Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act - Is Not Immunity

No special 'immunity'

You can't blame GM for run-down pedestrians.
You can't blame Buck for knife stabbings.
You can't blame Stanley for crowbar beatings.
But you can blame firearm-makers for criminal misuse of firearms.
That's the ruinous exploitation happening right now that must be stopped by the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act.
The act would end a decade of prejudiced and predatory lawsuits designed to put gunmakers out of business.
Gun prohibitionists have failed to get their social agenda from Congress. So they've turned to the courts, where it takes just one activist judge to issue a death sentence for America's firearms companies.
Don't be fooled by phony claims that the act would 'shield' gunmakers or would give them special 'immunity.' The act wouldn't give gunmakers any more protection than any other industry has. It simply would ensure that gunmakers have equal protection from third-party liability that other industries already enjoy. Gunmakers and sellers are still liable for defective products or violating the myriad of laws regulating sales.

Amen brother, the "anti-gun" lobby would have you believe that the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act would grant "special" immunity to gun makers -- that is a lie, plain and simple. The act would ensure that an industry, which has both big business and entrepreneurs, would enjoy the same protection and rights as any other business. I will add another example to the list the author shared -- what if a rapist utilized a condom he received via government sponsored programs?

1. Would he have committed the rape had he not received the condom?


2. Is the fault of the program that distributed the condom?


3. Would he government itself be responsible for the rape?


4. Should we stop all "condom" distributing programs because if the above possibilities?

I am being facetious and chose a program supported by liberals to demonstrate the absurdity of the "special immunity" claim posed by "anti-gun" groups, who are mostly liberal.

No Kidding Al -- Something To It?

Statement from Air America Radio - Air America Radio
Liberals are all over the net say "there is nothing to the allegations" of diverted funds -- "stealing" from children... I say really, if there is nothing to it Air American certainly did not waste any time trying to explain it away -- I am of course using liberal logic which appears to only apply when the scandal is associated with conservatives - interesting?

If the allegations of mismanagement and corruption at Gloria Wise Boys and Girls Club are true, it is absolutely disgraceful.

Actually, as with all scandals, I believe we should let the investigation play out and the chips fall where they may -- the guilty pay and the innocent continue with their lives and for Air America that involves hating everyone that doesn't agree with them.

Oh So Caring Liberals

Robin Hood and Air America - The Washington Times

Did Al Franken's liberal radio network Air America divert city money for the elderly and inner-city children to itself? That's the question people should be asking this week after the revelation that the New York Department of Investigation is looking into whether hundreds of thousands of dollars were illegally transferred from a Bronx community center to Air America. Only a community paper and a few Internet bloggers seem interested in what could be an egregious case of illegal funneling of tax dollars to a private, partisan organization.

NYC diverts funds to Air America -- this is an interesting story and I don't think I should reinvent the wheel -- Michelle Malkin has the scoop with informative links. You can see Michelle Malkin's entry's here, here, here, and here.

Spring Pullout?

The U.S. Signals Spring Start for Pullout, the media is reporting. Don't get me wrong this is good news -- but is the headline misleading? I have included excerpts from an article; however it took four paragraphs to get -- "If the political process continues to go positively, and if the development of the security forces continues to go as it is going, I do believe we'll still be able to take some fairly substantial reductions after these elections in the spring and summer" -- that is a pretty big IF. I personally believe we will begin pulling some, but not the quantities anit-war advocates wish. Nevertheless, I believe this is good news.

BAGHDAD, July 27 -- The top U.S. military leader in Iraq said Wednesday there could be substantial withdrawals of some of the 135,000 U.S. troops in the country as early as next spring.
Gen. George W. Casey said that despite continued lethal attacks by insurgents, the security situation in Iraq had improved. He reiterated a position he had taken earlier this year on the possible decrease in the U.S. military presence during a one-day visit by Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld for meetings with Prime Minister Ibrahim Jafari.

Do They Care Who They Kill?

The animals (terrorist) have killed Algerian envoys and I simply don't understand why people in the US are still against our action in Iraq and in turn for these animals. There is no "rhyme or reason" to their (the animals) thought process -- the kill fellow Iraqis, they call fellow Muslims, they anyone including themselves (suicide bombers) -- their animals with no logic at all and like "rabid" animals need to be put down.

Algeria has confirmed that its two abducted diplomats in Iraq have been killed by their captors.
The announcement by the president's office came after a group claiming to be al-Qaeda in Iraq posted an internet message saying it had killed the pair.

Lest We Forget

I think Americans have a short memory -- this should remind us what we are doing and why.

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No Kidding - Part Two

South Korea Proposes Accord to Break Nuclear Deadlock
Now we have South Korea as the peacekeeper -- the way it should be, demonstrating to both South and North Korea's population they (the South) "care" for both. Does this surprise anyone -- I called it blackmail months ago and a "pledge of aid" is what North Korea wanted and needed all along. Let us see out it plays out.

July 27 (Bloomberg) -- South Korea proposed that immediate aid be pledged to North Korea as soon as the nation agrees to verifiable steps to end its nuclear program, seeking to break a deadlock at six-party talks.
South Korea outlined the strategy to end disagreements on the timing of commitments at the second day of negotiations in Beijing, said a South Korean official attending the talks, who briefed the media on condition of anonymity. The U.S., China, Japan and Russia are the other participants.

No Kidding?

You may recall when I posted What do You Beat Any Compromise is ONE-WAY on Saturday. Well, N.Korea digs in on day two of nuclear crisis talks and I guess I was right.

BEIJING (Reuters) - North Korea staked out a tough position on Wednesday on the second day of six-party talks on its nuclear weapons programs, demanding U.S. concessions as the other five outlined proposals for resolving the crisis.

Blast Off!

The Shuttle Discovery Blasts Into Orbit signifying our return to space -- Good Luck and God Speed!

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Discovery and seven astronauts blasted into orbit Tuesday on America's first manned space shot since the 2003 Columbia disaster, ending a painful, 2 1/2-year shutdown devoted to making the shuttle less risky and NASA more safety-conscious.

Well MSN (Microsoft) is Trying

However, they failed my test -- my neighborhood that has been around for more then five years does not exist per "Virtual Earth" -- Google Maps and Google Earth have it and are only about six months behind development of newer neighborhoods around us... Keep trying MSN

UPDATE: Although I did not intend to bash MSN, I guess I am -- MSN Maps & Directions have been missing my neighborhood for years but Yahoo, Google, and Mapquest have it. Guess the reason I am pointing this out is I notified two of the four over a year ago and just one -- MSN, apparently ignored our little corner of the world.

Farewell Friend - We Will Miss You!

February 22, 1992 - July 25, 2005
More then a family pet a family member!

Democracy Move Forward -- We Hope

The Iraq Sunnis to end constitution committee boycott, clearing the way to move forward with the Iraqi constitution... I, unlike liberal "naysayers", am aware of the time it took the founding fathers to draw up the United States Constitution (1787) and look forward to progress being made on the Iraqi constitution. Will they agree immediately, NO -- will they agree in a year, probably not -- can they have a "working" constitution, yes. This "working" constitution could and will (in my opinion) go a long way in showing the Iraqis what democracy has to offer -- changes to this constitution are inevitable, but isn't' that the wonderful thing about democracy?

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Sunni Arabs said on Monday they would return to the bargaining table to hammer out a constitution for Iraq, ending a standoff that threatened to torpedo the political process amid worsening bloodshed.
With just days left before the draft constitution was due, the Sunnis had stormed out of the negotiations last week after one of their committee members was gunned down in front of a restaurant.
But they said they would call off their boycott after their demands for better security and a probe into the assassination were met at crisis talks on Monday.
'We will definitely return tomorrow,' said Saleh Mutlaq, spokesman for the Sunni umbrella group Iraqi National Dialogue, which represents slain committee member Mujbil al-Sheikh Isa.

Follow-up on Funeral Crasher

To follow up on Moon-bat Liberal Funeral Crashers; Governor Rendell will send apology to Marine's family. Is this enough? I agree with Michelle Malkin, it is not enough - where is the public apology. Some updates to the story from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette which ran the original story over the weekend:

Written apologies will be sent to a fallen Marine's relatives angered by Lt. Gov. Catherine Baker Knoll's uninvited appearance at the soldier's funeral and her criticism of the war in Iraq, Gov. Ed Rendell said Sunday.
Rendell said he will send a personal letter to the family of the late Marine Staff Sgt. Joseph Goodrich, of Westwood, and will ask Knoll to do the same. Goodrich, 32, a police officer and infantry unit leader, died July 10 in a mortar attack in Hit, Iraq.

One More Day -- Will it Happen

With one more day, 24 hours, to go US and North Korea Meet before the multilateral talks... Will they happen or will North Korea play the Panmunjom shuffle again -- blaming the US of course...

U.S. and North Korean delegates met in Beijing before joining six-nation talks Tuesday on ending Pyongyang's nuclear-weapons programs.

Majority Say "Protect the Church"

In a poll by Ramussen Reports most Americans believe the Separation of Church and State is for the protection of the Church from the Government... This places a microscope on the ignorance of the left that I addressed (here), when I said:

Jefferson never intended for our governing bodies to be "separated" from Christianity and its principles. The "wall" was to protect the church from the state and meant as "one directional".
The purpose of the first amendment was to protect the Church, not to disestablish it.

Some excerpts from the poll synopsis.

July 21, 2005--When applying the separation of Church and State principle, 52% of Americans say that it is more important to protect the Church from the government. A Rasmussen Reports survey found that 35% take the opposite view and believe it is more important to protect the government from the Church.
Perspectives on this question divide along ideological lines. Seventy-one percent (71%) of conservatives say the Church should be protected. Sixty-one percent (61%) of liberals take the opposite view.

(Hat tip: Blogs for Bush)

Moon-bat Liberal Funeral Crashers

Lt. gov. crashed Marine's funeral, kin say
The unmitigated gall for someone to show up uninvited to a funeral and use it for a "propaganda" opportunity. Liberals criticize the military policy denying photographs of returning caskets saying "the opportunity would not be used improperly or for propaganda" -- yeah RIGHT, here is evidence to the contrary!

The family of a Marine who was killed in Iraq is furious with Lt. Gov. Catherine Baker Knoll for showing up uninvited at his funeral this week, handing out her business card and then saying 'our government' is against the war.
Rhonda Goodrich of Indiana, Pa., said yesterday that a funeral was held Tuesday at a church in Carnegie for her brother-in-law, Staff Sgt. Joseph Goodrich, 32.
She said he "died bravely and courageously in Iraq on July 10, serving his country."
In a phone interview, Goodrich said the funeral service was packed with people "who wanted to tell his family how Joe had impacted their lives."
Then, suddenly, "one uninvited guest made an appearance, Catherine Baker Knoll."

(Hat tip: Blackfive)
More: The callousness is astonishing. Soldier's funeral was not a 'function'

Relatives of the late Marine Staff Sgt. Joseph Goodrich are upset over what they consider to be Pennsylvania Lt. Gov. Catherine Baker Knoll's cynical intrusion on their mourning.
[...]
"When (Knoll) found out (Kubiak) was Joe's aunt, she handed her a business card and told her she attends 90 percent of these 'functions' across the state," Rhonda Goodrich said.
"This was not a 'function,' " she continued, fairly spitting out the words. "A function is a dinner or an awards ceremony. This was my brother-in-law's funeral."

Let the Governor of Pennsylvania know how you feel.

Watch the Liberal Media on This

It is now official that Shot man not connected to bombing. I agree with the police that this is regrettable and an investigation is needed -- remembering the first reports were that the man failed to follow instructions, but five shots point blank... Besides the obvious interest I want to see how the liberal media(s) that were so critical of the ACCIDENTAL shooting involving the Italian reporter will treat this revelation...

A man shot dead by police hunting the bombers behind Thursday's London attacks was unconnected to the incidents, police have confirmed.
A Scotland Yard statement said the shooting was a "tragedy" which was regretted by the Metropolitan Police.
The man was shot dead after police followed him from a south London flat to Stockwell Tube station on Friday.

ICE for IED(s)

Military members and civilian engineers have developed a New Device that counters terrorism, keeps troops alive. I found this refreshing with the negative reporting about logistical support for our military members and their "impending doom" -- liberal "anti-war" nimrods' words. This just demonstrates how little reporters know about what is actually being done behind the scenes to support our troops on the ground... Happy for the the troops and to the men and women that develop these things -- God bless 'em, wish we had more like 'em. Some excerpts from "The Guard Experience":

7/21/05, WASHINGTON - The Army has developed a new device to thwart terrorist activities while saving service members' lives.
The Improvised Explosive Devices (IED) Countermeasure Equipment, otherwise known as ICE, was developed by a team of engineers, scientists and Soldiers at White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico to defeat IEDs, which are the most prominent threat to deployed service members in Iraq.
The ICE device, which is roughly the size of a bread box uses commercial and military technology to thwart enemy IEDs said MAJ Raymond D. Pickering, who helped lead the ICE design team at White Sands during its development. Thousands of ICE systems are being utilized by all of the military services, and thousands of more are on order according to Pickering.

(Hat tip: Mudville Gazette)

Sure The Liberals Will Blame the US

Although, 'Qaeda' group claims Egypt bombs, I am sure liberals will say this is all President Bush's fault - I mean what has changed in their philosophy to "criticize their own country"... Let us look at previous attacks on Egyptian tourist sites -- notice those previous to September 11th -- when will American liberals "wake up and smell the coffee" or at least the stuff "they are shoveling". Some excerpts from the Reuters' report:

DUBAI (Reuters) - A group claiming links to al QaedaphilosophypreviousSeptember said on Saturday it had bombed markets and hotels in an Egyptian resort in retaliation for 'crimes committed against Muslims,' according to an Internet statement.
The statement, which was not carried on major al Qaeda Web sites, was signed by the Abdullah al-Azzam Brigades of the al Qaeda Organization in the Levant and Egypt.
'Our mujahideen brothers have delivered a crushing blow to the crusaders and the Zionists and the infidel Egyptian regime in Sharm Sheikh by targeting the Ghazala Gardens hotel ... and the old market,' the statement said.

What do You Beat Any Compromise is ONE-WAY?

I see North Korea Wants Peace Treaty with the U.S -- my only question is what do they want from us? I am sure they will only offer to give up the "threat" of nuclear weapons, period -- at a glance, not a good deal for us.

North Korea has proposed a peace treaty with the United States to replace the armistice agreement that ended the Korean war five decades ago. The announcement was made by the North's Foreign Ministry through the country's official Korea Central News Agency.

Anyone Interested in the "New Windows"

Microsoft has officially named it's grand, not bland, in new OS -- Vista. The new OS, not to be released until late 2006, is being touted as easier to personalize, we will see. Just thought some might be interested.

On Friday, the Redmond, Wash., company officially crowned the upcoming version of its Windows operating system as ``Vista,'' a brand it hopes conjures an image of a sweeping view into the digital world.
The company is working to build a buzz around its long-delayed new Windows version, formerly known as Longhorn, which won't hit the store shelves until fall 2006. The company will release a beta version of Vista on Aug. 3 to various communities of software developers.
[...]
The Windows Vista title was created after more than eight months of review by focus groups and Microsoft customers, said Greg Sullivan, group product manager for the Windows client division. The operating system is being designed to give computer users new tools to manage and access the increasing amount of e-mail, digital photos and other material stored on their PCs and networks, he said.

NOTE: Link requires registration try Bug me not!

Google Maps - Hybrid Mode

Google launch an enhancement to Google Maps -- Hybrid -- check it out!

Breaking News - London - Suspected Bomber Shot

CNN.com - 'Suspect shot' on London Tube
Most cable networks or say on the television that the shooting is "confirmed" but it is NOT "confirmed" he was a suspected "suicide bomber"; however, local British networks are reporting him to be a suspected "suicide bomber"... If true, it appears the British aren't playing -- wonder what the "appeaser" in America would/will say.

LONDON, England (CNN) -- Police in London say they have shot a man at a subway station, the day after four apparently failed attempts to repeat the carnage of the July 7 blasts, according to The Associated Press.
There were unconfirmed media reports that the person shot at Stockwell station -- close to the Oval, one of four sites targeted by suspected bombers on Thursday -- was a suspected suicide bomber.

Prime Minister John Howard - Answers Liberals

The Australian: Full text: Blair & Howard
The Prime Minister of Australia answered the "are we to blame for terrorist" with truth -- if only the left would listen and learn...

Question:
Do you feel in any sense that you have put people in this position, do you feel that in a sense your policies may have put people in this position?

Prime Minister:
Well I think I have said to you before, that I feel that people who are responsible for doing these things are the people who do them.

Question:
To both Prime Ministers, what was your immediate reaction on hearing that some incidents had occurred, was it here we go again? And do incidents like this, coming just 14 days after the horrific attacks, suggest that the war against terror is being lost on the streets? And yesterday an Australian bomb victim of July 7 linked the bombings to Iraq. Does that suggest that the propaganda war against terrorists is also being lost?

Mr Howard:
Could I start by saying the Prime Minister and I were having a discussion when we heard about it, and my first reaction was to get some more information, and I really don't want to add to what the Prime Minister has said. It is a matter for the police and a matter for the British authorities to talk in detail about what has happened here. Could I just say very directly, Paul, on the issue of the policies of my government, and indeed the policies of the British and American government on Iraq, that the first point of reference is that once a country allows its foreign policy to be determined by terrorism, it has given the game away, to use the vernacular. And no Australian government that I lead will ever have policies determined by terrorism or terrorist threats, and no self-respecting government of any political stripe in Australia would allow that to happen.

Can I remind you that the murder of 88 Australians in Bali took place before the operation in Iraq; and could I remind you that the 11 September occurred before the operation in Iraq; can I also remind you that the very first occasion that Bin Laden specifically referred to Australia was in the context of Australia's involvement in liberating the people of East Timor.

Are people, by implication, suggesting that we shouldn't have done that? When a group claimed responsibility on the website for the attacks on 7 July, they talked about British policy, not just in Iraq, but in Afghanistan. Are people suggesting we shouldn't be in Afghanistan?

When Sergio de Melo was murdered in Iraq, a brave man, a distinguished international diplomat, immensely respected for his work in the United Nations, when al Queda gloated about that they referred specifically to the role that de Melo had carried out in East Timor because he was the United Nations administrator in East Timor. Now I don't know the mind of the terrorist, by definition you can't put yourself in the mind of a successful suicide bomber, I can only look at objective facts, and the objective facts are as I have cited. The objective evidence is that Australia was a terrorist target long before the operation in Iraq, and indeed all the evidence, as distinct from the suppositions, suggest to me that this is about hatred of a way of life, this is about the perverted use of the principles of a great world religion that at its root preaches peace and cooperation, and I think we lose sight of the challenge we have if we allow ourselves to see these attacks in the context of particular circumstances, rather than the abuse through a perverted ideology of people and their murder.

Prime Minister:
I agree 100% with that.

London -- Possible Terrorist Attack Again

Just providing snippets and links of the first reports....
London Tube stations evacuated - CNN

LONDON, England (CNN) -- Three London Underground stations have been evacuated following reports of incidents of trains.

Emergency service also reported an incident on a bus in Hackney, in east London, Scotland Yard told CNN Thursday. No casualties have yet been reported in any of the incidents.

One Underground passenger told Sky TV a traveler's rucksack had exploded on a train. The report has not been confirmed

London Underground Evacuated - Fox News

The London Underground station was evacuated at 1:25 p.m. Thursday afternoon in London after smoke was seen coming from the train, Sky News has reported.

"The entire area has been closed off," Simon Marks.

Emergency officials were said to be attending incidents at three stations, the Associated Press has reported.

Police say incidents were reported at Oval, Warren Street and Shepherds Bush Underground stations.

Who Says Social Security Doesn't Work?

Man files for Social Security, gets arrested in '71 slaying
This guy got a surprise when he went to get his social security benefits -- it does beg the question, if his Social Security was flagged and supposedly he was working under it and paying into Social Security, why was he not traced and apprehended earlier?

As Luis Vega entered his golden years, he did what many seniors do -- applied to the U.S. government for benefits.
The process came to a halt when an investigator for the Social Security Administration found a problem with his paperwork -- a 34-year-old murder warrant.
Vega, 65 and living in New York, has been wanted in Chicago since 1971 for a shooting at a South Side bar that killed a man and wounded another, Chicago Police said. When Vega applied for his benefits, he used the same Social Security number he did when he was living in Chicago 30 years earlier.

Scotty is "Beamed Up" - RIP

CNN.com - James Doohan, 'Star Trek's' Scotty, dead
Although I am not a "Trekkie", a devout Star Trek fan appearing in many cases to have lost all grips on reality (joking), I did enjoy the Star Trek series and it's contribution to our "pop culture" in our younger days... Farewell Mr. Doohan and God's speed to the "Final Frontier".

LOS ANGELES, California (AP) -- James Doohan, the burly chief engineer of the Starship Enterprise in the original 'Star Trek' TV series and motion pictures who responded to the apocryphal command 'Beam me up, Scotty,' died early Wednesday. He was 85.
Doohan died at 5:30 a.m. (1330 GMT) at his Redmond, Washington, home with his wife of 28 years, Wende, at his side, Los Angeles agent and longtime friend Steve Stevens said. The cause of death was pneumonia and Alzheimer's disease, he said.
The Canadian-born Doohan fought in World War II and was wounded during the D-Day invasion, according to the StarTrek.com Web site. He was enjoying a busy career as a character actor when he auditioned for a role as an engineer in a new space adventure on NBC in 1966. A master of dialects from his early years in radio, he tried seven different accents.
'The producers asked me which one I preferred,' Doohan recalled 30 years later. 'I believed the Scot voice was the most commanding. So I told them, 'If this character is going to be an engineer, you'd better make him a Scotsman.

Could There be No More Curfews?

Wonder if a 15 year old boy could win a curfew battle in the United States? I thought this was interesting especially with the "Supreme Court" question in the air and having heard Justices (Ruth Bader Ginsburg) foolishly (my opinion) refer to European decisions in justifying his own. Some excerpts:

A 15-year-old boy has won a landmark High Court challenge to the legality of child curfew zones used to tackle anti-social behaviour.
The teenager said the use of dispersal zones in Richmond, south-west London, breached his rights under the European Convention on Human Rights.

China's Thirst for Oil (Part 2)

Remember I mentioned Chinese Thirst for Oil Comes to America, well I have an update. It appears that Chevron has upped it's bid -- though not as high as China Unocal is in favor of it...

PHILADELPHIA/SINGAPORE (Reuters) - U.S. oil producer Unocal Corp. (NYSE:UCL - news) endorsed a sweetened $17 billion takeover offer from Chevron Corp., preferring it to a higher bid from China's state-run CNOOC Ltd. (0883.HK). (Reuters

Google Moon

With the United States soon to reenter space I thought some would find this interesting... (just click on the picture to be taken to Google Moon.

President Makes Nomination

President Bush nominates John G. Roberts, Jr... I am going to research Judge Roberts some more but at first blush I have no problem with the nominee -- in fact, my first reaction would be that this is a good pick. (Some excerpts from Fox News)

Roberts, 50, is a conservative who currently sits on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. A former clerk to Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist, his name has been floated for months as a possible Bush selection for the high court.

Bush announced the nomination to the American public at 9 p.m. EDT - with Roberts appearing alongside the president.

Speaking from the East Room, Bush said Roberts is "widely admired for his intellect, his sound judgment and personal decency.

"The decisions of the Supreme Court affect the life of every American. And so a nominee to that court must be a person of superb credentials and the highest integrity, a person who will faithfully apply the Constitution and keep our founding promise of equal justice under law," Bush said.

"I have found such a person in Judge John Roberts. And tonight I am honored to announce that I am nominating him to serve as associate justice of the Supreme Court."

Roberts, who will have to re-sell himself to the Judiciary panel that voted for him 16-3 in 2003, said that he was honored to be nominated.

"Thank you very much. It is both an honor and very humbling to be nominated to serve on the Supreme Court. Before I became a judge, my law practice consisted largely of arguing cases before the court. That experience left me with a profound appreciation for the role of the court in our constitutional democracy and a deep regard for the court as an institution," Roberts said.

"I always got a lump in my throat whenever I walked up those marble steps to argue a case before the court, and I don't think it was just from the nerves," he added.

John G. Roberts Jr. (Google News) -- About John G. Roberts Jr.

Talks are on -- Seven Days to Go

USATODAY.com - North Korea talks to resume July 26
Let us see if these talks happen. I do believe with the concessions South Korea made (i.e. electricity, food, etc.) they will be held -- what will be interesting is how long they (North Korea) stay.

SEOUL (AP) - South Korea said Tuesday that North Korea will resume nuclear disarmament talks on July 26 after a 13-month boycott, with diplomats from five nations stepping up pressure on Pyongyang to scrap its nuclear weapons program.

General William Westmoreland Dies

Retired Gen. Westmoreland dead at 91 of natural causes. Notice the opening paragraph from the Associated Press:

COLUMBIA, S.C. - Retired Gen. William Westmoreland, who commanded U.S. forces during the Vietnam War from 1964 to 1968 and advocated a strong military buildup at a time when American casualties were mounting, has died.

Do the words in bold sound like a final "shot" at the man? I think it might drive home what he said the the Associated Press in 1985:

“I have no apologies, no regrets. I gave my very best efforts,” Westmoreland told The Associated Press in 1985. “I’ve been hung in effigy. I’ve been spat upon. You just have to let those things bounce off.”

What do you think? I believe what he has continually stated since retiring and know that many Vietnam Veterans feel the same way -- not putting it as politely as General Westmoreland:

“It’s not that we lost the war militarily. The fact is, we as a nation did not make good our commitment to the South Vietnamese.”

Actor's Job Upgraded

A couple of weeks ago I commented on President Bush naming former Tennessee Senator Fred Thompson to "shepherd " his Supreme Court nominee (here) -- thinking Fred might steal the show. Now, McCain Suggests former TN Senator as New Justice , what do you know about that. I am not sure one way or the other -- an actor in the Whitehouse worked out pretty well.

WASHINGTON - Top Senate Democrats floated the names of potential candidates for the Supreme Court yesterday in a meeting with President Bush, describing them as the types of nominees who could avoid a fierce confirmation battle.
Later, during the Republican senators' weekly private lunch, Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., said he had recommended former Sen. Fred Thompson of Tennessee for nomination in a conversation with Deputy White House Chief of Staff Karl Rove, Knight Ridder News Service reported. Thompson, a Tennessee Republican who plays a chief prosecutor on TV's Law and Order series, was chosen by Bush to help him shepherd his eventual nominee through the Senate.

Some Might not Find this Interesting

Though some might not find this interesting -- I being a Volunteer do find the fact Tennessee adds Air Force, Cal to future schedule very interesting. I remember the 1971 Sugar Bowl and having followed Air Force quite a bit in the 1980, think this is an interesting addition to the schedule.

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -- Tennessee will open the 2006 and 2007 seasons against California and play Air Force in 2006 for the first time since the 1971 Sugar Bowl, the Volunteers announced Monday.
Tennessee will play seven of 12 regular-season games at home in Neyland Stadium each year, including four straight to begin 2006 and a pair of three-game homestands in 2007.

The US Flag and Foreign Supporters

Buffalo News - Legacy of MacArthur stirs clash at memorial
South Korean protesters clash -- proMacArthur/proAmerica supporters carried the US flag in support... How nice to see the US flag used by protester as a symbol of GOOD in a foreign country

The dispute erupted when a small group of anti-MacArthur demonstrators marched at a MacArthur war memorial in the western city of Incheon, site of the general's 1950s landing. Thousands of MacArthur supporters confronted the protesters in Freedom Park, pelting them with objects and shouting insults. Police were present, and no injuries were reported.

UPDATE More information from The Korean Times

Democrats - Reactionaries

Victor Davis Hanson makes some interesting observation about Democrats in his column The New Reactionaries. Mr. Hanson points to the fact that negativism -- the democrats current creed has never accomplished anything and offers some good advice.

We've seen such infantile negativism before, and it leads nowhere. The Republicans of 1964 were a red-hot bunch - out of power, hard-right and on the wrong side of civil rights. In the 12 years of the Reagan and George Bush Sr. administrations, Democrats were no better, resorting to demonizing Robert Bork and Clarence Thomas. More recently, many Republicans descended into a mindless, obsessive hatred of Bill Clinton.

But the current Democratic furor and obstructionism are unprecedented and obviously self-defeating. How can we make sense of the Democrats' behavior?"
[...]
The Democrats should focus on new issues and faces and promote national optimism and an overdue return to a more inclusive broader-based populism. Instead, the leading members of the party — who have become the new reactionaries in American political life — choose to fixate on John Bolton and try to ankle-bite a wartime president working to bring democracy to the Middle East.

Apparently, the liberal opposition thinks sarcasm and negativism can reverse the larger political tide of the last three decades. Good luck.

Good Take on Rove Issue

Plame security breach? It just ain't so, Joe
I really have not commented on the Rove issue because "I could careless" -- well maybe that is a bit harsh but the "issues" seems to be to be a small fish in a very "big pond"... Mark Steyn articulates some of my observations -- in ways the "Rove issues" is simply liberal "smoke and mirrors" to hide the true liar.

This controversy began, you'll recall, because Wilson objected to a line in the president's State of the Union speech that British intelligence had discovered that Iraq had been trying to acquire ''yellowcake'' -- i.e., weaponized uranium -- from Africa. This assertion made Bush, in Wilson's incisive analysis, a ''liar'' and Cheney a ''lying sonofabitch.''
In fact, the only lying sonafabitch turned out to be Yellowcake Joe. Just about everybody on the face of the earth except Wilson, the White House press corps and the moveon.org crowd accepts that Saddam was indeed trying to acquire uranium from Africa. Don't take my word for it; it's the conclusion of the Senate intelligence report, Lord Butler's report in the United Kingdom, MI6, French intelligence, other European services -- and, come to that, the original CIA report based on Joe Wilson's own briefing to them. Why Yellowcake Joe then wrote an article for the New York Times misrepresenting what he'd been told by senior figures from Major Wanke's regime in Niger is known only to him.
As I wrote in this space a year ago, an ambassador, in Sir Henry Wootton's famous dictum, is a good man sent abroad to lie for his country; this ambassador came home to lie to his. What we have here is, in effect, the old standby plot of lame Hollywood conspiracy thrillers: rogue elements within the CIA attempting to destabilize the elected government. If the left's view of the world is now so insanely upside-down that that's the side they want to be on, good for them. But ''leaking'' the name of Wilson's wife and promoter within the CIA didn't ''endanger her life'' or ''compromise her mission.'' Au contraire, exposing the nature of this fraudulent, compromised mission might conceivab"

Even more important!

Here's the thing: They're still pulling body parts from London's Tube tunnels. Too far away for you? No local angle? OK, how about this? Magdy el-Nashar. He's a 33-year old Egyptian arrested Friday morning in Cairo, and thought to be what they call a ''little emir'' -- i.e., the head honcho in the local terrorist cell, the one who fires up the suicide bombers. Until his timely disappearance, he was a biochemist studying at Leeds University and it's in his apartment the London bombs were made. Previously he was at North Carolina State University.

Tiger Wins 2nd Major This Year - 10th Overall

Now what was people were saying about Tiger going down because of his swing change or his marriage -- or was it he had lost interest... Well guess not! British Open number two -- major number two this year -- and ten majors over all...

Is This News or Confirmation

Possible link between London bomber, al-Qaeda groups, who would have thunk it... Of course, I am joking -- the real news would be if there was indeed no connection. Here are some excerpts form the USA Today article:

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (AP) � Authorities in Pakistan are looking into a connection between one of the London suicide bombers and two al-Qaeda-linked militant groups here, including a man arrested for a 2002 attack on a church near the U.S. Embassy, two senior intelligence officials said Friday.

Tracking Them Down and Killing them

US-led forces kill 24 militants on Pakistan border - Reuters.com
I for one am glad that this boarder is not preventing our military and coalition forces from defending themselves or tracking down and eliminating the enemy.

MIRANSHAH, Pakistan (Reuters) - U.S.-led forces killed 24 suspected Islamist militants on the Pakistan side of the Afghan border, Pakistan's military spokesman said on Friday.
The fighters, believed to belong to pro-Taliban and al Qaeda forces, were killed crossing into Pakistan late on Thursday near Lowara Mandi, a border village in the North Waziristan tribal region, Major-General Shaukat Sultan said.
"They are foreigners and suspected Taliban. They could be Afghans and people of central Asian origin," he added.
[...]
Pakistan has bridled in the past at U.S. forces' sorties across the border in the area around Lowara Mandi. [So What!]

Chinese Thirst for Oil Comes to America

This is another issue that I am a little late on but there is a bidding war for Unocal and my "knee jerk" response is that we cannot allow China to obtain this or any energy companies.CBS 5: Chinese Company And Chevron Face Off For Unocal

(CBS 5) A former CIA director is warning that a Chinese oil company's attempt to take over Unocal poses a threat to national security, and those fears could help Bay Area-based Chevron win the bidding war.

BBC has Photo of the Bombers

The BBC has an image of bombers' deadly journey.

Muslim Leaders Condemn London Bombing

I am late posting this, but here is a little of what was sorely missing in America after 9/11... Muslim leaders in call for action, the leaders in the England's Muslim community have spoken up and this action goes a long way to quieten possible racism and building solidarity... I hope the American Muslim community is watching at the promptness and condemnation of the statement -- how long did it take for any American Muslim leaders to speak up after 9/11? (here are some excerpts)

Britain's top Muslims have branded the London suicide bombings "utterly criminal, totally reprehensible, and absolutely un-Islamic".
A joint statement of condemnation came as 22 leaders and scholars met at the Islamic Cultural Centre, in London.

Hero At Work

Soldier survives attack; captures, medically treats sniper (Video)
Something that want be reported in the MSM -- a solider doing what he is trained to do and doing it heroically.

After tracking down the now-wounded sniper with a team from B Company, 4th Battalion, 1st Iraqi Army Brigade, Tschiderer secured the terrorist with a pair of handcuffs and gave medical aid to the terrorist who'd tried to kill him just minutes before.

Read an account of the incident here (PDF) or see a partial VIDEO.
(Hat tip: Michelle Malkin)

Terrorists are Terrorists- Call Them That

Call Them What They Are: Those who murder Iraqi civilians are terrorists
Dallas Morning News ignores MSM terminology to call it like it is. Ooh Rah!

Today, this editorial board resolves to sacrifice another word - 'insurgent' - on the altar of precise language. No longer will we refer to suicide bombers or anyone else in Iraq who targets and kills children and other innocent civilians as 'insurgents.'
The notion that these murderers in any way are nobly rising up against a sitting government in a principled fight for freedom has become, on its face, absurd. If they ever held a moral high ground, they sacrificed it weeks ago, when they turned their focus from U.S. troops to Iraqi men, women and now children going about their daily lives.
They drove that point home with chilling clarity Wednesday in a poor Shiite neighborhood. As children crowded around U.S. soldiers handing out candy and toys in a gesture of good will, a bomb-laden SUV rolled up and exploded.
These children were not collateral damage. They were targets.
The SUV driver was no insurgent. He was a terrorist.

This Just in -- Durbin's Source Discredited

Report Discredits F.B.I. Claims of Abuse at Guantanamo Bay - New York Times
Lest we forget Senator Durbin utilized "a report from an FBI agent" to compare our military to Nazis -- see my comments here. Well I suspect this is the same report that has been discredited and reported in the "liberal's bible" -- The New York Times.

WASHINGTON, July 13 - A high-level military investigation into complaints by F.B.I. agents about the abuse of detainees at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, concluded in a report released Wednesday that their treatment was sometimes degrading but did not qualify as inhumane or as torture.

MORE INFORMATION: No Gitmo torture, Senate panel told - The Washington Times

FBI agents assigned to the prison complained of what they considered abusive treatment. Based on 26 e-mails sent in 2002 by the agents, the Pentagon ordered U.S. Southern Command, led by Gen. Bantz J. Craddock, to investigate.
Gen. Schmidt said the e-mails, and surveys of all 493 FBI agents who worked at the camp, boiled down to nine purported cases of abuse out of 24,000 interrogations. Two were unsubstantiated; five were substantiated, but authorized by the Army Field Manual or by Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld; and two were substantiated as unauthorized tactics that resulted in abuse.

Liberals Wrong - Tax Revenue UP!

Sharp Rise in Tax Revenue to Pare U.S. Deficit - New York Times
Well what do you know -- what the conservatives have been saying about the tax cuts is correct. What a shocker, at least to liberals, cutting taxes equals greater economic activity.

WASHINGTON, July 12 - For the first time since President Bush took office, an unexpected leap in tax revenue is about to shrink the federal budget deficit this year, by nearly $100 billion.
On Wednesday, White House officials plan to announce that the deficit for the 2005 fiscal year, which ends in September, will be far smaller....

The Journal's Take on Karl Rove

OpinionJournal - Karl Rove, Whistleblower
Here is an interesting take on the "Rove" issue -- they believe Rove should be praised for outing a "fraud".

Democrats and most of the Beltway press corps are baying for Karl Rove's head over his role in exposing a case of CIA nepotism involving Joe Wilson and his wife, Valerie Plame. On the contrary, we'd say the White House political guru deserves a prize--perhaps the next iteration of the 'Truth-Telling' award that The Nation magazine bestowed upon Mr. Wilson before the Senate Intelligence Committee exposed him as a fraud.
For Mr. Rove is turning out to be the real 'whistleblower' in this whole sorry pseudo-scandal. He's the one who warned Time's Matthew Cooper and other reporters to be wary of Mr. Wilson's credibility. He's the one who told the press the truth that Mr. Wilson had been recommended for the CIA consulting gig by his wife, not by Vice President Dick Cheney as Mr. Wilson was asserting on the airwaves. In short, Mr. Rove provided important background so Americans could understand that Mr. Wilson wasn't a whistleblower but was a partisan trying to discredit the Iraq War in an election campaign. Thank you, Mr. Rove.
Media chants aside, there's no evidence that Mr. Rove broke any laws...

Get Out of the Closet No Matter What

WorldNetDaily: Lawmakers seek protection for homosexual employees
Well what I have said would happen is... I disagree with the "people are born homosexuals" concept and wholeheartedly believe it is a choice and further believe in marriage being defined as "between a man and women"; however, it is still is not my business what they do in the bedroom. Now if these eleven representatives get their way we will have to answer a question like "please circle one a) homosexual b)heterosexual c) bisexual d) undecided -- on employment applications. Not COOL, and where is the compassions for homosexuals that want to "stay in the closet".

A group of 11 representatives in the House want Congress to add 'sexual orientation' to the list of protected characteristics used in regulating workplace discrimination in federal employment.

Liberal Tactics

FrontPage:The Left's War Against the Military At Home
Wonder if other liberals have the same outrage for this LACK of support for the military as they have about deceitful recruiting practices, practices that if proven true I have a problem with... My guess the left champions outfits like these.

Code Pink instructs its members on how to harass and shut down military recruitment offices. One of the tactics it prescribes involves having members schedule meetings with recruitment officers under the pretense of being potential recruits and then showing up for the meetings with groups of rowdy anti-military protesters. Protesters are urged to block doors, directly harass recruiters and stage "die ins" in front of recruitment centers. Code Pink's website displays a deep animosity towards military recruiters, referring to them as "warmongers and liars."

Move.org Concerned About Image?

DRUDGE REPORT FLASH 2005 - TAKE 'BUSH LIAR' T-SHIRTS OFF
Moveon.org had parties over the weekend and advised their invitees to clean up their act... Well maybe some might be getting it -- but is it too late -- have they already show their true colors?

The MOVEON host reminded his guests: "We don't want to come across as leftist, liberal activists. We want to come across as we are- regular folks who are finally saying enough is enough to the extremists; that we're not falling for their extremist rhetoric anymore and we're finally going to expend the effort necessary to get our country back."
Fazio: "Please stay on message and just know that ANYTHING you say can be taken out of context and used against the effort."
One last suggestion from Fazio to his liberal MOVEON party-goers: "Oh, because a photographer will be here, might I suggest we put away our "Bush is a Liar" t-shirts. Let's look like they do."

Ron JR. Gets Spanked

Thought some might enjoy seeing Ron Reagan, JR get schooled by Chris Hitchens...

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Terrorist Find Home at Yahoo!

Yahoo! Groups : Islamic_Action_Group
Well thanks to Little Green Footballs for bringing this to our attention... It maybe "PC" to allow this but I cannot explain how offended I am that an American company would allow this... Check out this quote from the Group site.

This group shares the same ideology and world view with Hamas of Palestine,Lebanese Hizb'ullah and Jaysh Al Mahdi of Iraq........

Hollywood's Blue-state Bigotry

Box office blues stem from blue-state bigotry
Well I must have not been paying attention because I had not heard the claim from "War of the Worlds" screenwriter David Koepp -- was trying to decide if I wanted to go see it and this helped, I ain't not going.

Hollywood's box office has hit the skids, and the entertainment media are in overdrive trying to explain why. The most obvious explanation for box office malaise is consistently overlooked: Hollywood's ruling liberal elites keep going out of their way to offend half their audience.

Constant gibes about Republicans, Christians, conservatives and the military litter today's movies and award show presentations like so many pieces of trash on theater floors.

Took a Long Weekend -- Weekend in Review

1. Well my heart goes out to all those that lost lives in the terrorist attacks in London last week… This barbaric act should serve as a reminder of whom we are battling, what we have to win or loose, why it is worth fighting, and the kind of cowardly people we are dealing with.
London rocked by terror attacks

At least two people have been killed and scores injured after three blasts on the Underground network and another on a double-decker bus in London.
UK Prime Minister Tony Blair said it was "reasonably clear" there had been a series of terrorist attacks.
He said it was "particularly barbaric" that it was timed to coincide with the G8 summit. He is returning to London.

UDATE: London bombing death toll rises

RESCUE workers today continued to work in difficult conditions in a London Underground tunnel in search of remains and evidence from last week's terror bombings, as the official death toll rose to 52.

2. Barbara Boxer is one the "one issue" argument -- IRAQ. The left will not address any issues except IRAQ -- well maybe to issue their standard line "NO"…
Boxer criticizes Iraq

"The insurgents are winning the propaganda wars now,'' she said.
"Terrorism is a result of this war,'' Boxer said, amid applause at the Commonwealth Club of California-sponsored speech at the Renaissance Parc 55 Hotel.

Winning the propaganda war -- gee, why - who gives them the sound bites to do battle in this "propaganda war"? Let's see, Senator Durbin, yourself, and the democratic leadership.
By the way, to ensure you have a degree of reality -- you are aware that terrorist were attacking governments, including the United States before either Bush administration and during Clinton's administration -- so your "Terrorism is a result of this war" comment is a lie!

3. Good read -- excellent article of how the "sexual revolution" has effective our society negatively and continues to do so.
Designed for Sex

These principles are the real reason for the commands and prohibitions contained in traditional sexual morality. Honor your parents. Care for your children. Save sex for marriage. Make marriage fruitful. Be faithful to your spouse.
Let the sexual revolution bury the sexual revolution. Having finished revolving, we arrive back where we started. What your mother-no, what your grandmother-no, what your great-grandmother told you was right all along. These are the natural laws of sex.

Winning Friends and Influencing People

Qaeda says will kill Egypt's Iraq envoy
Guess the is the "radical Islamic" way to "win friends and influence people" -- just my opinion -- it is not the best way to accomplish the goal.

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Al Qaeda's wing in Iraq said on Wednesday it would kill Egypt's top envoy, kidnapped in Baghdad four days ago.
Abu Musab al-Zarqawi's Sunni radicals made the threat in a Web statement titled 'Sharp sword against the infidels' ambassador.'

Actor to Shepherd "New" Supreme

CNN.com - Bush names former senator to guide Supreme Court nominee
I don't know - I found it a little funny(odd) that the "who" in this justifies an "official" announcement especially before the choice is made. Wonder if Fred will "steal" the spotlight from the nominee - wait maybe that is the plan.

GLENEAGLES, Scotland (AP) -- President Bush has named former Tennessee Sen. Fred Thompson to help shepherd his yet-to-be named Supreme Court nominee through the Senate, White House spokesman Scott McClellan said Wednesday.
Thompson, a Republican and actor on the NBC television series 'Law & Order,' agreed to accept the post in a telephone conversation with the president on Monday, McClellan said.
He said Thompson would serve as an informal adviser to shepherd the nomination through the Senate.

Hate Crime?

'SHE HAD TO DIE' FOR BEING WHITE
Although I disagree with "hate crime" legislation I want to follow this story... If history is any indicator this 'animal' will not be charged with a hate crime. Of course, not only do I believe he should not be charged with a "hate crime" I don't believe "hate crime" should be the case if the races were reversed. I am big on successfully prosecuting a murderer for murder, an act that always involves some level of hate - IMO.

July 6, 2005 -- A racist ex-con confessed that he fatally stabbed a beloved mother of two at a White Plains mall because he wanted 'to kill a white person.'
'She was not innocent. She was white,' convicted rapist Phillip Grant confessed in a chilling videotaped statement to cops that was played in White Plains City Court yesterday the same day victim Concetta Russo Carriero was laid to rest.
[...]
Westchester DA Jeanine Pirro said she would charge Grant with murder as a hate crime if the panel thought it was appropriate. [We will see?]

NFL Legend Passes

SI.com - NFL - Former Chiefs head coach Hank Stram dies at 82
Worth mentioning - farewell!

NEW ORLEANS (AP) -- Hall of Fame coach Hank Stram, who took the Kansas City Chiefs to two Super Bowls and was known for his inventive game plans and exuberance on the sideline, died Monday, his family said. He was 82.

Happy Independence Day

Widow to Bush "Stay the Course"

Widow tells Bush to stay the course in Iraq war - washingtontimes.com
Ooh Rah!

'I said: 'I know people are pushing you, but please don't pull the guys out of Iraq too soon,' ' said Crystal Owen, whose husband, Staff Sgt. Mike Owen, was killed in Iraq last year.
'Don't let my husband -- and 1,700-plus other deaths -- be in vain,' she added during a private meeting with Mr. Bush at the North Carolina base. 'They were over there, fighting for a democratic nation, and I hope you'll keep our service members over there until the mission can be accomplished.'

and Some are Worried about Other Nations

Agents Said to Dismantle a Korean Sex Ring - New York Times
I have always said we need to hold our criticism of other nation's "forced sex slaves" -- until we clean our own house. Well this is a good start... Unlike somes opinion Asian sex slaves is not a normal thing -- and just think some California's call me a racist because I voted Republican and reside in a "red" state.

SAN FRANCISCO, July 1 - Federal agents raided scores of brothels and businesses and arrested more than two dozen people here in the dismantling of an international sex trafficking and human smuggling ring that lured Korean women to the United States and forced them to work as captive prostitutes, the authorities said on Friday.
The crackdown on human smuggling was set in motion late on Thursday, when about 400 federal and state law enforcement officials searched 50 brothels and other businesses in San Francisco and the Bay Area, stemming from the indictment of 29 men who were subsequently charged with sex trafficking, money laundering and harboring illegal aliens. The men are also charged with conspiracy to transport women from South Korea and force them to work as prostitutes, said the United States attorney, Kevin V. Ryan.

One Found

CNN.com - Special ops' member rescued in Afghanistan

(CNN) -- One member of a U.S. special operations reconnaissance team missing in Afghanistan since Tuesday has been rescued, a U.S. official speaking on condition of anonymity told CNN.
The team member 'evaded the enemy and was successfully rescued by U.S. forces,' the official said.

What Arrogance

Democrats warn Bush to consult - The Washington Times, America's Newspaper
Does anyone else have a problem with Ted Kennedy issuing a warning to the President? What unmitigated gall! Teddy just have a drink and shut-up!

'If the president abuses his power and nominates someone who threatens to roll back the rights and freedoms of the American people, then the American people will insist that we oppose that nominee -- and we intend to do so,' Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, Massachusetts Democrat and member of the Judiciary Committee, said.