Chief Justice Roberts

Three hours after a 55-22-1 Senate vote, John G. Roberts was sworn in as the 17th U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice.

Hillary, John Fonda, the Kopechne killer and the rest of the Court Jesters simply couldn't muster the consensus of their own party.

Perhaps the far-left will grasp the hint and pretend, at least, to creep back toward reality.


Don't hold your breath...

Statement By The President On The War On Terror

Good morning. I just had a good meeting with Generals Abizaid and Casey. We discussed the war on terror in which this country is engaged. General Abizaid talked about the global scope of this war. He talked about the nature of an enemy we face, an enemy which is ruthless and brutal, an enemy which has got strategic goals and tactics necessary to achieve those goals. We also talked about the fact that we're determined to defeat the enemy. We discussed our strategy for victory in Iraq, as well. After all, Iraq is a key battlefront in this war on terror.

I asked the Generals to go up to Capitol Hill to brief members of the House and Senate on our strategy for victory, on our operations in Iraq. They updated me on what recently took place in Baghdad, in which Iraqi and coalition forces tracked down and killed Abu Azzam, the second most wanted al Qaeda leader in Iraq. This guy is a brutal killer. He was one of Zarqawi's top lieutenants. He was reported to be the top operational commander of al Qaeda in Baghdad. He is one of the terrorists responsible for the recent upsurge in attacks in the Iraqi capital, which is part of their campaign to stop a referendum on the Iraqi constitution, and is part of their efforts to break the will of the American people and the will of our coalition.

Our strategy is clear in Iraq. We are hunting down high value targets like Azzam and Zarqawi. We're coordinating aggressive counterterrorism operations in the areas where the terrorists are concentrated. We're constantly adapting our tactics to the changing tactics of the terrorists. We're training more Iraqi forces to assume increasing responsibility for their country's security.

The growing size and increasing capability of the Iraqi security forces are helping our coalition address a challenge we have faced since the beginning of the war. And General Casey discussed this with us in the Oval Office.

See, it used to be after we cleared the terrorists out of a city, there wasn't enough qualified Iraqi troops to maintain control -- so when we left to conduct other missions, the terrorists would move back in. Now, the increasing number of more capable Iraqi troops has allowed us to better hold on to the cities we have taken from the terrorists. The Iraqi troops know their people, they know their language, and they know who the terrorists are. By leaving Iraqi units in the cities we've cleared out, we can keep the cities safe while we move on to hunt down the terrorists in other parts of the country.

We saw such success in the country's northwest region, where Iraqi and coalition forces recently targeted an area that was one of the main routes that foreign terrorists use to enter Iraq from Syria. During the operations in the key town of Tal Afar, Iraqi security forces outnumbered coalition forces for the first time in a major offensive operation. General Casey brought us up to date on that operation. Because of our joint efforts, hundreds of terrorists have been killed or captured or flushed, which makes it more difficult for the foreign terrorists to enter Iraq through the northwest route.

As part of General Casey's strategy, Iraqi forces remain in Tal Afar to ensure that the terrorists are not allowed to return and regroup. Coalition and Iraqi troops are on the hunt for terrorists in western Iraq. We're on the offense. We have a plan to win. We're working to stop those terrorists from crossing into the country through Syria, and we're denying safe haven to al Qaeda in the Anbar province.

Members of Congress will get the latest information about our strategy. And I want to thank them for taking time out of their schedules to listen to these two -- to these two Generals. They will hear about the strategy and the progress in increasing the size and capability of the Iraqi security forces. At this moment, more than a dozen Iraqi battalions have completed training and are conducting anti-terrorist operations in Ramadi and Fallujah. More than 20 battalions are operating in Baghdad. And some have taken the lead in operations in major sectors of the city.

In total, more than 100 battalions are operating throughout Iraq. Our commanders report that the Iraqi forces are operating with increasing effectiveness. As Iraqi forces show they're capable of keeping the terrorists out, they're earning the trust and confidence of the Iraqi people, which ensures the success of a free and democratic Iraq.

The terrorists have a history of escalating their attacks before Iraq's major political milestones. Two key elections are fast approaching. As these milestones approach, we can expect there to be increasing violence from the terrorists. They can't stand elections. The thought of people voting is an anathema to them. You see, democracy and freedom are the exact opposite of what's in their mind, in their vision.

Next month the Iraqis will vote on a democratic constitution. If that constitution is approved, they will return to polls later this year to elect a fully constitutional government. The terrorists will fail. See, the Iraqis want to be free. They proved that last January when over 8 million citizens, in the face of violence and threats, voted. And the terrorists are going to fail this time. But we can expect they'll do everything in their power to try to stop the march of freedom. And our troops are ready for it.

I urge the members of Congress to attend the briefings with Generals Abizaid and Casey. I urge them to ask questions about our efforts in Iraq and to listen carefully about the type of war we fight. The support of Congress for our troops and our mission is important, and Americans need to know about the gains we've made in recent weeks and months. They need to know the way we're adopting our tactics and the way we're changing our strategy to meet the needs on the ground.

As members of Congress speak with Generals Abizaid and Casey, I'm confident they'll see what I see -- our leaders, these two Generals are men of vision and determination, and it is their leadership that is helping bring victory in the war on terror.

Thank you, very much.

gop.com

Guilty

Lynndie England isn't smiling any more.

A military jury found her guilty on six of seven counts (conspiracy, maltreating detainees x4, and committing an indecent act).

She faces a maximum of only 10 years in military prison; however, under civilian law, she likely would have paid the hefty price of a promotion and re-assignment to the location of her choice.

Now, if it were only legal to sentence her to the conditions she set for the prisoners she was guarding. She obviously didn't think it was too cruel or unusual...

DNC 2008 Rally Cry

Partisan Opportunists Anxiously Await Rita

When Opportunism Knocks...

For those who want to skip every level of government and point the finger directly at the President, this is for you:

The Louisiana Disaster "Plan," p. 13, paragraph 5, of Jan. 2000 states:

The primary means of hurricane evacuation will be personal vehicles. School and municipal buses, government-owned vehicles and vehicles provided by volunteer agencies may be used to provide transportation for individuals who lack transportation and require assistance in evacuating.

There are 255 busses in this lot. At 60-66 per bus, that's 15,300-16,380 evacuees who could have got the hell out of Dodge... and a helluva lot of gas and oil NOT contributing to the environmental hazard.

Moreover, that's 255 busses the local and state governments (who have the FIRST responsibility to provide aid in situations like this) could be using to distribute supplies and people. Instead, these busses sat dormant in the lot due to local-leader ineffectiveness and have become environmentally-hazardous expenses rather than valuable and re-usable assets!

Meanwhile, the Governor played politics with the White House over the Federal Aid offer. She needed 24 hours...

Some people think.... well, "suppose" the Federal Government should have just moved-in and taken over. Let's not pretend for a second we wouldn't be hearing about "abuse of power" had the Federal Government forced itself upon the state. Shit don't work that way, people!

Here's a clue:

"First Response to a disaster is the job of local government's emergency services with help from nearby municipalities, the state and volunteer agencies. In a catastrophic disaster, and IF the governor requests, federal resources can be mobilized through theU.S. Department of Homeland Security's Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for search and rescue, electrical power, food, water, shelter and other basic human needs."
- http://www.fema.gov/library/dproc.shtm

No, the Federal Government does not get to wash their hands of this; however, those who are strategically skipping the obvious blameline for a perceived partisan gain are no better than the looters who are/were "saving themselves" with carts-full of high-end electronics, clothing, etc.

Someone explain to me how that kind of opportunism is "American!"

Sean Penn Starring as...

Sing along to the tale of our favorite Film Actor's Guild star...


Just sit right back and you'll hear a tale, a tale of a fateful trip, That started from this Gulf-state port, aboard this tiny ship. The mate was a mighty actin' man, the Skipper brave and sure. Five passengers set sail that day for a three hour tour. A three hour tour. The boat started taking l'eau (What? You thought I'd write an entry on Penn without a french word?!), the tiny ship was double-crossed. If not for the "courage" of the clueless crew, the Minnow would be lost. The Minnow would be lost. The ship set ground three feet off shore, with Gilligan, Spicolli too, the Millionaire and his ex-wife (Madonna), another Film-Actor's-Guild star, the Professor (Mr. Hand) and Mary Ann (Robin Wright), here on Gilligan's Isle.

Poor Sean Penn. Federal authorities might have had a friggin' reason for warning people to not self-deploy to the region in order to provide their own brand of "help." This warning included Commodore Sean Penn!

Why would Federal Authorities tell us something like that, you ask?

Simple - to prevent incapable, unprepared and ill-equipped "helpers" from becoming victims in need of rescue themselves... like Mr. Penn, who - I'm sure - received help on the account of his skin color.

All together now: "Skin color, our ass!"

After the S.S. Penn's boat motor failed to start, the crew set sail under oar-power - sans clue - to deliver "aid" in whatever way they could. (Isn't it a little early for Comic Relief?!) Take note of our favorite Film Actor, however... he's bailing water from the Titanic with a plastic cup! In the midst of the Film Actor's Platfrom-o-"Aid" capsizing, he's not wearing a floatation device, but a virtual lead weight! That's a flak-vest he's wearing!!

Is he trying to die?!

Way to go, Gilligan!

Way to make yourself - as usual - part of the problem, Sean!

You sure have a strange way of kicking-off your 2008 bid for the Presidency...
.
.
.
...by bailing it out!

Randy Cohen - "Merely Unsightly Ethicist"

Until this morning, I had never heard of Randy Cohen. He writes a Q&A Column, "On Ethics," which apparently has something to do with - ethics. If he'd title it something like "the lack thereof," he might have a hit.

The Socialist People's Republic of Seattle Times attempts to buy him some credibility by noting that Cohen is the author of "The Good, the Bad and the Difference: How to Tell Right from Wrong in Everyday Situations."

Cohen's e-mail address is even ethicist@nytimes.com.

Jeze... and I haven't even told you what this guy had to say yet... how rude.

The title of this week's column is Dealing with Dealers, and Cohen misses the pot the moment the urine starts to flow from his scat encrusted lips.

The question from 'Anonymous in Brooklyn':

I live in a gentrifying neighborhood. Someone on the block is dealing drugs that, I recently learned, are less benign (WTF?!) than I'd assumed; he's dealing crystal meth. I believe that the drug laws are overly punitive, and I've never had a problem with the dealer. But I would like to see the block cleaned up and the drug traffic gone. What's the morality of narcking on the neighbors?

Cohen's "answer" (in part):
...with my commentary in gray:

If your local drug dealer is merely unsightly, do nothing.
"Merely unsightly?" What the...?! Show me a drug dealer who is "merely unsightly" and I'll show you a hundred crack whores who's so-far unaborted children are destined for an encore of their drug infested womb-provider's (no, I didn't say "mother's") so-called-life. And that is a hell of a lot more than "merely unsightly."

I would be reluctant to invoke laws that can be both inflexible and ineffectual.
Laws that are not applied swiftly, surely and severely are ineffectual and "merely unsightly," Mr. Cohen. There's a reason we call them penitent-iaries and sending these people off to a country club to be coddled and share the tricks of their various trades is NOT, NOT, NOT what anyone in their reasonable mind refers to as "Justice."

If this drug dealer is a nuisance -- attracting a raucous clientele, perhaps -- you might consider measures that do not involve the police: speaking to your community board or local church groups or other neighborhood activists, for example.
How many "community boards, church groups and neighborhood activists" have successfully removed law-breaking drug dealers from our communities and at what percentage, Mr. Cohen? We're a nation of laws for a reason. If people choose not to abide by those laws, we have prisons that ought not resemble the aforementioned country clubs that I'm sure you advocate. It's all too unfortunate that people who "think" like you don't have to live in the squalor that your ludicrous "policies" would dictate.

Ethicist? ...someone gag me while I puke!

Mr. Cohen deserves nothing better than a taste of his own medecine. Perhaps he'll get lucky and find himself the neighbor, or - better yet - the landlord of a meth cook. Then, let's hear what he has to say about right and wrong when HE is stuck, by law, paying for the $10,000-plus clean-up and remodelling job.

One can only wish...

And if there's anyone at NY Times with a clue, they need to issue a pink slip. Let Mr. Cohen make his money a more ethical way... rather than delivering this kind of tripe as "ethics," let him spend a day as a first responder so he can find out first-hand what is and what is not "merely unsightly."
He can start with the guest model in the picture above...

Kanye West

Kanye West chose to break from his NBC-provided script in order to complain about the way they ("us") are portrayed in the media.

By "us," it seems he means black people.

I hate the way they portray us in the media. You see a black family, it says, "They're looting." You see a white family, it says, "They're looking for food." And, you know, it's been five days [waiting for federal help] because most of the people are black.

I wondered myself if there weren't people of other races who are looting for reasons beyond self-preservation (food and water). Having not been there (yet?), I - like Kanye West - have no first-hand knowledge about who is and who is not responsible for the looting. I doubt that blacks-only are responsible for the looting.

However...

Isn't it a bit silly of Mr. West to complain about how he is portrayed by the media when his lyrics speak no better of the "us" he considers himself a part?

If this is your first time hearing this
You are about to experience something cold man
We never had nothing handed took nothing for
granted Took nothing from no man, man i'm my own man
But as a shorty i looked up to the dopeman
Only adult man i knew that wasnt a broke man
Flickin starter coats man, Man you ount [sic] no man
We don't care what people say
This is for my niggas outside all winter
Cuz this summer they aint finna to say next summer im finna
Sittin in the hood like community colleges
This dope money here is Lil Treys scholarship
Cause aint no to tuition for havin no ambition
And aint no loans for sittin your ass at home
So we forced to sell crack rap and get a job
You gotta do something man your ass is grown

Ah. So his words dignify black people, but the media robs them of that very dignity?! Is that what Mr. West is trying to say?
.
.
.

The moment he drops the N-bomb, he loses that battle.

In fact, if Mr. West wants to blame anyone, he needs to blame himself for glorifying the thuglife that has come home to roost.

He doesn't get to have his Thug-frosted cake and eat it, too.