Jul

31

2005

Yet another notice

Filed Under Internet and Blogging | 2 Comments

Due to a security problem, TBR will be offline for a bit. Please be patient while we try to track down and eliminate the problem.

Jul

29

2005

A bird in the hand…

Filed Under Politics | Comments Off

Speaking of schadenfreude…

Please pardon the triple pun, but it’s just hilarious watching liberals “flip out”.

If you didn’t catch Brian Wilson’s report on FNC last night, baldilocks explains, and Cynical Nation does a fisking that’s right on the money.

Honestly, people, this is just embarrassing. In one short year, we’ve gone from “Bush lied, people died!” to “Ooh! Teacher! Little Georgie made a naughty sign!! Ooh!” Ah well, such is the paucity of substance for many of Bush’s critics, I guess.
Oh, and by the way, remember there’s a war going on. (Not that the moonbats have noticed.)

Jul

29

2005

Who says America can’t manufacture Steele anymore?

Filed Under Race and Prejudice | Comments Off

Usually, when something goes in the “Race and Prejudice” section here at TBR, it’s a rant. But today, we have two related pieces of good news to report.

Yesterday, seeing that I had so much reading piled up that there was no possible way I was going to be able to get to it all, I reset the RSS feeds on my account at Bloglines. That must have happened just before Michael Bowen posted at Cobb – and a good thing too, or I would have missed some lovely crowing and “thumbs in the face”.

It’s almost as if the RNC and I were reading the same page. Just yesterday in the other thread I was saying how much of a no-brainer it is for the right African American candidates to walk into the open arms of the Republican Party. Of course it’s no walk in the park for anyone, including (Michael) Steele, but there is not, contrary to urban myth and Liberal lie, a color bar in the Republican Party.
Though familiar with Maryland’s Lieutenant Governor, in my slumber I wasn’t aware that “the Party is stepping up to the [$1,000] plate and putting some energy behind a serious black candidate” for the U.S. Senate there. That’s the first piece of good news.

Looking for details, I came across a Washington Post article that fills us in.

Maryland Lt. Gov. Michael S. Steele hosted the first major fundraiser in his as-yet-undeclared bid for U.S. Senate last night, attracting presidential adviser Karl Rove to headline a $1,000-a-person cocktail party in Washington.

The private affair was an attempt to introduce Steele to the ranks of national GOP donors who might not have encountered a man whose candidacy has become a top priority of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, the arm of the party that recruits candidates.

Steele said he was “very excited” to have captured the interest and backing of such national Republican luminaries as Rove. So too, it seemed yesterday, were his opponents.

Democrats dispatched about 35 protesters to the National Republican Senatorial Committee headquarters on Capitol Hill to heckle Steele. They blasted him for appearing with Rove, who has emerged as a central figure in the probe into the disclosure of CIA operative Valerie Plame’s identity.

“No one who would use Karl Rove for a fundraiser is fit to represent Maryland in the U.S. Senate,” said Tom Hucker, executive director of the advocacy group Progressive Maryland.

I suppose I could have counted the schadenfreude and the fair reporting from WaPo as additional pieces of good news, but the significant thing I wanted to point out here is that nowhere in the Post article is there any mention of race or color.

Progress on many fronts… and within the MSM, no less.

Jul

26

2005

A Devil’s Choice indeed

Filed Under Internet and Blogging | Comments Off

The Confederate Yankee has a great post about, as he puts it, the Devil’s Choice the London police faced in the recent shooting of a young Brazilian man.

The weenies of the world point out that they would not have made the same choice as the police and that, in choosing differently, an innocent man would have still been alive. That the man would still be alive may be true, but of course, should it have been a real terrorist – and next time it could be – the result would have been one dead terrorist, several dead weenies who decided not to shoot, and who knows how many dead London tube passengers.

I teach my godson that much in life is about choices: good and bad, obvious and obscure, easy and hard… and that usually (not always, so don’t write nasty comments) the best choice to make is the hardest, or most difficult, or the seemingly least desirable. The easiest and most desirable choice in this case would have been not to shoot. And if you cannot see why the easy choice would have been the wrong choice then there is little hope for you, and I pray you’re not a cop, soldier, or politician.

Ace of Spades

Jul

25

2005

Americana Photos Link Of The Day

Filed Under Liberty and Democracy | Comments Off

The following phrase is playing in my mind to the tune of the Blue Oyster Cult song, Godzilla;

Oh so, they say you’ve got to go…go,go Club Gitmo.

<----------That's the APLOTD, Rush there now!

Sane Nation

Jul

25

2005

Questionable Motives

Filed Under Lies, Corruption and Scandals | 1 Comment

Charles E. Schumer, the senior (but least important) Senator from the state of New York, has compiled a series of questions that he feels should be asked of – and presumably answered by – Judge John Roberts, the President’s nominee to the Supreme Court. I perused the list of questions and found most of them to be very fine questions indeed – if proposed to legal scholars, law schools or political science students, or public policy wonks. But the fact that they are being proposed for and will be asked of a prospective Supreme Court jurist makes them completely inappropriate, primarily because answering nearly any of them would require Judge Roberts to prejudge facts that may come before him in the future.

Asking questions which you know full well before you ask them cannot be answered makes a much sense as asking a question for which there is no known answer (ie. [a typical Schumer-like question] “How many people would have been killed by now had we not enacted the Assault Gun ban?”) or a question that has no correct answer (ie. “Do you still beat your wife?”). Such questions are not asked to gain insight by way of their answers, but to manipulate the situation via the refusal or inability of the subject to provide an answer. I think we all know what Chuckles is trying to do with these “questions” of his – he looking for someone to burn! The only good thing about these “questions” is that Judge Roberts is far too smart to answer other than the way a future Supreme Court Justice should and would (The Ginsburg Standard).

But since Schumer and his fellow sandbaggers are going to ask their silly little questions anyway, I have a few suggestions as to some additional questions that should be asked, and by whom:

Patrick Leahy:

Judge Roberts, since leaks of information are so commonplace here in Washington, you wouldn’t find any fault with a person who leaked classified information so long as that leak was done for the public (democratic) good, would you?

Richard Durbin:

Judge Roberts, do you know what a gulag is? How about a nazi, what’s a nazi? Do you know? And can you tell us why the administration is allowing this kind of unconstitutional behavior to go on at Guantanamo Bay? Can you, huh? Oh, by the way I’d like to state, for the record, that I support our troops.

Edward Kennedy:

Mr. Roberts, lets just say, as a hypothetical situation, that you were representing a client – a married man – who was involved in a tragic car accident in which he was not… well, he may not have been driving… well, yes, he was driving but didn’t want to be, and where someone else was… um… injured… and your client…um… may have had a drink or two or… um… you know. Well anyway, your client, after the accident, swims across a channel to another island and instead of reporting the accident to the authorities, sneaks up to his hotel room, gets a good six or seven hours sleep – not because he was drunk, mind you, but because he didn’t want to remember – I mean he wanted to forget – I mean he didn’t realize that he was even in an accident, that had he reported it at the time, the single young woman might not have drow… I mean, may not have been as injured as much as she ended up being. Injured, I mean. Well, my question is, would you or would you not advise your client to wear a neck brace at the young woman’s funeral?

Now those are questions I would love to hear answered!

Jul

25

2005

About the spam…

Filed Under Internet and Blogging | Comments Off

When I rebuilt the site a few weeks ago to resolve one problem, some of the things I’d done to combat trackback spam stopped working. Unfortunately, I’m not entirely sure what I’ve lost in my current configuration to cause the problem, but I’ve found some web sites that are giving me some ideas how to lock things back down again. Until I can put the screws on it, I apologize for any improper content you may see on the site.

UPDATE: I’ve run a change on the system that should be working perfectly, but if you notice problems with comments or trackbacks (that is, them not working properly other than spam), please let me know.

Jul

24

2005

A Comprehensive Repudiation Of The Left

Filed Under Politics | 1 Comment

There really is not much I can add to what Keith Thomson says in his piece titled;

Leaving the left
I can no longer abide the simpering voices of self-styled progressives — people who once championed solidarity

But I can provide a few quotes to tease out the reader’s interest.

“I’m leaving the left — more precisely, the American cultural left and what it has become during our time together.

I choose this day for my departure because I can no longer abide the simpering voices of self-styled progressives — people who once championed solidarity with oppressed populations everywhere — reciting all the ways Iraq’s democratic experiment might yet implode. “

and

“Like many others who came of age politically in the 1960s, I became adept at not taking the measure of the left’s mounting incoherence. To face it directly posed the danger that I would have to describe it accurately, first to myself and then to others. That could only give aid and comfort to Jerry Falwell, Pat Robertson, Rush Limbaugh, Ann Coulter and all the other Usual Suspects the left so regularly employs to keep from seeing its own reflection in the mirror.”

That sounds familiar, right Cobra?

“When I casually offered that the surviving relatives of the more than 20 million people murdered on orders of Joseph Stalin might not find “evil’” too strong a word, the room took on a collective bemused smile of the sort you might expect if someone had casually mentioned taking up child molestation for sport.

My progressive companions had a point. It was rude to bring a word like “gulag” to the dinner table.”

Hey man, some heavy sarcasm in that last line. And this was written before Dhick Dhurbin compared Gitmo to the Soviet gulags, thereby slandering our country. Oops, I said gulag, hope you weren’t eating.

Wait, it gets better. When actor Bill Cosby called on black parents to explain to their kids why they are not likely to get into medical school speaking English like “Why you ain’t” and “Where you is,” Jesse Jackson countered that the time was not yet right to “level the playing field.” Why not? Because “drunk people can’t do that … illiterate people can’t do that.”

Nuff said dog.

I’ll admit my politics have shifted in recent years, as have America’s political landscape and cultural horizon. Who would have guessed that the U.S. senator with today’s best voting record on human rights would be not Ted Kennedy or Barbara Boxer but Kansas Republican Sam Brownback?

Imagine that.

Read it all, there is so much I left out.

Tammy Bruce

Josh Davenport for reminding me to add Mr. Thompson’s Web Page link. He also has a blog, Sane Nation.

Jul

24

2005

Resolve: The UnAnswered Question

Filed Under Education, History, Law and Ethics, Lies, Corruption and Scandals, Politics, War and Terrorism | Comments Off

This post is to serve notice to one of our readers that his commenter’s priviledges are hereby suspended pending his answer to my question: Cobra, where is your resolve to win this war?

It seems as though ages have passed since President Bush took to the airwaves (sic- cables?) to speak to all Americans about this war, and to remind us all that;

“It demands the perseverance of our citizens”- GWB 6/28/05

I used that same quote in my post that day, wherein I make the point out that many of us did not need to hear what he had to say, we already knew it was so.

I expect that the President knows there are many (most Americans?) out here in Red States and Blue, who were already resolved to “perseverance”. And though he was speaking to us too, he was speaking to those who don’t get it first. A call for unity of purpose. A primer for the Left on setting priorities.

I received two great compliments/votes of solidarity/dittos of perserverance to my words.

And then there was the one who calls himself Cobra; six times he posts, always about, not the point I made, but about the throw away lines of hypebole I tacked on to the end. I saw that coming, and I indulged his challenge for a time. But then I tired of being asked to defend other’s words and asked Cobra to explain his resolve to win this war. He came back with a diatribe about “which war”, so I made it easy for him to answer and narrowed it to the war on terrorism.

I asked the question for a second time:

“We understand you are resolved to blame America. And that you are resolved to get Bush! But, where is your resolve to win the war?”

I await his answer. He won’t get his priviledges reinstated until he does this assignment to our satifaction. To achieve our satisfaction he must do one simple thing: answer the question asked.

Additionally- A clue for Cobra, the answer lies in understanding that your Leftist leaders have failed your causes.

Jul

22

2005

Soldier Ride 2005- Please Donate

Filed Under Liberty and Democracy | Comments Off

Soldier Ride 2005 is a fund raiser for our wounded soldiers, undertaken by our wounded soldiers. The ride itself is over, they have completed their 4200 mile ride, on bicycles and wheelchairs, starting from California ending in New York City. A terrific feat. The fundraising continues. They have not met their goal of $5 million, yet. (I just sent one donation, but that alone won’t get them there.) Please take a look at their site, and if you can, please help them out.

There is a “Special Event” yet to come:

EHM 92.9, The Stephen Talkhouse & Martha Clara Vineyards present
The Funk Brothers
with Joan Osbourne, Supremes Mary Wilson,
& Special Guests
Nancy Atlas Project Opens
Sunday, July 24th 4-8 PM, $50
Martha Clara Vineyards
6025 Sound Ave
Riverhead NY ll901

These brave young people have given to us. Let’s give back. Please pass this on the your friends.

Also, if you are a corporation interested in helping:

“Corporations interested in becoming one of our National Sponsors or interested in conducting a corporate program, please contact us at questions@soldierride2005.com or call (571)261-1465. There are many different ways corporations can help our wounded heroes.”

Jul

22

2005

The Liberal version of Pickett’s charge

Filed Under Politics | 2 Comments

Well the sniping about the nomination of John Roberts to the Supreme Court has begun and, to use a Civil War analogy, the President can see his opponents rolling the media artillery up to the ridge and readying them to fire – on the appointed day, at the appointed hour – as a prelude to an all out attack. As the leader at the forefront of the liberal attack, General Charles Schumer would do well to read up on the “high water mark” of the career of one George Pickett. I do believe we are seeing a slow motion recreation of those events.

Boom!

But now Roberts has been selected for the very Supreme Court that put Bush into office by settling the recount, chosen by the president to replace the swing vote in that 5-4 decision. And his work in Florida during that time is coming into focus, giving critics some ammunition to paint a respected jurist with an apparently unblemished legal career as an ideological partisan.
That, my friends is merely a spotting round, meant to signal other media artillery pieces where to fire. That’s right, they mean to fire at sunny Florida! The idiocy of such an attack does indeed rival that of Lee, Longstreet, and Pickett. And how many times do I need to ask this: Why is there a need to preserve balance [read "swing vote"] on a court that is supposed to be unbiased? The answer is of course, that the Court – with Justices like Stevens and Ginsberg – isn’t unbiased, and that’s just the way the liberals want it. They want the court to force the law (and thereby society) to establish, and at the same time reinforce, their own ideology – an ideology they just cannot seem to convince the American electorate to vote for.

Boom!

Critics, though, were quick to say that Roberts’ role in the 2000 election, however minor, suggested that he was not merely the bookish legal scholar described by his supporters.

“What’s interesting is that only now is it coming to the fore that John Roberts was part of that,” said Ralph G. Neas, president of the liberal group People for the American Way. “He always created an impression of being above the political fray, being part of the Washington legal establishment, but not of partisan politics.”

Neas said Roberts’ involvement in the recount was not necessarily a reason for senators to oppose his nomination, because many well-known legal scholars on both sides were called into service during the Bush-Gore fight.

And Roberts had only a bit part, compared with higher-profile players such as Florida’s then-Secretary of State Katherine Harris, who was subsequently elected to Congress, and Gov. Bush, the Republican presidential candidate’s younger brother.

But, Neas added, coupled with Roberts’ past work in the Reagan and George H.W. Bush administrations, the recount could become a factor.

“This is a legitimate area of inquiry: How partisan is he?” Neas asked.

They’re zeroing in their sights, but through the fog of war and above the report of the artillery, I could swear I just heard Major Neas say “The only good Yankee is a dead Yankee! We’ve got them right where they want us. Lead on General Schumer!”

Jul

22

2005

What motivates those evil men?

Filed Under Politics | 2 Comments

Listening to Laura Ingraham’s show just now, the guest host played tape of Ken Livingstone, the leftist mayor of London. A British infobabe asked him, “What motivates these terrorists?” and Red Ken proceeded to babble on about “…80 years of Western interventionism…”

It’s a well-worn liberal axiom, I know: “Why do they hate us…?” and all that. And others have spoken volumes on “root cause” stupidity. But in conversation with my family this morning, something occurred to me, one question we never hear: “What motivates these Republicans?” When the motivation of Republicans is discussed, it’s always an accusation, and never a question.

Why is it that liberals want desperately to understand the mind of terrorists, murderers, and dictators, and invent elaborate methodologies to excuse the behavior of such folks, but they never really inquire about the motivation of their fellow Americans who disagree with them? They always immediately brand us as idiots, slackers, and racists, and never bother to excuse the faults they impugn on us. Odd, isn’t it?

Jul

22

2005

Delusions

Filed Under Law and Ethics | Comments Off

The headline said, “Keep wall between judiciary and politics”. By whom? Mario Cuomo.

My first thought was, “COOL! A liberal who gets it!” Then the shock wore off and I asked, “Has old Mario gone crazy?

Nope – it’s just me who has gone crazy, if I were to think that was going to happen. Hard as it is to believe, Mario thinks the President’s nomination of Judge Roberts is injecting politics into his perfectly balanced Supreme Court.

Yah, right.

Jul

19

2005

Blast From The Past

Filed Under War and Terrorism | Comments Off

Last year, one of Blogdom’s favorite truth tellers was the one called Allah. Well, now Allah may be in the Poor House, but he hasn’t completely given up sharing his thoughts.

Here he reminds us of one of his gems, and suggests where we can test the credentials of those in the news in the future. (Note: His link to this article is not working, for later reference, it was written on July 7, 2005)

“Whenever possible, run those names through the LGF and MEMRI search engines. As the Loseweek incident demonstrates, when it comes to terrorism, journalists often are either ignorant of their subjects’ backgrounds and unwilling to conduct basic research or they’re not ignorant but unwilling to run the full story because it doesn’t serve their agenda. Whatever the reason, if you want context you’ll have to find it yourself.”

Jul

19

2005

Goldberg Sandbagged

Filed Under Literature | Comments Off

You may have heard of Bernard Goldberg’s latest book, 100 People Who Are Screwing Up America (And Al Franken Is #37). Mr. Goldberg’s book is sitting at #6 on the NYT bestseller list, but word is he has not been getting invited on many shows to discuss his book. We are given the impression that the media doesn’t like his latest work. Can’t imagine why?;)

Capt Ed has it that he did get an interview on CNBC’s show hosted by Donny Deutsch, and the producer sandbagged him, tricking him into staying around to face a virtual Spanish Inquisition (my hyperbole, not Capt. Ed’s). I expect that he handled himself well, if they let him speak, though I suspect it will be another of those cases where the libs talk while the guest is speaking.

The show is to air tomorrow. I’ll have to tune in to see how it goes, with notepad at the ready.

Update: (Posted by Steve) John McCaslin of The Washington Times has comments from Bernard Goldberg on the blanket party Donny Deutsch threw him the other night:

But then, unbeknownst to me, they brought on a panel of five, plus Donny, all of whom took the other side. And it’s not like they just respectfully disagreed; there was name-calling, ganging up; it was unbelievable. And not one of them even read the book. They admitted it.
Captain Ed over at the Captains Quarters also weighs in on the ambush and on the participation of Jeff Jarvis from Buzzmachine in the feeding frenzy. And as the Captain encourages on his post, the comments to Jarvis’ post are a must read.

My only reaction is incredulity. Is anyone really surprised that the highly educated, elite, liberal, progressive, protectors of the First Amendment Civil Liberty Unionists were the ones responsible for an attack that can only be described as an attempt to distort, subvert, and silence an author?

Isn’t ironic it that the champion of these thugs (Donny Deutsch, Jeff Jarvis, Linda Stasi, et al) Michael Moore, titled his movie Fahrenheit 9/11 purposely to be an allusion to the book and movie Fahrenheit 451 – the temperature at which paper will burst into flame. Is there any doubt that they relished their participation in this mugging – or that in their whispers at cocktail parties they talk about how they would love to burn that book… or this one… or this?

Want another irony? The most vociferous voice involved in the Bernie Goldberg beat down was that of Linda Stasi. How fitting a name is Stasi?

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