Bush Lied?

Finally a MSM source has produced an excellent article regarding the Bush Administration's case for going to war with Iraq! The editorial in today's Chicago Tribune (28.12.05) clearly answers the questions of whether "Bush lied" or rather, his critics who performed masterful deception. In doing this, the Trib's writers began an inquest:

We set out to assess the Bush administration's arguments for war in Iraq. We have weighed each of those nine arguments against the findings of subsequent official investigations by the 9/11 Commission, the Senate Intelligence Committee and others. We predicted that this exercise would distress the smug and self-assured--those who have unquestioningly supported, or opposed, this war.

After all this, what do the editors have to conclude?

After reassessing the administration's nine arguments for war, we do not see the conspiracy to mislead that many critics allege. Example: The accusation that Bush lied about Saddam Hussein's weapons programs overlooks years of global intelligence warnings that, by February 2003, had convinced even French President Jacques Chirac of "the probable possession of weapons of mass destruction by an uncontrollable country, Iraq." We also know that, as early as 1997, U.S. intel agencies began repeatedly warning the Clinton White House that Iraq, with fissile material from a foreign source, could have a crude nuclear bomb within a year.

Furthermore, the Trib systematically lays out all 9 arguments and provides a point-counterpoint of the White House statements, what actually happened and the verdict. Here's an example:

Reform in the Middle East

WHAT THE WHITE HOUSE SAID
Supplanting Hussein's reign with self-rule would transform governance in a region dominated by dictators, zealots and kings. The administration wanted to convert populations of subjects into citizens. Mideast democracy would channel energy away from resentments that breed terrorism.

WHAT WE KNOW TODAY
U.S. pressure has stirred reforms in Lebanon, Egypt and Saudi Arabia and imperiled Syria's regime. "I was cynical about Iraq," said Druze Muslim patriarch Walid Jumblatt. "But when I saw the Iraqi people voting . . . it was the start of a new Arab world... The Berlin Wall has fallen."

THE VERDICT
The notion that invading Iraq would provoke political tremors in a region long ruled by despots is the Bush administration's most successful prewar prediction to date. A more muscular U.S. diplomacy has advanced democracy and assisted freedom movements in the sclerotic Middle East.

It is an EXCELLENT article and worth your time reading. After all, we are better off reading this because we know there are certain anti-everything groups that refuse to believe anything that doesn't agree with their feelings and sentiments!

Read the full editorial: Judging the Case for War!

I Spy

My good friend (and former collegiate pal) over at The Armchair Potentate has another great post on the recent wire-tapping saga and the frenetic citizens who are not educated enough on the subject to know what the wire-taps involved. No, Pam, the U.S. government has not been listening in to your phone conversation with Amy about your hot co-worker Bob. Most notably Jordan points out that these "spying efforts" are not domestic communications:

"...[T]his is a very important point -- people are running around saying that the United States is somehow spying on American citizens calling their neighbors. Very, very important to understand that one party to the communication has to be outside the United States." - Alberto Gonzales, AG

The communications, however do pertain to Al-Qaeda:

"…[W]e have to have a reasonable basis to conclude that one party to the communication is…affiliated with al-Qæda…. We view these authorities as authorities to confront the enemy [with] which the United States is at war…."

Please go and read his full post here. It's alot more amusing and entertaining (as he incorporates Ann Coulter and poor Mr. Daschle in his post). Oh yea, and it also includes another one of his "famous lists"!!

You're an Odd One, Mr. Grinch!

This is just too funny not to post on! Please check out this story titled "Man Accused of Lobbing Urine Into Yards". Apparently, the man calls lobbing urine a "hobby"! Priceless.

Kofi Loses Kool About Kojo's Kar

Last week, the usually calm Secretary General had an unusual outburst of anger towards a journalist from the Times of London in which Kofi Annan called the journalist an "overgrown schoolboy". The UN SG had been facing continuing questions on the Oil-For-Food scandal and his son Kojo's purchase of a tax-free Mercedes under Kofi's name.

Well, James Bone (the journalist who was on the receiving end of Kofi's verbal slap) has written an editorial on "Why Kofi Annan said I'm not a 'serious journalist'" in the WSJ. Read his article here! Trust me, it's very entertaining! After all, the UN knows how to smother scandals:

It is a time-honored tradition at the U.N. to bury a scandal by conducting an inadequate inquiry and then declaring the matter closed. Mr. Annan did precisely that when news first broke in January 1999 of his son's involvement with a Swiss firm that won a U.N. contract in Iraq.

Thanks Duke for the post!

Google's Bias?

This is pretty interesting. If you type in the word "failure" in a search on Google and click the "I'm feeling lucky button" guess what website pops up? George W. Bush's Biography on the White House website. Are you kidding me?? If you don't believe me, please try it yourself before Google realizes (although I'm sure they know) their results.

Hollywood's Class Act

Please don't pull a "Hollywood" this year and forget about our troops across the globe and the many stationed in Iraq! These celebrities show where their care and concern is after I read this latest story from the UK's Guardian Unlimited: "Stars turn backs on America's troops in Iraq" This shameful display truly displays where these snobs hearts are...

[T]he United Services Organisation, which has been putting on shows for the troops since the second world war, is struggling to get celebrities to sign up for even a short tour of duty.

And when they do offer up their services, many of them make wisecracks about the president...I think they fail to realize that many of our military are pro-Bush believe it or not...

But the comedian (Robin Williams) said he mostly tries to keep politics out of the show after he did a few jokes about Bush's brainpower at a base in 2003 and got a chilly reception.

So please, everybody, do what you can to remember and support our troops this year!

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas to all! Let us not forget what Christmas is truly about!

Quagmire?!

“Every purple finger is a bullet to the chest of the terrorists.” - Iraqi Expat on Fox News

Headlines: Upwards of 15 million vote in Iraq; violence minimal; polls stay open an hour late to accomodate high turnout; in several Sunni areas, ballots run out...

Killing by Color

During Hurricane Katrina and its aftermath, President Bush and the federal government were heavily criticized for their "slow" response. People derailed the government's slow response as undeniable proof that George Bush was slighting the blacks in the region. Remember some of the comments?

Kanye West during the Katrina Telethon: "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... with the way America is set up to help the poor, the black people, the less well-off, as slow as possible...We already realize a lot of people that could help are at war right now, fighting another way -- and they've given them permission to go down and shoot us!...George Bush doesn't care about black people!"

Damu Smith, founder of the National Black Environmental Justice Network: "Whether they (the federal government) got in a room and conspired or not, what they did is they ignored us, they forgot about us ... because we look like we look." (As he was speaking, Smith held out his arm to show his skin color).

Well, new statistics show that the so-called abandonment of blacks in New Orleans just isn't so. Take a look at the latest piece from CNS News:

Statistics released by the Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals suggest that fewer than half of the victims of Hurricane Katrina were black, and that whites died at the highest rate of all races in New Orleans...the state's demographic information suggests that whites in New Orleans died at a higher rate than minorities.

It seems to easy nowadays to play the race card whenever a political advantage can be seen. It's a dirty shame that during a time when the U.S. could have rallied around the city of New Orleans, the media, public figures and otherwise unintelligent idiots were escalating rumors, lies and personal opinions instead. Maybe we will learn our lesson next time. I, for one, won't get my hopes up though.

A "Broken" Military? HA!

Remember when the U.S. Army was broken?? Well, the reports the MSM were giving us earlier in the year combined with statements from politicians certainly made it seem like everything was about to implode. The Army has a different story. The Washington Times published an article that reveals some truth to the nay-sayers amongst us:

The Pentagon yesterday said the Army signed up 5,856 recruits in November, 5 percent above its goal. It previously announced the Army also exceeded its target in October, the first month of the 2006 fiscal year.

The Army has that [it] hit its recruiting mark for six straight months, a promising development for the Bush administration. President Bush's critics had cited the Army's failure to achieve its recruiting goals in fiscal 2005 as proof that the war in Iraq is breaking the force.

The failure to meet recruiting goals in 2005 could be explained by the fact that "the active-duty Army is growing by 30,000, making the sign-up goal larger, and parents in some cases are counseling against joining the combat arms..." Also, the rest of the armed forces (Marine Corps, Navy and Air Force) all met their enlistment quotas for November.

Makes me think...whatever happened to the draft that was planned if Bush was elected again...?

Ah Yes, Italian Football

Well, it seems Italian football ("soccer" for you uneducated folk) is always mired in some sort of controversy. Yesterday's match between Lazio and Livorno was bound to be an interesting one from the start. These two cities are both known for their extremist political views - Livorno representing the far left views and Lazio has a group of ultras known for their far right views. The game featured "a poisonous atmosphere" where half of fans were singing anti-fascist songs and the other half were displaying swastikas.

Enter Lazio man Pablo Di Canio. Now if you remember, back in January I posted on Signore Di Canio. Never one to let down his ultra fans, Di Canio gave them another repeat of the fascist salute (although in January he claimed there was no correlation between the salute and fascism). I don't know, but it seems to me that it looks an awful lot like you're giving the sign to Il Duce...Judge for yourself! Unless this is some sort of stiff arm problem, I'm pretty sure it's a salute.

Italian football has been under plenty of scrutiny for racial problems, extreme fans, finances and of course the whole relegation fiasco from last season. The last thing the Italians need is more attention for the crazy antics of Di Canio and his ultras. Authorities must crack down on him and others who appeal to these crazies. Check out the rest of the story here. Oh, and check out Di Canio's face in the pictures...he kinda looks deranged! No, I take that back...he is deranged.

Unabashedly Nuanced (It's the UN Again...)

The UN has done it again. It shouldn't be surprising, although the MSM hasn't even covered this story - I had to find it on the blogosphere. The UN's anti-Israel views are so blatantly obvious it's amazing to see that Israel has managed to maintain membership in the UN for 56 years. The UN has established a "UN Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People". The photos taken at the event are revealing. One photo shows the Palestinian and UN flags. In between them stands a map of what should be Israel - however, the map is called a "Map of Palestine" with no mention or even partition lines showing an Israeli state. Furthermore, don't forget the tribute the UN made towards those who committed terrorist acts:

"I invite everyone present to rise and observe a minute of silence in memory of all those who have given their lives for the cause of the Palestinian people and the return of peace between Israel and Palestine."

It seems to me that if you are going to have peace between Israel and Palestine, it would help if you gave the nation of Israel at least some say within the UN. Israel is the only nation banned from being able to sit on the UN Security Council - they can't even be nominated. Kind of odd, huh? Imagine the response if this were a "Day of Solidarity with the Israeli People" that honored fallen Israeli soldiers...I can see the public outcry now. Don't fear, I'm sure there will be plenty more on the UN in future posts!!

Pajamas Interviews

My good friend Duke of DeLand has recently started up another blog that will hold interviews with some of the more familiar names around the blogosphere. I encourage you to take a look at the two interviews he's had so far. The first with Chris Muir of Day by Day Cartoon and the second with Iraqi citizen Omar from Iraq the Model. The interview with Omar provides some good insight on the situation in Iraq from an Iraqi's point of view. Here are a few excerpts from the interview:

"We [Iraq] have thousands of internet cafés and hundreds of thousands if not millions of Iraqis are using the internet and internet is available even at the most remote points in Iraq, even in the marshes area."

"People now get news from various sources rather than one source like it used to be in Saddam’s time. Now they can work their minds to verify what is true and what is wrong among what they get."

"Speaking of being ready for government, I think Iraq doesn’t lack the qualified people who can run a good government."

Please check out this new interviewing blog (Pajamas Interviews) and provide some feedback! Thanks Duke! Keep up the good work!

Striking a Chord

The UWM Times continues to create a firestorm from the far left wing. We have been generating alot of attention from all across the spectrum. However, some groups are having a coronary over our publication. We are no longer just conservatives - but we are promoting a "racist, sexist, anti-worker agenda". Somebody stop the press! Well, actually that's what the latest post on Indymedia Milwaukee is calling for in regards to our publication. In fact, the post calls for a meeting to help accomplish this goal. The call to destroy the UWM Times:

FOR NOW, WHEN YOU SEE THE PAPER'S LYING OUT, OR SITTING IN ONE OF THOSE WOOD CABINET THINGS, FEEL FREE TO PLEASE TAKE THEM OUT AND THROW THEM IN THE RECYCLING BIN. I RECYCLED ABOUT 100 OF THEM TODAY ALREADY AND IT FELT GREAT!

Well, at least he recycled! Stay tuned, there will definitely be more to come...check out the Indymedia post here.

"Fascist" Times Update

The UWM Times, which has been called a "fascist" paper, will not be held down. In fact, since we are supposedly "fascists", it comes as no surprise that I was able to quickly find out who the perpetrators are that are responsible for slipping fliers in our publications and actually increasing readership of our paper.

Anyway, my university (UWM) is pretty diverse - although some on campus complain that it still lacks "true" diversity. Within this diverse student body are communists, socialists, anarchists and every other type of -ists you can find. Apparently, we have irked some communists but mainly the anarchists have their lawless "undies in a bunch". The anarchists on campus (I have no idea how many there are, I'd like to think that it's a small number) cannot stand our conservative, or, uh, I mean..."fascist" views. They were responsible for slipping the flyers IN our papers and they make no effort to hide it. Well, if they did make the effort to hide it, they aren't very good at it.

So, let me show you what THEY have to say about politics, life and a vegan diet...Here they are in no particular order:

This post was entitled "Bash the Fash" and lists the incriminating evidence....

Read up on this guy...he's SOO angry...haha (he's in the pic to the left)

This chick is pretty "rad" too...

So, anyway, read up on their respective journals...They have some crazy stuff on there. Not to mention, they take alot of these quizzes that seem to boost their self-esteem. Although, I guess that would help the guy on the left. However, these quizzes label them to see how extreme they are I guess. For instance, they were taking this quiz to see what type of "anarchist" they are - Anarcho-Syndicalist, Anarcha-Feminist, Anarcho-Capitilist etc. I was quite amused when I saw the "What type of soldier are you?" Quiz. This guy scored as a civilian - what's entertaining about this is the actual description of being a civilian as opposed to a medic, gunner, officer or whatever else you can be. Here's the description of the noble and intelligent citizen:

You scored as Civilian. You're a civilian. Not a soldier, period. You don't enjoy fighting. And more or less think all the people who do are retrads who need to use thier brains more than thier brawn. Beware the day will come when even peace lovers and budhist monks will pick up shotguns in defence.

So, whoever came up with this description wasn't using their brain. What are "retrads"? "Thier"? "Budhist"? Come on, at least use spell check, that's not against the rules is it???

Ah well, these groups are certainly entitled to their opinion - after all we are in the United States. Another country wouldn't be so kind to these types. However, if you disagree with someone's ideology you can protest it without trying to hijack it. It backfired anyway...There are other places for your wonderful fliers than in our publication.

I have to go though, Mussolini is calling the cell...

The "Fascist" Times??

Well, once again we have ANOTHER display of the "tolerance" of the left. The UWM Times published its' second issue for distribution last night. We distributed the December edition late last night (around 9 pm) in various locations - tables, drop boxes, etc. It took less than 12 hours for the intolerance of any conservative viewpoints to be brought to light.

After class this morning, I was walking through the Union and walked past one of the drop boxes where our paper is located. When I looked, I saw the UWM Times displaying in the provided insert on the front of the box. Sticking out from behind the paper was a flyer - the top of which was only visible. It read: "14 defining characteristics common to each fascist State:". The flyer displays 14 of these characteristics that derived from an article written by Political Scientist Dr. Lawrence Britt who studied the regimes of

"Hitler (Germany), Mussolini (Italy), Franco (Spain), Suharto (Indonesia), and Pinochet (Chile)" [and] "Dr. Britt found they all had 14 elements in common. He calls these the identifying characteristics of fascism."

The 14 characteristics are displayed on the one page, two-sided flyer. Along with each characteristic comes a photograph that relates to the United States. An example of how quickly this is put together is characteristic #10 - which states "Labor Power is suppressed". Next to that characteristic is the title of one of the headlines from our December issue: "Unions Destroy the American Automobile" -the UWM Times, December 2005, p.5. So, apparently someone picked up a copy last night and worked to put together this flyer and have them INSIDE of some of our newspapers as well as in the insert displays around campus.

These people are obviously not very bright because they are drawing more attention to our paper because of the fascism cry. The UWM Times is currently being read all over campus and we have to bring more copies to campus for further distribution. Is it any wonder why our universities continually cry for diversity and tolerance yet conservative viewpoints are squashed?

Even more interesting, for my Contemporary Political Theory class we just finished reading a book published by University of Wisconsin Professor Donald Downs entitled Restoring Free Speech and Liberty on Campus. The book highlighted the suppression of free speech that the Free Speech Movement fought so hard for. It discussed several cases, all of which were instances where conservatives came under attack. The vast majority of universities are structured for liberal (ideology) thought and it cannot become more obvious how intolerant they are when the opposition tries to have a voice.

So, the UWM Times is merely a fascist publication that is promoting the fascist regime of George W. Bush. World domination is next on the agenda...

A Moron of Monumental Proportions

The UWM Times has posted its' second issue today. I broke my own vow of silence on Cindy Sheehan with this latest article. In my defense, listening to her talk is quite amusing - just think, if her and John Madden ever got together! Oh, the possibilities! Here is one of my articles that appears in this month's edition:

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A Moron of Monumental Proportions

With the return to Crawford, Texas during the Thanksgiving holiday, anti-war activist Cindy Sheehan was presented a monument displaying the words “Sheehan’s Stand” as a tribute to her protests.

So, what has Mrs. Sheehan been doing since arriving outside of Bush’s Texas ranch last August? Her original motive – a second meeting with the president – has not occurred. However, the media had given her such grand coverage that her main goal has taken a back seat to her undeserved fame. It is no surprise, then, when most people who are outraged that Sheehan has not been able to speak with President Bush do not know the comments she made the first time they met.

Let me refresh your memory: Cindy Sheehan met with the George W. Bush at Fort Lewis in June of 2004. What words did she have for our president after the first meeting as reported by her local newspaper in Vacaville, California? “I now know he's sincere about wanting freedom for the Iraqis. I know he's sorry and feels some pain for our loss. And I know he's a man of faith.” She went on to say that the meeting brought about a sense of normalcy which was something “the president gave us, the gift of happiness, of being together.”

A year later, Sheehan’s account of the meeting had changed drastically. In an interview on CNN, a sympathetic president never appeared at the meeting. Rather, Bush “acted like it was a party” and "[Cindy’s family] wanted to use the time for him to know that he killed an indispensable part of our family and humanity. And we wanted him to look at the pictures of Casey.” After further questioning on the party comment, Cindy restated that “[Bush] came in very jovial, and like we should be happy that [Casey] died for his misguided policies.” Now, I have not heard such double talk since Kerry voted for the war before he voted against it!

Cindy Sheehan’s comments about her son being tricked into military duty are just plain lies. After serving his first term, Cindy’s son, Casey, actually re-enlisted in the U.S. Army voluntarily when he was 24-years-old. He was attached as a mechanic to the artillery division of the 1st U.S. Cavalry in Iraq and earned a Bronze Star. Perhaps Cindy’s grief has been so overwhelming that she cannot recount the facts correctly.

What makes this woman’s story even better is the fact that liberals allowed this woman to be their loudest spokesperson. No longer did she speak out solely about the war in Iraq. She used this newfound fame to comment on a wide range of issues. This lady is now an expert on everything from history to international diplomacy. Listening to this woman speak is basically hearing slapstick comedy. Let’s take a look at the vast knowledge of Cindy Sheehan verbalized:

Appearing at SFSU, Sheehan claimed that “[the administration is] not waging a War on Terror but a War of Terror,” and “the biggest terrorist is George W. Bush.” Furthermore, Sheehan spewed some anti-American vitriol, “We have no Constitution. We’re the only country with no checks and balances…Let George Bush send his two little party animals to die in Iraq. It’s OK for Israel to have nuclear weapons but we are waging nuclear war in Iraq, we have contaminated the entire country. It’s not OK for Syria to be in Lebanon. Hypocrites! But Israel can occupy Palestine? Stop the slaughter!” It is good to see such a scholar on American history who truly knows how our government system operates. Yea, lady, next you are going to agree with the former Canadian Minister of Defence’s statements that the Bush administration is allowing the military to build a base on the moon, “to keep track of the goings and comings of the visitors from space, and to shoot at them.” Get ready for intergalactic war everybody! Isn’t that right, Cindy?

One comment jammed in between her statements on the U.S. Constitution and Israel is disturbing: “Let George Bush send his two little party animals to die in Iraq.” Now, I thought Cindy was this loving, sweet, caring mother who speaks for the sake of children. So much for that image.

It is amazing that the main stream media chooses to ignore certain comments. During the same SFSU speech, Sheehan proclaimed that “America has been killing people on this continent since it was started. This country is not worth dying for...” Does this comment need justification? I certainly think so, but her lunacy reaches new levels every time she opens her obnoxious mouth. During Hurricane Katrina, Sheehan cried for the National Guardsmen to be brought back from Iraq because they needed to fill in the void left in New Orleans. Yet, a couple weeks later, Sheehan posted this statement on Michael Moore’s website:

“George Bush needs to stop talking, admit the mistakes of his all around failed administration, pull our troops out of occupied New Orleans and Iraq, and excuse his self from power. The only way America will become more secure is if we have a new administration that cares about Americans even if they don’t fall into the top two percent of the wealthiest.”

Make up your mind Mrs. Sheehan! I don’t think she realizes the stupidity of her comments. Either that, or she suffers from short-term memory loss. The liberals in Congress slowly realized that Cindy Sheehan had worn out her welcome after she lambasted the “war hawk” Hillary Clinton. With her comments directed towards favorite liberals, Mrs. Sheehan quickly lost most of the venues that had been so freely bestowed upon her. The proof can be seen with the latest rally attempt in Crawford with Mrs. Sheehan and company managing to garner only two hundred people. Yet, there are still some nutcases that are calling for her to run for Senate or possibly the presidency. I don’t know what is more hilarious, the thought of Cindy Sheehan trying to run our country or Geena Davis’ attempts. At least, Hillary Clinton has already been there!

It is sad to see how Mrs. Sheehan has hurt her son’s noble cause in our military. I truly feel sorry for her loss, yet the exploitation of her son has hurt her credibility enormously. Her husband filed for divorce and members of her family produced a statement that disagreed with the way she has publicly promoted her own personal agenda. The venue for political dissent should always be allowed in our great country, yet Cindy Sheehan has crossed the line with her reckless comments in the name of Casey Sheehan. I suppose the monument given to Cindy with the words “Sheehan’s Stand” was expected to draw parallels with Custer’s last stand. If these people did their homework, they would have recalled that Custer died in the Battle of the Little Bighorn and suffered a major defeat. But, we all know Cindy Sheehan has never been known for fact-checking.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

And with her recent book flop (see: Cindy waits), Sheehan is going to continue to fade from public view. It's about time people realize what a moonbat she really is. You might as well let a 3rd grader lead the charge against the war!

Our Troops Must Stay

After picking up my Wall Street Journal today and glancing at the Editorial page, I came across an article by Senator Joe Lieberman (D - Connecticut). Senator Lieberman just returned from his fourth trip to Iraq and has some excellent things to report on that the MSM does not. I challenge these quitters who call for immediate withdrawal to take a deeper look at what is going on in Iraq and then tell me that everything is a disaster. Thank God we didn't have you types of people during World War I or World War II or who knows where our country would be at right now. Here are a few excerpts from Senator Lieberman's report in the Wall Street Journal:

Our Troops Must Stay
America can't abandon 27 million Iraqis to 10,000 terrorists.
By Joe Lieberman

I have just returned from my fourth trip to Iraq in the past 17 months and can report real progress there. More work needs to be done, of course, but the Iraqi people are in reach of a watershed transformation from the primitive, killing tyranny of Saddam to modern, self-governing, self-securing nationhood--unless the great American military that has given them and us this unexpected opportunity is prematurely withdrawn.

It is a war between 27 million and 10,000; 27 million Iraqis who want to live lives of freedom, opportunity and prosperity and roughly 10,000 terrorists who are either Saddam revanchists, Iraqi Islamic extremists or al Qaeda foreign fighters who know their wretched causes will be set back if Iraq becomes free and modern. The terrorists are intent on stopping this by instigating a civil war to produce the chaos that will allow Iraq to replace Afghanistan as the base for their fanatical war-making. We are fighting on the side of the 27 million because the outcome of this war is critically important to the security and freedom of America. If the terrorists win, they will be emboldened to strike us directly again and to further undermine the growing stability and progress in the Middle East, which has long been a major American national and economic security priority.

In the face of terrorist threats and escalating violence, eight million Iraqis voted for their interim national government in January, almost 10 million participated in the referendum on their new constitution in October, and even more than that are expected to vote in the elections for a full-term government on Dec. 15. Every time the 27 million Iraqis have been given the chance since Saddam was overthrown, they have voted for self-government and hope over the violence and hatred the 10,000 terrorists offer them. Most encouraging has been the behavior of the Sunni community, which, when disappointed by the proposed constitution, registered to vote and went to the polls instead of taking up arms and going to the streets. Last week, I was thrilled to see a vigorous political campaign, and a large number of independent television stations and newspapers covering it.

None of these remarkable changes would have happened without the coalition forces led by the U.S. And, I am convinced, almost all of the progress in Iraq and throughout the Middle East will be lost if those forces are withdrawn faster than the Iraqi military is capable of securing the country.

The leaders of Iraq's duly elected government understand this, and they asked me for reassurance about America's commitment. The question is whether the American people and enough of their representatives in Congress from both parties understand this. I am disappointed by Democrats who are more focused on how President Bush took America into the war in Iraq almost three years ago, and by Republicans who are more worried about whether the war will bring them down in next November's elections, than they are concerned about how we continue the progress in Iraq in the months and years ahead.

Here is an ironic finding I brought back from Iraq. While U.S. public opinion polls show serious declines in support for the war and increasing pessimism about how it will end, polls conducted by Iraqis for Iraqi universities show increasing optimism. Two-thirds say they are better off than they were under Saddam, and a resounding 82% are confident their lives in Iraq will be better a year from now than they are today. What a colossal mistake it would be for America's bipartisan political leadership to choose this moment in history to lose its will and, in the famous phrase, to seize defeat from the jaws of the coming victory.

Does America have a good plan for doing this, a strategy for victory in Iraq? Yes we do. And it is important to make it clear to the American people that the plan has not remained stubbornly still but has changed over the years. Mistakes, some of them big, were made after Saddam was removed, and no one who supports the war should hesitate to admit that; but we have learned from those mistakes and, in characteristic American fashion, from what has worked and not worked on the ground. The administration's recent use of the banner "clear, hold and build" accurately describes the strategy as I saw it being implemented last week.

These are new ideas that are working and changing the reality on the ground, which is undoubtedly why the Iraqi people are optimistic about their future--and why the American people should be, too.

These are just a few excerpts from Lieberman's editorial. I wish for once people would drop the bi-partisan banter and open up their eyes to the real progress and dedication taking place with the aid of Americans and Iraqis alike. However, I know that people can be out of touch with reality (see: nutjob Cindy Sheehan) and asking this is usually asking too much from these idiots. Ah well, at least the rest of the American people can hear what is going on!

Oh, and of course the MSM makes it sound like the terrorists and insurgents outnumber the pleased Iraqi citizens with their constant defeatist tone every day. Instead of 10,000 terrorists and 27 MILLION Iraqis, the MSM would have you believe it's the other way around. No, the U.S. CANNOT abandon 27 million Iraqis for the sake of 10,000 terrorists!

Please read Senator Lieberman's full article here.

Update: The UWM Times

Previously, I posted on the publication that we had started at the University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee. Barely 3 hours into distribution, a university official shut us down because of the "UWM" in our title.

This simple action has prompted a series of activity that affects all publications on campus bearing the UWM name. We pointed out the ridiculousness of this policy by bringing forth the publications of "The UWM Post" (www.uwmpost.com) and "The Leader" (www.uwmleader.com). Furthermore, The Leader claims on its publication to be "UWM's Finest Arts and Entertainment Newspaper." Why is it that our publication entitled "The UWM Times" cannot be distributed on campus nor our website be allowed (www.uwmtimes.com) because we incorporate "UWM" in our title when both these existing publications can?

The official with whom myself and Tom Keeley spoke with had little to offer in the way of explanation. He even proclaimed that he didn't know specifically why it was such a big deal. All we can say is that the case is being examined by lawyers from both sides - our own and the University's. What makes this even more ridiculous is that the University claims it would still be responsible for the content we publish even with a disclaimer! That certainly makes no sense when you realize that the previously mentioned publications have disclaimers. Maybe UWM is concerned with our "Writing What's Right Since 2005" tag on our papers. I must admit that these tie-ups related to our publication are very frustrating - we want to publish our next issue in December but the University's lawyers have offered no timetable for coming up with a decision. Meanwhile, as this issue is dragging out, we are drawing attention from other media forms...

Mal Kline from Accuracy in Academia lists the plight of us here at UWM as well as other schools within Wisconsin. Read his article.

Here's to Being Italian

Boy, if some of these statements aren’t the truth when it comes to my childhood!! I’ll highlight the more appropriate ones as they relate to me!

Here’s to Being Italian
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. You have at least one relative who wore a black dress every day for an
entire year after a funeral.
2. You spent your entire childhood thinking what you ate for lunch was pronounced "sangwich."
3. Your family dog understood Italian.
4. Every Sunday afternoon of your childhood was spent visiting your grandparents and extended family.
5. You've experienced the phenomena of 150 people fitting into 50 square feet of yard during a family cookout.
6. You were surprised to discover the FDA recommends you eat three meals a day, not seven.
7. You ate pasta for dinner at least three times a week, and every Sunday.
8. You grew up thinking no fruit or vegetable had a fixed price and that the price of everything was negotiable through haggling.
9. You were as tall as your grandmother by the age of seven. (Sorry nonna, but it’s true!)
10. You thought everyone's last name ended in a vowel.
11. You were surprised to find out that wine was actually sold in stores.
12. You ate your salad after the main course.
13. You were hit at least once with a wooden spoon.
14. You thought every meal had to be eaten with a hunk of bread in your left hand.
15. You learned to play bocce before you went to school.
16. You have at least one relative who came over on the boat.
17. You grew up calling the bathroom the baccausu. And you only had one.
18. You were surprised to learn most kitchen utensils had another name which didn't end in a vowel.
19. All of your uncles fought in a World War.
20. You have at least six male relatives named Tony, Nicky, Frankie, Joey or Louie.
21. You have relatives who aren't really your relatives.
22. You have relatives you don't speak to.
23. You drank wine before you were a teenager.
24. Your grandparent's furniture was as comfortable as sitting on plastic. Wait!!!! You were sitting on plastic.
25. You thought that talking loud was normal.
26. You thought cookie cakes and the Tarantella were common at all weddings.
27. You thought everyone got pinched on the cheeks and money stuffed in their pockets by their relatives.
28. Your mother is overly protective of the males in the family no matter what their age .
29. Every lunchmeat you ate ended in a vowel.
30. Boys didn't do house work because it was women's work.
31. You couldn't date a boy without getting approval from your father.
32. You know what lemon ice is.
33. Your Christmas tree was silver.
34. You have at least one irrational fear or phobia that can be attributed to your mother.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Yea, I guess there are a lot of things on that list that relate to me…yikes! Actually, it’s a good thing!