The Family

 

From the Top

 

At the Dock

 

Beautiful

 

The Pool on Board was a Little Rough

 

Tough to Stay on the Diet

 

Caves

I was surprized to be in a cave on the trip, but this was fantastic.

 

What a Trip!

What a shame, only our family at the beach!

 

U.S. Wins

A team of three U.S. students won the seventh National Geographic World Championship, the National Geographic Society announced on Friday.

Whew

Reuters reports that a group created by the United Nations to figure out how best to manage the Internet has been unable to agree on who should do the job -- or even how it should be done.

Whew.

Read the full story here.

Facts Do Matter

Wow, take a look at The OpinionJournal's Best of the Web Today - July 15, 2005 By JAMES TARANTO. Taranto provides some balance to both right and left concerning the Karl Rove ordeal.

Since many of you say that you do not follow the links I provide, here is his post entitled, An Innocent Man:

Let's conduct a little thought experiment, shall we? Suppose that people in Washington generally had the sense that Karl Rove was soon to be indicted in the Valerie Plame kerfuffle. How would they react?

It seems to us the White House would be working to distance itself from Rove, possibly planning for him to make a quiet exit, much as John Kerry's campaign "disappeared" Joe Wilson last summer when Wilson's credibility fell apart. The Democrats, on the other hand, would act high-minded and talk of "letting the process work," at least as long as Rove remained on the job. An actual indictment, after all, would do maximal political damage to the Bush administration.

Instead, the White House (which knows a lot more about the investigation than any of us) is confidently standing behind Rove, while the Democrats are waging a hysterical attack that would be premature if it were based on anything real. Partisan Democrats don't want to talk about the facts of the case (facts are irrelevant, as a former Enron adviser insists) or about the law. They just want to pound the table and insist that Rove is metaphysically guilty.

Here at Best of the Web Today, facts do matter, so let's look at the latest to emerge on the Plame kerfuffle:

The New York Times, the Washington Post and the Associated Press all report that, as the AP puts it, Rove "originally learned about the operative [Plame] from the news media and not government sources, according to a person briefed on the testimony," apparently a lawyer friendly to the White House. According to the Times account, Rove was the second source for Bob Novak's column identifying Plame's role in arranging Wilson's trip to Niger:

Mr. Rove has told investigators that he learned from the columnist the name of the C.I.A. officer, who was referred to by her maiden name, Valerie Plame, and the circumstances in which her husband, former Ambassador Joseph C. Wilson IV, traveled to Africa to investigate possible uranium sales to Iraq, the person said.
After hearing Mr. Novak's account, the person who has been briefed on the matter said, Mr. Rove told the columnist: "I heard that, too." . . .

On Oct. 1, 2003, Mr. Novak wrote another column in which he described calling two officials who were his sources for the earlier column. The first source, whose identity has not been revealed, provided the outlines of the story and was described by Mr. Novak as "no partisan gunslinger." Mr. Novak wrote that when he called a second official for confirmation, the source said, "Oh, you know about it."

That second source was Mr. Rove, the person briefed on the matter said.
If this account is accurate, then Rove simply confirmed a fact that was already in circulation. He no more "outed" Plame than Wilson did when he peddled his "outing" allegation to various left-wing journalists after Novak's column ran.
Meanwhile, the Washington Times quotes an erstwhile colleague of Plame's who casts further doubt on the Democratic narrative:

A former CIA covert agent who supervised Mrs. Plame early in her career yesterday took issue with her identification as an "undercover agent," saying that she worked for more than five years at the agency's headquarters in Langley and that most of her neighbors and friends knew that she was a CIA employee.
"She made no bones about the fact that she was an agency employee and her husband was a diplomat," Fred Rustmann, a covert agent from 1966 to 1990, told The Washington Times.

"Her neighbors knew this, her friends knew this, his friends knew this. A lot of blame could be put on to central cover staff and the agency because they weren't minding the store here. . . . The agency never changed her cover status."
Mr. Rustmann, who spent 20 of his 24 years in the agency under "nonofficial cover"--also known as a NOC, the same status as the wife of Mr. Wilson--also said that she worked under extremely light cover.

In addition, Mrs. Plame hadn't been out as an NOC since 1997, when she returned from her last assignment, married Mr. Wilson and had twins, USA Today reported yesterday.

In an interview with CNN yesterday, Wilson acknowledged, "My wife was not a clandestine officer the day that Bob Novak blew her identity," though he refused to say anything about her career before that day. As we noted yesterday, though, the source for that USA Today report was none other than Wilson himself, in his book, which apparently no one bothered to read until now.

Used with permission from OpinionJournal.com, a web site from Dow Jones & Company, Inc.

From Coast to Coast

The NY Times
Evangelicals Are a Growing Force in the Military Chaplain Corps

The LA Times
Enforce Immigration Law, or Change It? Answer May Be Both

Chicago Sun-Times
State says fire official drank on job

The Christian Science Monitor
Where L.A. riots flared, a housing boom

Discovery Crew Raring to Go

Matt Stroshane/Getty Images

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Come on Ron

Ron Reagan Jr. embarrassed himself in a big way while debating Christopher Hitchens on terrorism. I find that this exchange demonstrates what many people feel, and that is that most people simply do not know the facts. Rather, it is easier to repeat what they have read or heard without really knowing the veracity of the statement.

Here is a snippet from Hugh Hewitt's blog.

CH: Do you know nothing about the subject at all? Do you wonder how Mr. Zarqawi got there under the rule of Saddam Hussein? Have you ever heard of Abu Nidal?

RR: Well, I'm following the lead of the 9/11 Commission, which...

CH: Have you ever heard of Abu Nidal, the most wanted man in the world, who was sheltered in Baghdad? The man who pushed Leon Klinghoffer off the boat, was sheltered by Saddam Hussein. The man who blew up the World Trade Center in 1993 was sheltered by Saddam Hussein, and you have the nerve to say that terrorism is caused by resisting it? And by deposing governments that endorse it? ... At this state, after what happened in London yesterday?...

RR: Zarqawi is not an envoy of Saddam Hussein, either.

CH: Excuse me. When I went to interview Abu Nidal, then the most wanted terrorist in the world, in Baghdad, he was operating out of an Iraqi government office. He was an arm of the Iraqi State, while being the most wanted man in the world. The same is true of the shelter and safe house offered by the Iraqi government, to the murderers of Leon Klinghoffer, and to Mr. Yassin, who mixed the chemicals for the World Trade Center bombing in 1993. How can you know so little about this, and be occupying a chair at the time that you do?

Read the whole thing at Radioblogger.

Take Control

Well, it probably sounds a little weird but I have been thinking a lot concerning age and feeling good. I resigned years ago to accept aging for what it is, but we all know the simple way to stay healthy: Eat right and Exercise!

Take a look at this and this.

Take control friends.

Suspended?

Image Credit: Newscom.com

As you may know by now the kid that created the Sasser Worm was "Convicted."

The AP reports that, "Sven Jaschan, 19 years old, was found guilty of computer sabotage and illegally altering data, said Katharina Kruetzfeld, a spokeswoman for the court in the northwestern town of Verden. He was given a suspended sentence of one year and nine months...Sasser caused infected computers to crash and reboot, making it impossible to work on them. The worm snarled tens of thousands of computers and caused Internet traffic to slow."

Does the punishment fit the crime?

More Evidence Points to Rove

The disclosure of a CIA covert operative's identity 2 years ago is looking more and more like Carl Rove might be the source. Dan Balz of the Washington Post reports that,

"More evidence points to Rove as the source (Time magazine reporter Matthew Cooper) was seeking to protect -- although what information was provided is not clear. Rove and Cooper spoke once before the Novak column was available, but the interview did not involve the Iraq controversy, according to a person close to the investigation who declined to be identified to be able to share more details about the case."

Read the full story here.

Shock, Confusion in Dumbstruck London

Jerry Brown

Former California Governor, Jerry Brown, has an interesting post today concerning "our national policy of neglect at home in favor of over-extension abroad." Read the full post here.

July 4, 1776

Freedom is a Fragile Thing

If you have not read, The Declaration of Independence, in awhile I recommend that you take a few moments to reflect on the words that expressed the yearning for liberty.

"Freedom is a fragile thing and is never more than one generation away from extinction. It is not ours by inheritance; it must be fought for and defended constantly by each generation, for it comes only once to a people. Those who have known freedom, and then lost it, have never known it again." Ronald Reagan

Find What You Love

"Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't be trapped by dogma - which is living with the results of other people's thinking. Don't let the noise of other's opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become." Steve Jobs

Ok, I admit I'm a Steve Jobs fan. Here are his thoughts providing insight into what makes life important. This speech was given at Stanford University on June 12th.

Carol Platt Liebau

You must read Carol's tome entitled, Help Me Understand

"Their Senate minority leader denounces the President of the United States -- in wartime, mind you -- as a "liar" and a "loser." Their Senate minority whip equates American troops with Soviet Communists, the Khmer Rouge, and Nazis. Their minority leader in the House is a woman so vapid that she's given to uttering bon mots like the following (back in 2002): "Going to war would show our power, but not going to war would show our strength." One of their senior congressman steps forward to opine that the Iraq war "is the biggest fraud ever committed on the people of this country. ... This is just as bad as the 6 million Jews being killed."

Read the entire article here.

Full of Themselves

If you are anything like me the folk who are "representing" the people seemed to have lost their way. Take a look at Peggy Noonan's article here in Wednesdays OpinionJournal.

A Fallen Soldier

We Remember.

Strange

Did you know that 11 states currently issue driver licenses to people who cannot document their immigration status? They are Hawaii, Maryland, Michigan, Montana, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oregon, Tennessee, Utah, Washington and Wisconsin.

Now, you may not care a lick about this but many find it hard to believe that people who are apparently breaking our immigration laws can "legally" get a license. Tennessee issues driver's licenses marked: "For driving purposes only. Not valid for identification."

Strange.

Vigilantes?

ABC News reports on the 'Minutemen' Volunteers Watching the 370-mile Arizona border. Incensed was one comment by Ray Borane, the mayor of nearby Douglas, a border town of 15,000 mostly Hispanic residents.

"They have a lynch-mob mentality, especially when it comes to dealing with illegal immigrants," he said. "[The Minutemen] have no training, no sensitivity. They come in here and have a good time chasing these people down and then leave. That doesn't set very well with us here."

If the "vigilantes," make you as incensed as Mr. Borane, fret not because ABC says that "Mexican reporters were watching American reporters watching the Minutemen, Border Patrol and ACLU volunteers." Sometimes I wonder who the real Vigilantes are.

Is There a New Way?

Elizabeth Day reports on Anglican Bishop Gene Robinson, who has sparked outrage for suggesting that Jesus might have been homosexual. Robinson was asked a question from a member of a congregation he was addressing recently. The question was about the acceptance of homosexuality in the Anglican community and the scriptural teaching on repentance of sins and redemption. Robinson responded by saying:

"Interestingly enough, in this day of traditional family values, this man that we follow was single, as far as we know, travelled with a bunch of men, had a disciple who was known as 'the one whom Jesus loved' and said my family is not my mother and father, my family is those who do the will of God. None of us likes those harsh words. That's who Jesus is, that's who he was at heart, in his earthly life. Those who would posit the nuclear family as the be all and end all of God's creation probably don't find that much in the gospels to support it."

A spokesman for the evangelical organisation, Anglican Mainstream, said: "He's really selective in what he's addressing. He makes no mention of Jesus's teaching on marriage, for instance. And he does not acknowledge that nowhere in the text or in ancient literature is there any suggestion of any form of sexual impropriety among Jesus or the disciples. Jesus broke the cultural traditions of the time and has women mixing with men in public and having them teaching."

The spokesman finished his remarks by saying, "those of us who put scripture as a priority are called on to obey the scripture even when that is in conflict with our culture."

A Chimpanzee?

Reuters reports on training that the Belgian police force has conducted.

On the cover of the training presentation a picture of president Bush's face was shown beside photographs of a chimpanzee. The purpose of the training was to aid officers in dealing with unruly soccer fans. I'm sure someone has an inkling as to the logic for this, but I'm a little slow to understand the point.

Read full story here.

The Galveston Plan

The AP reports on three Texas counties who are among a small number of state and local governments around the country that opted out of Social Security for government employees or never joined up at all, like Massachusetts and Ohio years ago.

An Estimation of the plan on an employee who works 37 years at an average of $25,596 a year with a monthly benefit of $1,250, versus $669 from Social Security. An employee who worked the same amount of time, but earned $75,000, would get $3,663 a month, compared with $1,301 on Social Security.

Read the ful story here.

`We Don't Want Your Oil'

I thought you might enjoy some insightful remarks from Sen. Harry Reid, the Senate minority leader. Sen. Reid recently visited Iraq as reported in Wednesday's Las Vegas Review-Journal.

"Every place we went, there were people with guns: men, women," said Reid, D-Nev. "It was remarkable."

"A lot of troops from Nevada aren't kids. They're white-haired men."

"I told the Iraqis every chance I got, `We don't want your oil."

Ok, so... Well, thank you for the powerful insight senator.

350 Eggs?

Yep, two men have eaten 350 Easter eggs. Ananova reports on Jeff Pyne and Rahul Patel's unique accomplishment. Read the story here.

From Mars & Venus

Great post on the real clear politics site today. REPUBLICANS ARE FROM MARS AND DEMOCRATS ARE FROM VENUS. Give it a good read.

It's My Money

Ok, now to Social Security. So can someone tell me why there is a debate going on concerning the "worthiness" of the American tax payer having some control over this out of date program? There is almost 13% of my paycheck that I have no control of whatsoever. Take a look at the logic in this article by Matthew Yglesias - a very articulate and insightful Progressive.

Hey Matt...It's MY money to start with.

At Least For Now

To be honest I never thought I would see the end of communism, or a former First Lady become a US senator, or a conservative majority in Congress, yet all have happened. You may be aware that there is a campaign to promote the idea that there is a lack of unity among conservatives in D.C. Andrew Sullivan thinks there is a conservative crack-up that he views as simply fascinating.

Hugh provides a perspective that sounds a little too partisan for me, but I think to be closer to the truth.

At least for now.

Troubling Issues

I have come across a post here on the Terri Schiavo issue. I missed it yesterday but I think you should take a few moments to review Carol's argument.

8 Million & Still Growing

OK, I have been less than diligent in posting this month. For the few who have expressed your dismay I say get over it and fret not because I am back!

Blogging is here to stay. Technorati reports that there are 8 million blogs on the net right now. This is up from 100,000 just two years ago. This morning I read an interesting article on the Wharton School Of the University of Pennsylvania web site.

More to come!

Byrd's View

The minority's right to filibuster president Bush's judicial nomination is a hot topic. In his comments Tuesday, Sen. Byrd defended the right senators have to use filibusters -procedural delays that can kill an item unless 60 of the 100 senators vote to move ahead.

He did this in part by comparing Hitler's dictatorship to the GOP's current tactics.

Heads are turning.

The reaction:

First, start by reading Byrd's full remarks here.

Then,
GOP Jewish Group criticized Byrd's Remarks
The Washington Post
James Taranto (WSJ Opinion Journal)
Daily Kos
Hugh

Shock, Pro-Life Student At Harvard

There is something new at Harvard. Pro-Life students. See Bronwen Catherine McShea's story in NRO.

Momentum....

A statue of Syria's late President Hafez Assad has been torn off from its stand in south Lebanon's village of Qana.

Read full story here.

Less Culpable Than The Average Criminal?

The decision today by the High Court's ending the death penalty for youth is a continuation of the Court's practice of narrowing the states' abilities to deal with the likes of Dyland Klebold, Eric Harris or Lee Boyd Malvo. Justice Anthony Kennedy seems to think that international law should be a determining factor for US law;

"It is proper that we acknowledge the overwhelming weight of international opinion against the juvenile death penalty, resting in large part on the understanding that the instability and emotional imbalance of young people may often be a factor in the crime."

Justice Antonin Scalia disputed Kennedy's reasoning,

"The Court thus proclaims itself sole arbiter of our Nation's moral standards--and in the course of discharging that awesome responsibility purports to take guidance from the views of foreign courts and legislatures. Because I do not believe that the meaning of our Eighth Amendment, any more than the meaning of other provisions of our Constitution, should be determined by the subjective views of five Members of this Court and like-minded foreigners, I dissent."

Kennedy pointed out that states' that do not allow the execution of juveniles views them "as categorically less culpable than the average criminal."

Less culpable, sure.

(updated)
If you find this subject interesting than you should read Carol's opinion.

SC Progressive Blog

I have linked Progress for SC on my blogroll. I thought you would like to read their statement of purpose"

Welcome to progress for South Carolina. We are a new blog dedicated to saving South Carolina from the brain-dead policies of the wacky right. We are going to work to expose the truth about what is happening to working families in South Carolina. The right is quickly threatening our schools, our environment, the safety of workers, and the ability to afford quality health care. So look out John Graham Altman, David Wilkins, Glenn McConnell and Marshall Sanford we've figured you out.

"Free" Speech

Progress for South Carolina, has a very interesting debate going on. (read here) Apparently there is a unique "right" of political expression and advocacy in our public schools.

Profound Change?

What happened in Lebanon today is significant. Hugh remarks that there is a, "sense of imminent and profound change sweeping through the oppressed peoples of the Middle East is too strong to ignore. With hundreds of thousands of Lebanese demanding their freedom, can the people of Iran who have pushed for freedom before be far behind? And can the Syrian thugs not see the writing on the wall. Retreat at this point has got to seem the better option than continued hostility towards both their neighbors."

Right?

Ok, Democrats are an opposition party right? Maybe some day. Look at Gloria Borger's take. Gloria thinks that perhaps the Capital One ad-guy might be a better choice to lead the DNC than Howard Dean.

Betrayal?

Tomorrow's New York Times reports that Doug Wead, an author and former aide to Bush 41, disclosed that he taped Bush 42 as he was first moving onto the national political stage. Here are some excerpts"

Preparing to meet Christian leaders in September 1998, Mr. Bush told Mr. Wead: "As you said, there are some code words. There are some proper ways to say things, and some improper ways." He added, "I am going to say that I've accepted Christ into my life. And that's a true statement."

"It's me versus the world," he told Mr. Wead. "The good news is, the world is on my side. Or more than half of it."

Bush could hardly contain his disdain for Mr. Gore, his Democratic opponent, at one point calling him "pathologically a liar."

Preparing to meet with influential Christian conservatives, Mr. Bush tested his lines with Mr. Wead. "I'm going to tell them the five turning points in my life," he said. "Accepting Christ. Marrying my wife. Having children. Running for governor. And listening to my mother."


Wead recorded Bush because he viewed him as a historic figure. You think that the president might regard Wead's actions as a betrayal?

100 Percent

The Associated Press reports that,

"A woman unable to talk since she was hit by a drunken driver 20 years ago has begun to regain her memory and form words, sending her father "from despair to joy..."She's 100 percent Sarah again. The family is back together, and it's just simply a joyous situation," her father, Jim Scantlin, told CNN."

Oh and...

By the way, remember when the president was working to get his prescription drug benefit passed and the democrats were saying it was too scant to make a difference? Well, Hugh points out that democrats are pushing for "Medicare reform," which mean 'single payer,' which means a national health service, the costs of which would dwarf the present system, and the quality of which would quickly decline."

So, if Bush is wrong that Social Security's solvency is an urgent issue, it appears that the democrats are trying to help him by assuring that the systems cost continues to increase further exasperating its ability to stay afloat.

Are you Confused?

Are you confused as to what all the clamor concerning President Bush's Social Security plan? Perhaps it might help to know what the current plan is.

President Franklin Roosevelt established the Social Security Program on August 14, 1935.

After Social Security numbers were assigned, the first Federal Insurance Contributions Act (FICA) taxes were collected, beginning in January 1937.

Medicare became law on July 30, 1965. Nearly 20 million beneficiaries enrolled in Medicare in the first 3 years of the program.

In 1972 the SSI program was created and automatic Cost-of-Living-Adjustments (COLAs) were enacted.

In 1937 there were 53,236 beneficiaries, and in 2002 there were 46,444,317.

An estimated 159 million workers, 96% of all workers, are covered under Social Security.

There are currently 3.3 workers for each Social Security beneficiary. By 2031, there will be 2.1 workers for each beneficiary.

Social Security is financed by YOU with a payroll tax of 12.4 percent of wages. 6.2 percent is paid by you and 6.2 percent paid by your employer.

If you are self-employed, you pay the full 12.4 percent. The tax only applies to the first $88,000 of wage income.

The average monthly benefit for a retired worker is over $900 a month. This figure is based on the worker's earnings history over his lifetime. The maximum benefit is approximately $1,700 a month. Benefits are tied to the rate of inflation once workers retire, so benefit levels should keep up with the cost of living.

This is Too Quiet

My wife and I had our every-other-month date night this weekend. We have some wonderful friends that we swap kid-sitting with so we can take a night off of parenting to spend some time with each other. Now this may sound a little strange, but you just imagine trying to keep your sanity while four independent souls rush from crisis to crisis every day. So anyway, this was our weekend to have some time to ourselves and right from the moment I arrived home something very strange occurred.

Normally I find myself thinking or saying, "Can we all just be a little quieter?" Actually to be a little more precise, "Stop talking so LOUD!" When I came through the door I found myself preparing for the onslaught of the little ones all talking at once and swarming about me in a ceremonial-like frenzy, which is their way of saying welcome home. (I feel like superdad every time.) Of course as I proceeded throughout the house there was nothing but silence. Almost an eerie-like silence. When I found my wife we both said, "Wow, it's so quiet." Almost like, hey something is wrong here. But the whole point of the date night is to achieve this momentary bliss. And that is what it seems like when there are no little shoes to tie, or hair to comb, or fights to break up, and especially no diaper duty!!!

But you know, for all the demands in a parent's life, I must say when my children are gone for a little while that I miss them so much so fast. After all, their demands prove that we are vital to their well being, and if you really think about it they give so much more than they could ever take. So, all you parents out there that wish you could just transport to some other existence for just a little while, my guess is that it wouldn't take long before you would say, "This is too quiet."

Like Sea Crabs

A definition of Bloggers by Dirty Harry:

Bloggers are sea crabs. The MSM (Main Stream Media) drop a body of information and tens of thousands of us fall on it, tear it apart, scrutinize, and digest.

Catastrophic Failure

The Associated Press reports that, "Lawmakers criticized FBI Director Robert Mueller on Thursday for continued problems with their Virtual Case File, a computer project that was supposed to dramatically improve management of terrorism and other criminal cases."

"Catastrophic Failure," is how Sen. Judd Gregg, (R., N.H.), called the project which is to be the final piece of the overhaul of antiquated FBI computers.

Concerning the $170 million already budgeted and largely spent for the project, the inspector general said in a statement to the committee that,"we are not confident that the FBI has a firm sense of how much longer and how much more it will cost to develop and deploy a usable system."

So what to do now? Well, The FBI head Robert Mueller says that he will have a better idea as to cost and a timetable in a few months.

"Catastrophic Failure," indeed!

The Spin

Don't you just get tired of the 24hr spin?

This is a tast of Dirty Harry's comparison of the media coverage on proposed Social Security reform.

Los Angeles Times:

1998 An effort "to craft a bipartisan bill to assure Social Security's solvency."

2005 "The White House has made a lot of Republicans walk the plank on this. Now it sounds as if they are sawing off the board."

The Washington Times

1998 "A bold move to put the future of the massive retirement program at the top of his agenda."

2005 "But the president declined to take ownership of any of these politically risky changes, offering them instead as the ideas offered in the past by other politicians, all Democrats as it turned out"

When Words are Not Enough

Janet Norwood, right, of Pfugerville, Texas whose son was killed in Iraq last year, hugs Safia Taleb al-Suhail, leader of the Iraqi Women's Political Council, during the State of the Union address Wednesday, Feb. 2, 2005, at the Capitol in Washington. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)

There's Aways a Catch!

Reuters reports, Fighting fire with fire a Malaysian state will fight the battle against corruption by offering police a cash reward if they reject a bribe.

The reward will be equal to twice the bribe.

Oh the police must also arrest the person who offered the bribe to be eligible for the reward.

There's always a catch!

Turning the Debate

The New York Times recently had an piece by Neela Banerjee on the changing tactics of the Pro-Life movement to reduce the number of abortions in America. Their Pregnancy Centers and Medical Clinics are providing women the opportunity to understand the reality of what is going on within their bodies by utilizing technology.

Banerjee reports,

Take Andrea Brown, 24 years old and unmarried, who Banerjee says was desperate for an abortion. As a result she went to a Pregnancy Center run by a church-financed organization. The center offered her a free sonogram and then everything changed.

"When I had the sonogram and heard the heartbeat - and for me a heartbeat symbolizes life - after that there was no way I could do it," Ms. Brown said.

The Pro-Choice Reaction

Groups that favor abortion rights, however, see the technique as a pressure tactic. Susanne Martinez of Planned Parenthood Federation of America reacts to stories like Ms. Brown by saying,

"From the time they walk in to these centers, they are inundated with information that is propaganda and that has one goal in mind. And that is to have women continue with their pregnancies."

Nancy Keenan, president of Naral Pro-Choice America, said that,

"while ultrasounds were legitimate medical care for pregnant women, they shouldn't be misused to badger or coerce women by these so-called crisis pregnancy centers...With or without ultrasound,women understand the moral dimensions of their choices."

The Pro-Life Response

Dr. Sandra M. Christiansen, medical director of the Carenet Pregnancy Center of Frederick, Md says that, "we want to provide women with critical information as they face a life-altering procedure and decision."

So while the Pro-Life side is providing more information to these desperate women, the Pro-Choice see it as a means to "badger or coerce."

As Carol Liebau points out in her post on this story,

"Seems to me that if you've nothing to hide, there's no harm in providing as many facts as possible to women who find themselves in the sad and difficult position of confronting an unwanted pregnancy."

Technology seems to be turning the debate to life.

A Fait Accompli?

So does it really matter that Howard Dean will in all probability win the race for the Democratic National Committee chairman? Well, many think it's a good thing. Yesterday the WSJ OpinionJournal noted that,

"The New York Daily News quotes Dean as saying, at a DNC gathering over the weekend, "I hate the Republicans and everything they stand for."

Blogger Edward Morrissey takes Dean at his word:

Dean and his followers demonstrate the illness that has infected the American Left since the 1960s. They don't just oppose--they hate. They hate Republicans, they hate suburbia, they hate just about everything America has done."

As Former Texas Rep. Martin Frost dropped out of the race yesterday he called Dean and,

"congratulated him for running a strong campaign. The challenge ahead for Governor Dean will be to unite the party, rebuild the DNC and win elections in every region of the country."

It remains to be seen if this too will be A Fait Accompli?

Peggy Noonan: Further Thoughts on The Inaugural

Some conservatives were taken back at the response from their side concerning president Bush's inaugural address. Peggy Nonnan, Bill Buckley, David Gelertner, David Frum etc. all had strong criticisms for the president. I noted Peggy's remarks last week.

Well, in response to her article in the Wall Street Journal last week, Peggy provides some additional insight in her WSJ article today:

"You know the dispute. Last week I slammed the president's inaugural address. I was not alone, but I came down hard, early and in one of the most highly read editorial pages in America.

A week later, do I stand by my views?

Yes. If I wrote it today I wouldn't be softer, but harder.

What was the biggest mistake of the speech?

They forgot context. All speeches take place within a historical context, a time and place. A good speech acknowledges context often without even mentioning it.

Bill Buckley and David Gelertner suggest the speech was badly written. Isn't that really the essential problem?

No. It was badly thought."

Read her full article here.

I'm Sure You Do

In Davos, Switzerland where the World Economic Fourm is taking place, former president Bill Clinton said that,

"most of the terrible things that Saddam Hussein did in the 1980s he did with the full, knowing support of the United States government. Because he wasn't Iran, and Iran was what it was because we got rid of their parliamentary democracy back in the '50s. At least that's my belief. I know it is not popular for an American ever to say anything like this, but I think it is true."

Yes, I'm sure you do.

Something to Think About

I'm sure many of you know that Norma McCorvey, the original "Jane Roe" on behalf of whom the Roe v. Wade case was fought, has now admitted that she was "used" by abortion-rights attorneys in their quest to legalize the procedure.

I wonder how many in the pro-choice community have seriously thought about their positions and the basis of our current abortion law? David Kupelian has written a powerful article titled, "How lying marketers sold Roe v. Wade to America." Note: the content is strong.

I would love to hear some feedback from pro-choice readers after digesting David's article.

You Won't be Disappointed

I have just come across an excellent blog written by Carol Platt Liebau. Here is a sample from a recent post on the confirmation drama of Condoleezza Rice,

The Democrats attack Condoleezza Rice without regard for the truth; next up? Alberto Gonzalez.

Yep, this is apparently their grand new strategy to hold their coalition together. Guess they're not interested in including all the Latinos or African-Americans who will resent seeing historic advances being marred by rabid partisanship at the expense of the national good.

Wow...I recommend placing her in your favorites. You won't be disappointed.

I Would Not Underestimate a Clinton

Today Hugh made a prediction concerning Hillary and the '08 election,

Oh, by the way. Hillary is running for president. Official announcement to follow in three years. Obama will be her veep pick. It will be a campaign with energy on the left beyond anything you might have thought you saw last year.

Glenn Reynolds adds, "Well, this would be in accord with the prediction that she'll be 'the most uncompromising wartime president in the history of the United States!'"

We'll see, but I would not underestimate a Clinton.

Welcome Home!

EAGLE PASS, Texas (AP) -- More than 60 years after his plane disappeared during World War II on a mission to raid a Japanese base, an Army Air Corps soldier's remains are coming home.

Welcome Home!

But Then Again

Here in South Carolina we have a another battle brewing. Again this legislative session Gov. Mark Sanford will battle the General Assembly to end popular voting of the state superintendent and the agriculture commissioner. His goal is to reduce excessive election costs and duplicative bureaucracies.

Lee Bandy of The State newspaper says, "The issue is simple and straightforward...It's a no-brainer." Hold on Lee, there are opponents on both side of the aisle who disagree with the governor's approach to reduce the cost of government. They say it's a "power grab" by the governor.

I'm sure there's more than parochial interest here, but then again...

Whew . . .

An opinion article in Newsday outlines the next 4 years of Bush's work.

George W. Bush is,

"a president of consequence and substance. He's trying to change the course of the nation's politics and its government."

"The agenda is breathtaking. Not only has Bush committed the nation to an aggressive foreign policy that will favor freedom over stability, but he also wants to privatize the Social Security system, alter the civil legal system, reduce the size of government, cut taxes permanently even in face of whopping deficits, change the immigration laws and appoint enough new justices to the Supreme Court to affect judicial policy well into the century. "

Whew . . .

Only Time Will Tell

I did not get to watch much of the event yesterday, but I did get a chance to read Glen ,Fred, Peter, Hugh and to view some of the coverage. The quotes below seem to me to be a good summary of the feelings of the 51% who voted for Bush and the 49% who did not.

Jonah Goldberg of the 51%,

...what President Bush understands now is that America itself is a radical nation, founded on the revolutionary principle that self-government is simultaneously the best form of government and the most moral. And that lovers of liberty in all parties should seek to conserve that legacy. The circumstances we face today are new, but the principles are eternal. So yes, George W. Bush is a revolutionary, but he is merely the latest in a long line of American revolutionaries.

(Late addition Thanks Kirk)

Peggy Noonan also of the 51%,

...The inaugural address itself was startling. It left me with a bad feeling, and reluctant dislike. Rhetorically, it veered from high-class boilerplate to strong and simple sentences, but it was not pedestrian. George W. Bush's second inaugural will no doubt prove historic because it carried a punch, asserting an agenda so sweeping that an observer quipped that by the end he would not have been surprised if the president had announced we were going to colonize Mars.

and

Andrew Sullivan of the 49%,

...How do you reconcile the expansion of freedom with Bush's expansion of government? How do you square domestic freedom with the curtailment of civil liberties in a war on terror? How do you proclaim that America is a force for freeing dissidents, when the government now has unprecedented powers to detain anyone suspected of terror across the globe and subject them to coercive interrogation techniques that the government will not disclose?

Only time will tell.

“A Vision of America”

C-Span is a Great place to watch the Inauguration

Inaugural Ceremony
The swearing-in ceremony takes place on the West Front of the U.S. Capitol with the president-elect being sworn-in by 12 noon on January 20.
LIVE coverage begins at 8am ET on C-SPAN

An Inaugural Celebration

President and Mrs. Bush with Vice President and Mrs. Cheney

Posted by Hello

Little to lose and few expectations to meet

Terence Samuel of U.S.News & World Report has written a good article about the mindset of the opposition party for this term. The Democrats are poised to engage in a very contentious session. I think that it a good thing. After all, they have little to lose and few expectations to meet. Read the article here.

Arnold Kling and Max Sawicky on Social Security

Interested in the ongoing debate on Social Security Reform? Take a look at THE WALL STREET JOURNAL's online ECONOBLOG, "Social Security Reforms: Necessary or Not?"

A Right? Uhh?

The AP's Elliot Spagat reports that,"Mexico will continue to press for an immigration agreement establishing a right for Mexicans to work temporarily in the United States."

A Right?

Edith M. Lederer also of the AP reports on the UN conclusion that, "Global poverty can be cut in half by 2015 and eliminated by 2025 if the world's richest countries including the United States, Japan and Germany more than double aid to the poorest countries."

Uhh?

Red vs. Blue

I'm sure you are all aware of the "blue wrist band." If not then you should read this link first. When I first noticed this story last week my reaction was, "There is a potential market of 49 million people who might want one." Not a bad target to sell to.

Hugh Hewitt's take is refreshing and as usual to the point. The blue bands will provide "the next generation of Sore-Loserman Democrats" with a way to display their contempt for President Bush. Not to be outdone, how long will it take for the "Red is for Re-Election" band?

Who Said?

Every day this week we will post a poll. You will see it at the top of the right-hand column. The question will ask which president said the statement in his inaugural address.

60%

The AP's Will Lester reported yesterday that:

• 60% of Americans say they feel hopeful about President Bush's second term.
• Public perceptions of the president's personal strengths are his biggest asset today.
• Almost two-thirds of those polled described Bush as likable, strong and intelligent.
• A majority said he is dependable and honest.
• Close behind Iraq in public concerns is the economy, which moved past terrorism as a top concern.

For such a "divided country" I guess we will take 60%. (For Now)

Along The Way

Has someone excitedly shared a personal accomplishment with you, only to have you shake your head at your oversight of his progress? Celebrating with others over their achievements (however big or small they may seem) brings a great deal of shared pleasure.

My youngest daughter is undergoing the dreaded "potty training" thing. I'm sorry, but I find nothing pretty about the whole drama. Anyway, a few days ago when I arrived home from work, she ran up to me and stated, "I made it the whole day Daddy!"
Not grasping what she was really referring to, I responded with, "That's terrific!"
"Yes," she said, "and you know what?"
"Uhh... no, what?"
"I get the princess." Ok, by this time I knew that I had worked myself into a clueless parent corner, but with all of the loving support that I sensed the moment required I said, "Wow, that’s great!"
"Yes, do you want to see the princess?"
"Well sure..." All of a sudden she revealed her new "princess" pull ups. (Ding!)
"Don't you like them, Daddy?"
"Oh, they are incredible!"
"Thank you, Daddy."

Make a habit of congratulating others along the way.

I Believe in Democracy

"All I need is for at least one person to know what I believe in, in case I lose my life."

That's what an Iraqi election worker said to Christine Hauser of The New York Times. Hauser filed a report yesterday concerning the more than 6,000 election employees working throughout Iraq. These workers have, as you already know, become targets of the terrorists. Many have been threatened, attacked, kidnapped and in all to many cases killed. To what end? For the opportunity to have a vote in the historic Iraqi elections scheduled for the end of the month.

These workers are brave patriots. Many opponents of the whole Iraqi effort seem to think that since America has been the force behind the freedom effort nothing good can result.

Captain Ed commented on the Hauser report that:

"Reading [Hauser's report] reminds me of Michael Moore's famous assertion that Abu Musab al-Zarqawi and his terrorist minions were Iraq's answer to the American Revolution's Minutemen -- a group of freedom fighters against a colonial presence. Moore couldn't be more wrong if he tried."

I agree! Freedom has always come at a cost. We are witnessing this now in Iraqi.

"I believe in Democracy."

Let's see?

Pete Yost of the AP has written a story on Homeland Security Head Tom Ridge and his connections to a lobbyist. As I read the story, I immediately thought, "Oh no, another Armstrong Williams." I sense a trend here. My hunch is that we are only at the beginning of a flood of stories/allegations concerning prominent Bush supporters and their "ties" to nefarious plots to "trick" the American people to support the president and his agenda. Agenda journalism?

Let's see.

Where did the turkeys go?

Wow, I totally missed this one. The left is consumed with hammering Armstrong Williams and clearly not interested in the Rathergate saga. Meanwhile, Ed at Captain's Quarters (the blog that started questioning Rather's report an hour after it aired) noticed a Drudge link on The Detroit Free Press story concerning Democratic Rep. John Conyers. Conyers' staff obtained 60 turkeys from the Detroit food bank to deliver to needy people. But after rumors of staff friends receiving Thanksgiving turkeys, the question remains: Where did the turkeys go?

Judging Bush

There will be a lot of talk about judges this year. Instapundit has posted an article by Professor Bill Stuntz of Harvard. Like it or not President Bush will be leaving his mark on the Federal judiciary to been seen and felt for years to come.

Born

Stories like this give one hope.

The Blog Factor

You need to read John Fund's post in today's WSJ Online OPINION JOURNAL: "A stolen election in Washington state? Not if bloggers can help it." (Read it here)

You think?

Here's how candidates for chairman of the Democratic National Committee proposed Saturday to pick up Southern votes (read AP story here).

Howard Dean: "Show up."

Former Indiana Rep. Tim Roemer: "Steer left...steer right...It's not about that. It's about expanding the bus."

Tennessee Gov. Phil Bredesen: "Listen to the locals."

None offered to change the party's positions...

Hmmm...sounds like they are on to something. You think?

Hey Moon

One night as my family was traveling in our car, we heard from the back seat, "Hey moon." I turned to my wife and said, "Did you hear that?" She just smiled.

My two-year-old daughter was looking out of the car window and saw the full moon and apparently felt compelled to say, "Hey." We had been teaching her to greet people with a friendly smile, so she was doing just that -- it wouldn't be polite to ignore the moon's salutation. Why, anyone knows that.

I guess one of the "qualities" of adults is the ability to understand the complexities in life. Yet all too often we get bogged down with all of life's serious issues and forget to enjoy its simple pleasures.

So, take a minute tonight to look up and say, "Hey Moon!"

January 12th World Vision Tsunami Relief Day

Captain's Quarters started a blogging consortium a few days ago to raise money for tsunami relief through WorldVision, and has set a goal of $25,000 by next week. Please give generously to WorldVision through Ed's link.

Leahy's Hat Dance

Today Senate Judiciary Committee members will be holding the confirmation hearing for White House Counsel Alberto Gonzales to be the next attorney general.

Democratic senators like ranking Democratic Judiciary Committee Member Patrick Leahy made his views of President Bush's Judicial nominations very clear last year "With respect to his extreme judicial nominations, President George W. Bush is the most divisive President in American history. " And I think that it is safe to say that his tactics will apply to Mr. Gonzales as well.

What are the odds that today's hearing will provide any meaningful discourse on Mr. Gonzales qualifications? Many feel, as history has shown, that we will witness yet another display of the decay of our great political discourse?

Bloomberg's James Rowley reports that:
Senator John Cornyn, a Republican from Gonzales's home state of Texas, said that Leahy[has]employ[ed] the same tactic Democrats used to stymie Bush's nomination of Miguel Estrada to a federal appeals court. Estrada, who refused to produce legal advice he gave while an assistant to the U.S. solicitor general, withdrew his nomination in 2003 after Democrats blocked Senate action on it.

``This is not about providing information,'' said Cornyn, a Judiciary Committee member. ``This is about trying to keep the nominee on the defensive, suggesting, wrongly, that they are withholding critical information, then bloodying the nominee during the process for their unwillingness to do something which legally they cannot do.''
The information Leahy seeks includes the ``most sensitive'' communications between the president and his advisers that ``have to be given some protection,'' Cornyn said.

Clearly there are questions that need to be addressed as MSNBC's National affairs writer Tom Curry writes:
A primary focus of [The] questioning of Gonzales will be why he asked Bybee to write the Aug. 1, 2002, memo [ on interrogation methods ] and whether it was designed to justify techniques the CIA or other military interrogators were using to pry information out of al-Qaida suspects.

To be sure such questions should and will be asked. But to what end? In order to gain a better understanding of Gonzales and his fitness to hold the office? Or will it just be another opportunity to conduct what Justice Thomas said during his confirmation hearing as a type of high tech lynching.

Today we will see if the 2004 election did anything to reduce the fighting over President Bush's nominees, but I would not hold your breath for too long. I think I see Mr. Leahy's hat right now.

Perhaps Bush is on to something?

I noticed that Germany made one of largest pledges in Aid for the Tsunami affected region to date. The WSJ's Marcus Walker points out that Schroeder "Announc[ed] the package at a time when Germany is seeking international support from Asian governments for its claim to a permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council." You can read his article here.

I'm a rather simple guy, but I fear that compassion is not a leading motivation driving giving from the governmental bodies around the world. Perhaps Bush is on to something?