin, or the threat that faces the countries of Central Europe. He may have forgotten that many voters in the Middle West have cousins who still live in Putin’s zone of ambition. He offers no strategy to counter Iran’s nuclear program, including the threat that it poses to Europe, the Middle East and the state of Israel. Not even the Europeans believe any longer that “tough, direct diplomacy” will suffice to thwart the nuclear ambitions of Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. And quite noticeably, he made no reference at all to the dangers of Islamic fundamentalism — even while it finds continuing expression in such recent tragedies as the bombing in Algeria.He did not mention the long-term need to keep watch on China as it modernizes its military and gains the capacity to shoot down satellites and impose area-denial on the Seventh Fleet in northeast Asia. He did not call upon our European allies to increase their budgetary commitment to defense, whether to help in peacekeeping in Sudan, or to counter the rising powers of Moscow and Teheran. ... (more)
Obama’s Freudian Slip
Ain't it the truth?
From the American Spectator:
DENVER -- "If you don't have a record to run on, then you paint your opponent as someone people should run from," Barack Obama declared last night.
Talk about projection.
(more)
From the American Spectator:
DENVER -- "If you don't have a record to run on, then you paint your opponent as someone people should run from," Barack Obama declared last night.
Talk about projection.
(more)
Completing Adam’s Task
Good stuff as always over at FirstThings. I was taken by this line: If knowledge is power and humans are one animal among many, then what will keep us from using this knowledge to lord our power over all other animals? Exactly. Contrary to popular myth, it is the Christian/biblical view of stewardship that offers the best protection of the environement.
...Animals, Genesis teaches, are a good part of a divinely sanctioned order, but we are not one of them. We can name them because we know that we have a destiny that transcends the animal world.
The current frenzy for naming has a different basis. Post-Darwinians can name the animals because we know that we are the same as them, not different. We share the same biological structure, and, more importantly, we share the same precarious existence on the environmentally troubled planet Earth.
Indeed, much of the hype for the Encyclopedia of Life concerns the claim that only by naming every species can we hope to preserve them from extinction. Yet there is no reason to think that this quest for absolute knowledge will lead to the protection of animals rather than their exploitation. Wilson is a champion of biodiversity and the love of nature for its own sake, yet even he admits that the Encyclopedia of Life will accelerate “the discovery of wild plant species adaptable for agriculture, new genes for the enhancement of crop productivity, and new class of pharmaceuticals.” If knowledge is power and humans are one animal among many, then what will keep us from using this knowledge to lord our power over all other animals?...(more)
...Animals, Genesis teaches, are a good part of a divinely sanctioned order, but we are not one of them. We can name them because we know that we have a destiny that transcends the animal world.
The current frenzy for naming has a different basis. Post-Darwinians can name the animals because we know that we are the same as them, not different. We share the same biological structure, and, more importantly, we share the same precarious existence on the environmentally troubled planet Earth.
Indeed, much of the hype for the Encyclopedia of Life concerns the claim that only by naming every species can we hope to preserve them from extinction. Yet there is no reason to think that this quest for absolute knowledge will lead to the protection of animals rather than their exploitation. Wilson is a champion of biodiversity and the love of nature for its own sake, yet even he admits that the Encyclopedia of Life will accelerate “the discovery of wild plant species adaptable for agriculture, new genes for the enhancement of crop productivity, and new class of pharmaceuticals.” If knowledge is power and humans are one animal among many, then what will keep us from using this knowledge to lord our power over all other animals?...(more)
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