Time to Rant!

Allow me to rant for a moment. I usually try not to do that. I usually try to establish a calm, analytical tone in my writing. But today, allow me to rant.

I’m sick and tired of the superior, holier-than-thou attitude of the leaders of the Democrat Party.

Latest case in point: On Wednesday, former Education Secretary William Bennett made a careless and inappropriate comment on his radio show “Morning in America.” In condemning the idea that increased abortion is one way to reduce crime, Bennett, who is pro-life, said, "But I do know that it's true that if you wanted to reduce crime, you could, if that were your sole purpose, you could abort every black baby in this country, and your crime rate would go down.” Bennett then continued by saying that to do so would be "an impossible, ridiculous and morally reprehensible thing to do, but your crime rate would go down.”

His point was that abortion should not be used to cure other social ills. In that respect, he is entirely correct. His wording was, as I have already said, careless and inappropriate.

But what really enrages me is the response to Bennett’s comment.

FOXNews reports today that Senate minority leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., said he was "appalled by Mr. Bennett's remarks" and called on him "to issue an immediate apology not only to African Americans but to the nation."

In the same report, Rep. Rahm Emanuel, D-Ill., is quoted as saying, "At the very time our country yearns for national unity in the wake of hurricane Katrina, these comments reflect a spirit of hate and division."

Give me a break!

Where was Representative Emanuel’s call for national unity when Jessie Jackson complained that blacks were caught in the suffering in New Orleans yet “locked out of the leadership” by President Bush, while completely ignoring the fact that U.S. Army Lt. Gen. Russell Honore, who is black, was the head of the military task force overseeing operations in the hurricane area?

Where was Senator Reid’s call for an immediate apology when Rep. Charles Rangel, D-NY, said, "George Bush is our Bull Connor”?

Where was any Democrat when Kanye West exclaimed on live television, "George Bush doesn't care about black people"?

Where was any Democrat when Louis Farrakhan suggested that the New Orleans levee “may have been blown up to destroy the black part of town and keep the white part dry.”

The Democrats were not heard from. They were perfectly content to allow all these comments reflecting "a spirit of hate and division" to go unchallenged. The utter, open hypocrisy of some of these people is overwhelming. I'm sick of it!

Wake Up, Indiana!

Barbara Boxer, Hillary Clinton, Dick Durbin, Dianne Feinstein, Ted Kennedy, John Kerry, Charles Schumer… what do these names have in common? They are some of the most left-wing liberals in the Democrat party. They are also among the small, 22% minority of Senators who voted against the confirmation of John Roberts to be Chief Justice of the United States. Add one name to that list: Evan Bayh. That’s correct. The so-called “moderate” Democrat from the red-state of Indiana is now officially part of the Lefties-R-Us club. Actually, he’s been part of that club for a long time; the people of Indiana have just not been awake to that fact. Well, wake up and smell the coffee, folks. More importantly, remember who Bayh really is when he next runs for re-election. And if he gets the Democratic nomination for President, let’s make sure we’re not bamboozled by his moderate sounding rhetoric or enamored with the idea of having a Hoosier in the White House. Evan Bayh is a liberal who couldn’t care less about representing the conservative ideals of the vast majority of people in our state. Let’s make sure we don’t forget that the next time we’re in the voting booth.

What! Appeasement Doesn't Work?

This is really difficult to comprehend. Lefties have been telling us that if we don't make the terrorists mad, they'll leave us alone. We've been told that our being in Iraq has made terrorism worse. Cindy Sheehan, the new darling of the American left, even went as far as to declare, "You get America out of Iraq and Israel out of Palestine and you'll stop the terrorism." So I'm really having trouble understanding how the following two stories are possible.

In August and September, the Israelis pulled out of the Gaza Strip as part of the Israeli-Palestinian peace plan. That should have been it. No more terrorist attacks on the Israelis, at least not in the Gaza area. But then, a shocker! On Friday, September 23, a group of Hamas militants mishandled explosives during a celebration in Gaza, causing an explosion that killed 19 people. They promptly blamed Israel for the explosion and began firing rockets at Israeli towns.

Elsewhere, our appeasement-loving liberal friends, the French, are facing a "very high level" of terrorist threat.

Calling the risk of a terrorist attack against France very high, Interior Minister Nicolas Sarkozy has outlined new anti-terror legislation that will include expanded video surveillance of public areas and police access to phone and Internet records.

Sarkozy, who is also head of President Jacques Chirac's majority UMP (Union for a Popular Movement) party and a strong contender for the 2007 presidential elections, unveiled the measures in the wake of a dawn police sweep outside Paris which rounded up nine Islamic militants suspected of plotting attacks.

Speaking on the France 3 television network, Sarkozy said France needed to revamp its anti-terror laws because "the terrorist threat exists. It is at a very high level."

Asked to rate the threat on a scale of one to five, Sarkozy said it was closer to four than to three.

O.K., I can somewhat understand the Hamas rocket attacks against Israel. They're probably still a bit huffy because the Israelis were in Gaza to begin with. So what's a few rocket attacks against an old enemy?

But terrorism against France? No way! They've never been in Palestine. They're not in Iraq. They don't make anyone mad. They make yummy pastries, for goodness sakes!

It just doesn't make sense. Appeasement doesn't work? I'm bummed.

Democrat Party Can't Decide Its Core Values

In attendace at a meeting of Wyoming Democrats, Democratic National Committee vice chairman Rep. Mike Honda, D-CA, made these comments about the national party:

"We lost touch at the federal level... We have a hard time deciding what our core values are and what are issues."

How can one have a hard time deciding what his or her core values are? Core values are basic guiding principles. They are deep-seeded beliefs. They come from within. People or organizations that "have a hard time deciding" what their core values are, probably don't have any.

Thus, one problem with the Democrat Party.

Able Danger Update VI

Will they or won't they? That is the question. On Tuesday, September, 20, five members of the Able Danger intelligence team were ordered by the Pentagon not to testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee. On Friday the 23rd, however, it was reported that the Pentagon had reversed its decision, and committe chairman Arlen Specter announced new hearings for October 5th.

Now, it seems that those hearings have been postponed. The official reason for the postponement is the Rosh Hashanah observances, which begin on Monday, October 3rd. However, Mark Zaid, attorney for Lt. Col. Anthony Shaffer, who was scheduled to testify, claims that the real reason for the postponement is that the Department of Defense is not cooperating, and a pentagon spokesman has confirmed that the DOD has not agreed to allow the hearing.

So, will they testify, or will they not?

Stay tuned...

Are We Having Fun Yet?

Cindy Sheehan is all smiles as she is being arrested today outside the White House. It's difficult to look at this picture and not think that Sheehan is thoroughly enjoying all the attention that she's been getting, but maybe that's just her way of dealing with her son's death.

Regardless of whether she is enjoying it or not, you can count on the left to use Sheehan's arrest as "evidence" of Bush fascism. As Sheehan was being arrested, protesters were chanting, "The whole world is watching."

Well, let them watch. This is still a country where the rule of law applies, and when police warn you three times (as they did in this case) that you are breaking the law by not moving along, then you should move along or expect to get arrested. Of course, they did expect to get arrested. That's what they wanted. Now they have their evidence.

ANWR.ORG or People In Polar Bear Suits - Who Would You Believe?

While people in polar bear suits prepare to gather in Washington on Tuesday to protest an ANWR drilling provision in the Senate's version of the 2006 budget bill, take a minute to read this from anwr.org:

TOP 10 REASONS TO SUPPORT DEVELOPMENT IN ANWR

1. Only 8% of ANWR Would Be Considered for Exploration Only the 1.5 million acre or 8% on the northern coast of ANWR is being considered for development. The remaining 17.5 million acres or 92% of ANWR will remain permanently closed to any kind of development. If oil is discovered, less than 2000 acres of the over 1.5 million acres of the Coastal Plain would be affected. That¹s less than half of one percent of ANWR that would be affected by production activity.

2. Revenues to the State and Federal Treasury Federal revenues would be enhanced by billions of dollars from bonus bids, lease rentals, royalties and taxes. Estimates on bonus bids for ANWR by the Office of Management and Budget and the Department of Interior for the first 5 years after Congressional approval are 4.2 billion dollars.

3. Jobs To Be Created Between 250,000 and 735,000 ANWR jobs are estimated to be created by development of the Coastal Plain.

4. Economic Impact Between 1977 and 2004, North Slope oil field development and production activity contributed over $50 billion to the nations economy, directly impacting each state in the union.

5. America's Best Chance for a Major Discovery The Coastal Plain of ANWR is America's best possibility for the discovery of another giant "Prudhoe Bay-sized" oil and gas discovery in North America. U.S. Department of Interior estimates range from 9 to 16 billion barrels of recoverable oil.

6. North Slope Production in Decline The North Slope oil fields currently provide the U.S. with nearly 16% of it's domestic production and since 1988 this production has been on the decline. Peak production was reached in 1980 of two million barrels a day, but has been declining to a current level of 943,000 barrels a day.

7. Imported Oil Too Costly In 2004 the US imported an average of 58% of its oil and during certain months up to 64%. That equates to over $150 billion in oil imports and over $170 billion including refined petroleum products. That¹s $19.9 million dollars an hour! Including defence costs the number would be nearly a trillion dollars.

8. No Negative Impact on Animals Oil and gas development and wildlife are successfully coexisting in Alaska 's arctic. For example, the Central Arctic Caribou Herd (CACH) which migrates through Prudhoe Bay has grown from 3000 animals to its current level of 32,000 animals. The arctic oil fields have very healthy brown bear, fox and bird populations equal to their surrounding areas.

9. Arctic Technology Advanced technology has greatly reduced the 'footprint" of arctic oil development. If Prudhoe Bay were built today, the footprint would be 1,526 acres, 64% smaller.

10. Alaskans Support More than 75% of Alaskans favor exploration and production in ANWR. The Inupiat Eskimos who live in and near ANWR support onshore oil development on the Coastal Plain.

So who would you believe, anwr.org or people in polar bear suits?

Hillary Unhinged - Again

For several months now, Hillary Clinton has been attempting to appear to be a moderate Democrat. This attempted transformation is, of course, in preparation for her 2008 presidential run. It seems now, however, that it is becoming too difficult for her to maintain the facade.

On Saturday, NewsMax.com posted two separate reports on Mrs. Clinton's latest diatribes.

In one, Clinton seems to suggest that if Roe v. Wade were ever overturned, state governments might force women to have five children .

It would go in the direction that I saw in my travels, where, you know, in China they mandated you could only have one child. And in some places, like Romania during the Communist era, they mandated that you must have five children.

In a second rant, Clinton agrees with Harry Belafonte's charge that the United States has wrecked the planet.

Belafonte, speaking to the Congressional Black Caucus, made this statement:

There's a lot of people out here who are really pissed off. Our foreign policy has made a wreck of this planet. I'm always in Africa . . . And when I go to these places I see American policy written on the walls of oppression everywhere.

Following Belafonte's berating of the United States, Clinton stepped to the microphone and said, "What Harry said is so important."

Hillary Clinton can try to sound moderate, but there is nothing moderate about her. She is a far-left liberal, and anything she says in an attempt to appear otherwise is simply a pretense with intent to deceive.

Able Danger Update V

This just in from FOXNews

'Able Danger' Will Get Second Hearing
Saturday, September 24, 2005

WASHINGTON — The Defense Department on Friday reversed its earlier decision to bar key witnesses from testifying about just how much information the U.S. government had on the Sept. 11 hijackers before they led the attacks that killed 3,000 people.

The Senate Judiciary Committee has therefore scheduled a second hearing for next week on the formerly secret Pentagon intelligence unit called 'Able Danger'...

On Wednesday, former army major and head of the Pentagon's Land Warfare Analysis Department Erik Kleinsmith testified that he had been ordered to destroy large amounts of Able Danger data. However, Pentagon lawyers blocked the testimony of five other Able Danger team members.

Friday's reversal of the Pentagon's decision means that the Committee will hear the testimony of the five other witnesses. The five include army intelligence officer Lt. Col. Anthony Shaffer, the first Able Danger team member to publicly state that a terrorist cell, which included Mohammed Atta and three other 9-11 hijackers, had been identified operating in New York over a year before the terrorist attacks. Also among the five are navy captain Scott Philpott, who publicly confirmed Shaffer's claim, and civilian defense contractor James Smith, who created a chart in 2000 that included Atta as a potential threat.

Undate: Senate Judiciary Committee chairman Arlen Specter has scheduled the new hearings for October 5th.

The ACLU Shows its True Colors

On Wednesday of this week, the ACLU launched Not In My State, a nationwide drive against abstinence-only-until-marriage curricula.

”For too long the federal government has funded abstinence-only-until-marriage curricula that are based on ideology and religion rather than science,” said Jennifer McAllister-Nevins, State Strategies Attorney for the ACLU Reproductive Freedom Project and Not In My State campaign coordinator.

The director of the ACLU's Reproductive Freedom Project is pro-abortion rights activist Louise Melling. If there is any question about the ACLU's agenda, consider these words praising Melling in a November 2002 ACLU press release announcing her appointment.

She (Melling) secured the first injunction against a so-called partial-birth abortion ban in the nation; she led several successful state constitutional challenges to restrictions on Medicaid coverage for abortions; and she participated in numerous challenges to laws requiring parental involvement in minors’ abortion decisions.

With activists like Louise Melling at the forefront of a drive against abstinence-only education, the ACLU is sounding much like the radical pro-abortion group NARAL. In July of this year, NARAL held a Screw Abstinence Party in order to “draw attention to the problems with federal funding for abstinence- only-until-marriage sex education programs.”

A promo for the event urged partygoers to “Come laugh, learn, socialize and buck the system at NARAL Pro-Choice Washington's Screw Abstinence Party.” Two features for the evening were advertised as follows:

Pork Filled Players -- Seattle theatre's hottest sketch comedy group performs a sex ed class for adults.

Toys in Babeland -- Seattle's sleaze-free, sex-positive purveyors of adult toys offer tips on "Sexy Safer Sex.

Can there be any doubt that groups like NARAL and the ACLU are on the same side? The ACLU's website claims that they are nonpartisan. However, the membership page of their website makes the following statement:

The Bush Administration is rolling back our rights in the name of homeland security . . . extremists on the Christian Right have the ear of the White House . . . and the federal judiciary is increasingly hostile to civil liberties.

Notice that the “Christian Right” are the “extremists.” The atheists who want to ban the words "under God" from the Pledge of Allegiance are not extremists. The abortion rights activists who want to keep every form of abortion legal, including a procedure in which the abortionist jams scissors into a partially born baby's skull to make a hole, opens the scissors to enlarge the hole, removes the scissors and inserts a suction catheter into the hole, then sucks the baby's brains out causing the skull to collapse, are not extremists. These people are mainstream.

Make no mistake. The ACLU is a liberal, pro-abortion, anti-Christian organization. But the conservatives who read this blog already know that. For everyone else, I challenge you to see the ACLU for what it really is.

AOL Online Poll

Results of an AOL online poll show that Americans feel 2-1 that President Bush has done a better job than has New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin in the handling of the hurricane Katrina crisis.

67% of the more than 589,000 respondents said that the President did a better job, while 33% thought Nagin did a better job.

Just more bad news for Democrats who have tried to pin the blame for this disaster, like everything else, on the President.

Another "Classy" Hollywood Liberal

These words from Bette Midler, spoken during a recent Madison Square Garden Pay-Per-View concert for the victims of Hurricane Katrina.

I could stand up here and talk for hours about ineptitude, stupidity, blame, inequality, global warming, the dangerous destruction of the wetlands. But if I did, what will all those other people have to talk about? I'm telling you these are -- these are not just dangerous times, these are -- these times are disastrous. We're surrounded by disasters! The war, the hurricane, the Fox News. It just goes on and on. I get so depressed!

A terrible thing happened to me. Today I got a letter from the Republican Party thanking me, thanking me, thanking me for supporting this administration's policies. I did what any self-respecting American of integrity and class would do, I wrote "Go [bleep] yourself!" I sent it back! Postage due!

"Self-respecting American of integrity and class" - She doesn't even know the meaning of the words!

Able Danger Update IV

Last week I reported that Congressman Curt Weldon, R-PA had stated that a Pentagon employee had been ordered to destroy Able Danger documents and that the unnamed employee was prepared to testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee.

Well, the unnamed employee is now named. Erik Kleinsmith, former head of the Pentagon's Land Warfare Analysis Department, did indeed testify today before the Senate Judiciary Committee. In response to Committee Chairman Arlen Specter's question as to whether or not Able Danger had enough intelligence to have prevented the 9-11 attacks, Kleinsmith said,

"I go to bed every night and other members of our team do as well [thinking] that if [Able Danger] had not been shut down that we would have at least been able to prevent something or assist the United States in some way."

According to Kleinsmith, a top Pentagon lawyer ordered in May of 2000 the destruction of Able Danger's intelligence data.

In a related story, also out today, apparently Pentagon lawyers have ordered five members of the Able Danger intelligence team not to testify in today's hearing.

The five include Army intelligence officer Lt. Col. Anthony Shaffer and Navy Captain Scott Philpott. Shaffer was the first Able Danger team member to publicly state that a terrorist cell which included Mohammed Atta and three other 9-11 hijackers had been identified operating in New York over a year before the terrorist attacks. Phillpott, another team member, soon publicly confirmed Shaffer's claim.

Why are these men being hushed, who is being protected, and why isn't the mainstream media all over this story?

Stay tuned...

More of the Same

Senator John Kerry, the same Senator John Kerry who lost the last presidential election by nearly 3 million votes, continues the negative, divisive rhetoric that characterized his last campaign, and that, indeed, characterizes the Democrat Party today.

In a speech Monday at Brown University, Kerry lashed out once again at the Bush administration and tried to link Katrina to every other criticism he’s had of the President.

“Katrina is a symbol of all this administration does and doesn't do. Michael Brown -- or Brownie as the President so famously thanked him for doing a heck of a job - Brownie is to Katrina what Paul Bremer is to peace in Iraq; what George Tenet is to slam dunk intelligence; what Paul Wolfowitz is to parades paved with flowers in Baghdad; what Dick Cheney is to visionary energy policy; what Donald Rumsfeld is to basic war planning; what Tom Delay is to ethics; and what George Bush is to “Mission Accomplished” and "Wanted Dead or Alive." The bottom line is simple: The "we'll do whatever it takes" administration doesn't have what it takes to get the job done.

This is the Katrina administration.”

If you can stomach it, you can read the complete tirade here. Don’t look for any factual information. There is none. You’ll find only more of the same hate-filled rage and utter nonsense that has become the standard of the left.

A New Birth of Freedom - Under God

We live in a strange time.

On September 8th, President Bush proclaimed Friday, September 16, 2005, a National Day of Prayer and Remembrance for the Victims of Hurricane Katrina.

Now the American Humanist Association (AHA) is calling the proclamation a violation of the U.S. Constitution.

AHA president and constitutional lawyer Mel Lipman said "The U.S. does not have a national religion - our president's role is not the director of faith - a national day of prayer is inherently exclusionary and a violation of the First Amendment principle of church-state separation."

It is true that the United States does not have a national religion. But a national day of prayer is a violation of the Constitution?

Then George Washington must have been in violation of the Constitution on April 30, 1789 when he said in his first inaugural address that

"...it would be peculiarly improper to omit in this first official act my fervent supplications to that Almighty Being who rules over the universe... No people can be bound to acknowledge and adore the Invisible Hand which conducts the affairs of men more than those of the United States."

Washington must also have been in violation October 3, 1789 when he began his National Thanksgiving Proclamation with the following words:

"Whereas it is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey His will, to be grateful for His benefits, and humbly to implore His protection and favor..."

John Adams must have violated the Constitution with his 1798 National Fasting and Prayer Proclamation when he wrote these words:

"AS the safety and prosperity of nations ultimately and essentially depend on the protection and blessing of Almighty God; and the national acknowledgment of this truth is not only an indispensable duty which the people owe to Him, but a duty whose natural influence is favorable to the promotion of that morality and piety, without which social happiness cannot exist, nor the blessings of a free government be enjoyed... I HAVE therefore thought it fit to recommend, that Wednesday, the 9th day of May next be observed throughout the United States, as a day of Solemn Humiliation, Fasting and Prayer"

On March 4, 1805, President Thomas Jefferson must have violated the Constitution when he offered “A National Prayer for Peace,” as follows:

“Almighty God, Who has given us this good land for our heritage; We humbly beseech Thee that we may always prove ourselves a people mindful of Thy favor and glad to do Thy will. Bless our land with honorable ministry, sound learning, and pure manners.

Save us from violence, discord, and confusion, from pride and arrogance, and from every evil way. Defend our liberties, and fashion into one united people the multitude brought hither out of many kindreds and tongues.

Endow with Thy spirit of wisdom those to whom in Thy Name we entrust the authority of government, that there may be justice and peace at home, and that through obedience to Thy law, we may show forth Thy praise among the nations of the earth.

In time of prosperity fill our hearts with thankfulness, and in the day of trouble, suffer not our trust in Thee to fail; all of which we ask through Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen.”

Abraham Lincoln must have been in violation when in 1863 he set aside the last Thursday of November as Thanksgiving Day, declaring

"We often forget the Source from which the blessings of fruitful years and healthful skies come. . . . No human wisdom hath devised nor hath any mortal hand worked out these great things. They are the gracious gifts of the Most High God. . . . I therefore invite my fellow-citizens in every part of the United States . . . to observe the last Thursday of November as a day of thanksgiving and praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the heavens."

Lincoln must also have violated the Constitution when he said on a battlefield in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania "...that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom..."

Regardless of what the atheists or secular humanists claim, this nation was founded upon a deep belief in God. God has been in the center of American life throughout our history. It's only been recently that those who would push God aside have tried to convince us that He has no place in our country. I, for one, am tired of listening to that small minority of people trying to impose a God-free society upon the rest of us. A God-free society was not a part of any principle leading to the founding of this country, and it was not the intent of any part of the Constitution. As citizens of a free country, the atheists and secular humanists can express their opinions, but the rest of us do not need to listen. If fact, with one strong voice, we need to drown out their anti-God message. We need to once again bring about a new birth of freedom - under God.

The Nature of the Game

Report today from The Associated Press:

North Korea pledged to drop its nuclear weapons development and rejoin international arms treaties in a unanimous agreement Monday at six- party arms talks. The agreement was the first-ever joint statement after more than two years of negotiations.

The North "promised to drop all nuclear weapons and current nuclear programs and to get back to the (Nuclear) Nonproliferation Treaty as soon as possible and to accept inspections" by the International Atomic Energy Agency, according to the agreement by the six countries at the talks.

Now, let’s backtrack a little bit. The Clinton administration’s bilateral talks with North Korea led to the “Agreed Framework of 1994," signed by the United States and North Korea on October 21 of that year. This agreement stated that North Korea would freeze its existing nuclear program. However, in 2002 the United States discovered that North Korea was pursuing a nuclear weapons program.

As a result, President Bush decided on a policy of multi-lateral talks with North Korea. In October of 2002, he met with Chinese president Jiang Zemin, and the two leaders agreed to work for a Korean Peninsula free of nuclear weapons. Bringing China, the one country with the most influence on North Korea, to the table was major strategic advance. South Korea, Japan, and Russia were also included in the talks.

Four rounds of six-party talks have been held prior to this latest round. All the while, North Korea has demanded bilateral talks with the United States. This demand has been consistently echoed by the American left. President Bush has been consistently criticized by Democrats and by the media as well for insisting on the multi-lateral talks. However, the President held his ground, and now it appears as if his insistence has paid off.

We should hear lawmakers on both sides of the aisle applauding this historic agreement. We should hear reporters from ABC, CBS, NBC, and CNN joyfully reporting this breakthrough. We should read in the New York Times about the success of this President’s multi-lateral efforts.

We won’t.

Yes, the networks will report the agreement, but only as a minor story. The New York Times columnists will cast doubt on the validity of the agreement. And the Ted Kennedy’s, Nancy Pelosi’s, and John Kerry’s of the world will find much reason to criticize, and precious little reason to praise, what has been accomplished.

That’s simply the nature of the game the left plays today.

Undate: I watched NBC's evening news on Monday. They did not mention this agreement until 2/3 of the way through their broadcast.

Undate 2: Now the North Koreans are casting doubt on the agreement. We'll have to wait and see how this plays out. However it plays out, I stand by my assertion that the left will be critical.

Another Liberal Ignores the Facts

Financial Times reports that former vice president Al Gore claimed on Saturday that global warming is responsible for the strengthening of hurricanes and that “Katrina is the first sip, the first taste, of a bitter cup that will be proffered to us over and over again."

However, according to the EPA's Global Warming Website "most of the warming over the last 50 years is attributable to human activities." (Emphasis added)

So how does Gore explain the following storms?

Colonial Hurricane of 1635--Was a powerful New England hurricane that struck the Massachussetts Bay Colony in 1635 some fifteen years after the Mayflower struck land at Plymouth Rock... Many of the pilgrims thought that this storm was apocalyptic.

Great September Gale of 1815--The storm struck on September 23, 1815, and brought an 11 foot storm surge to Providence, which was the highest storm surge in the Rhode Island capital prior to the Great Hurricane of 1938, which had a 17.6 foot storm surge.

Cape May Hurricane of 1821--A Category Four Hurricane, struck Cape May, New Jersey on September 3, 1821, and had hurricane force winds go as far west as Philadelphia while folks in New Jersey experienced wind gusts of up to 200 mph.

Galveston Hurricane of 1900--The deadliest natural disaster in United States History, this Category Four Hurricane moved through Cuba into the Gulf of Mexico before slamming ashore in Galveston, Texas on September 8, 1900 killing 6,000 people.

Lake Okeechobee Hurricane of 1928--Carved a path of destruction throughout the Atlantic, and over the north shore of Lake Okeechobee during the period from September 6th to September 20th, 1928. This particular hurricane, which had a central pressure of 27.43 inches, was fifth all time to strike the United States in terms of intensity. It was responsible for an estimated 2,500 deaths, and some $25 million dollars in damage (equivalent to $300 million 1990 U.S. dollars).

Chesapeake Bay Hurricane of 1933--A powerful Cape Verde Storm that reached Category Four strength at one point before weakening to Category Two strength. The storm ended up striking on August 23, 1933 causing 79 million dollars in damage according to 1969 estimates, and left some 18 people dead. It also knocked out service to about 79,000 telephones as well as uprooted some 600 trees in Virginia Beach. The storm also set a record for storm surge with one that was 9.8 feet above normal in spots.

Major Hurricane of September, 1933--1933 was a very active year for tropical storms and hurricanes with 21 named storms, and 10 of them becoming hurricanes. In addition to the Great Chesapeake Hurricane of 1933, the Mid-Atlantic was hit by another hurricane almost exactly a month to the day later when a Category Three storm emerged from a disturbance in the Bahamas, and came up the coast to make landfall at Cape Lookout, North Carolina.

Labor Day Hurricane of 1935--The most powerful hurricane to make landfall in the United States. A very small storm, this Category Five Hurricane tore through the Florida Keys with 180 mph winds, and a low pressure of 26.35 inches of Hg.

Long Island Express of 1938--A classic east coast hurricane, this Category Three storm moved rapidly from Cape Hatteras, North Carolina into New England in a matter of just six hours killing 600 people.

Great Hurricane of September, 1944--Cape Henry in Virginia was hit with sustained winds of 134 mph, and gusts up to 150 mph. Meanwhile, in Norfolk, winds reached close to hurricane force while gusts went up to 90 mph. The powerful storm caused tremendous damage along the coast from North Carolina to New England with some 41,000 buildings damaged, and a death toll of 390 people. The storm cost some $100 million dollars in damage including $25 million in New Jersey alone, where some 300 homes were destroyed on Long Beach Island.

Source for hurricane info

Notice that all of these hurricanes occurred more than 60 years ago! I don't know of any conservative who wants to destroy the environment. We do, however, want to deal in facts and not in a lot of emotionally charged rhetoric designed for political gain.

Liberal Radio Hosts Defend Farrakhan

On Wednesday, I commented on Louis Farrakhan's race-baiting conspiracy theory. Now, two Air America hosts are defending Farrakhan. Suprise, suprise.

Read the story here.

Memo to Senator Kerry

John Kerry has issued his response to President Bush's Katrina recovery speech.

"Leadership isn't a speech or a toll-free number. Leadership is getting the job done. No American doubts that New Orleans will rise again; they doubt the competence and commitment of this administration. Americans want to know that their government will be there when it counts with leadership that keeps them safe, not speeches in the aftermath to explain away the inexcusable."

Memo to Senator Kerry: You lost. You lost by nearly 3 million votes. We don’t care to hear your opinion. We had to listen to you during the campaign. Please be quiet now. Thank you.

Able Danger Update III

I finished my September 2nd "Able Danger Update II" with the words "Stay turned..."

O.K., here goes. According to an Associated Press story released today, Congressman Curt Weldon, R-PA claims that a Pentagon employee was ordered to destroy 2.5 terabytes of documents that identified Mohammed Atta as part of a terrorist cell operating in New York nearly two years before the 9-11 terrorist attacks. The report further states that the unnamed employee is "prepared to testify next week before the Senate Judiciary Committee and was expected to name the person who ordered him to destroy the large volume of documents."

Now, I don't know much about computers, but 2.5 terabytes of documents sounds like a lot to me! It also sounds like Congressman Weldon is putting his career and reputation on the line for this story. I have a feeling there just might be something to it.

Stay tuned...

Second Court Ruling Underscores Importance of Supreme Court Appointees

Most are aware of U.S. District Judge Lawrence Karlton's ruling this week that reciting the Pledge of Allegiance in public schools is unconstitutional because of the words "under God." A second, less publicized ruling was also handed down this week that once again illustrates what is at stake in the filling of two current U.S. Supreme Court vacancies.

On Monday U.S. District Court Judge Denise Page Hood ruled that Michigan's "Legal Birth Definition Act" is unconstitutional.

CNSNews.com reports that

In March 2005, Planned Parenthood and several abortion clinics sued to block the law, with the American Civil Liberties Union and the Center for Reproductive Rights serving as counsel. They argued that the law would ban most abortions.

According to Right to Life Michigan, the Legal Birth Definition Act is (an) attempt to "redefine legal birth so that a child has the protections of legal personhood once any part of that child is visible outside of the mother's body."

Right to Life Michigan said the bill does not restrict a specific abortion procedure, but it will effectively prohibit partial-birth abortion -- a procedure where a nearly fully-developed infant is pulled through the birth canal by its feet except for the head, which is then punctured by scissors to remove the brain before the partial delivery is completed.

Both the Michigan House and Senate passed the Legal Birth Definition Act in 2003, but Democratic Gov. Jennifer Granholm vetoed it.

Since there weren't enough Senate votes to override the veto, Right to Life of Michigan kicked off a "People's Override" petition drive in January 2004.

Pro-life activists collected more than 460,000 signatures on a petition that brought the bill back to the Michigan House and Senate, where lawmakers once again passed the bill -- thus overriding Granholm's earlier veto and allowing the bill to become law without her signature.

Can there be a more blatant example of judicial tyranny? The people's elected representatives pass a law. The governor vetoes it. Nearly 1/2 million people sign a petition to send the bill back to their elected representatives. The people's elected representatives override the governor's veto. It is the will of the people that this bill becomes law. One activist liberal judge overrides the will of the people.

Farrakhan's Conspiracy Theory

NewsMax.com reports today that Louis Farrakhan is trying to rev up the conspiracy theory machine.

"Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan is telling his followers that the levees in New Orleans may have been deliberately "blown up" to kill the city's black population.

The influential preacher was in Charlotte, North Carolina on Monday, where he detailed his Hurricane Katrina conspiracy theory.

"I heard from a very reliable source who saw a 25 foot deep crater under the levee breach," Farrakhan explained. "It may have been blown up to destroy the black part of town and keep the white part dry."

It's comments like this from people like Farrakhan, Jessie Jackson, and Al Sharpton that help keep racism alive. Unfortunately, those are the people whose comments make the news.

Most people have never heard of great black conservative thinkers like Thomas Sowell, Walter E. Williams, and Reverend Wayne Perryman. These are some of the sharpest minds, of any race, that I know of.

I would encourage everyone to read some of their material. You won't hear about it in the news.

When Will the 90% Take a Stand?

U.S. District Judge Lawrence Karlton ruled today that because of the phrase “one nation under God,” it is unconstitutional for students to recite the Pledge of Allegiance in public schools. This is only the latest of a long line of court rulings designed to officially establish a God-free America.

My question is this: With over 90% of the American population consistently professing belief in God, why do we continue to allow the remaining 10% to dictate to the rest of us their secular humanistic philosophy?

A Liberal Unintentionally Exposes Liberalism

In a pathetic and disgusting attempt to politicize the human tragedy of Hurricane Katrina, New York Times’ op-ed columnist Nicholas D. Kristof has perfectly illustrated the reason that modern liberalism completely fails those it professes to help. In his September 6th column , Kristof proclaims, “The wretchedness coming across our television screens from Louisiana has… underscored the Bush administration's ongoing reluctance or ineptitude in helping the poorest Americans.” Kristof's classic Bush-bashing column comes complete with standard liberal drivel such as “funds may have gone to Iraq rather than to the levees in New Orleans,” and “money went to tax cuts for the wealthiest rather than vaccinations for children.” The logic behind both arguments is so weak that any average high school debate team member could quickly reduce it to the rubbish it is.

More appalling, however, is that in his twisted attempt to denigrate the President, Kristof excuses those who looted and ravaged the city of New Orleans by comparing what was seen in New Orleans to what he saw when covering a 1995 earthquake in Kobe, Japan. According to Kristof, Japanese citizens committed no looting or criminal activity of any kind in the aftermath of the Kobe earthquake, but the incredible aspect of Kristof's commentary is his explanation of the contrast in the behavior of the Kobe residents and that of the New Orleans residents.

In explaining this contrast, Kristof states, “Japan has tried hard to stitch all Japanese together into the nation's social fabric. In contrast, the U.S. - particularly under the Bush administration - has systematically cut people out of the social fabric by redistributing wealth from the most vulnerable Americans to the most affluent.” Kristof's ludicrous point is that government, specifically the Bush administration, is to blame for the depravity of the thugs who committed these crimes in New Orleans.

Kristof's comments illuminate the deception of modern liberalism, which seeks to excuse, and in the process defeats, the individual. Modern liberalism absolves the individual of personal responsibility by passing to the government all responsibility for care of the individual. In the absence of any sense of personal responsibility, the individual is robbed of initiative and begins to mistakenly believe that 1) government can do a better job of caring for the individual than can the individual himself, and 2) the individual is entitled to be cared for by the government.

This entitlement mentality, combined with the lack of any sense of personal responsibility, carries over into every aspect of the individual's life. The student is entitled to receive a passing grade whether or not it has been earned. The unemployed is entitled to a job whether or not he is qualified. The employee is entitled to a promotion whether or not his productivity warrants it. The poor are entitled to become thugs and to loot other people's property because the government has "systematically cut people out of the social fabric."

This mentality creates in the individual an excuse for every failure. If the student fails, it's the teacher's fault. If the employee is not promoted, it's the employer's fault. If the poor remain poor, it's the government's fault.

Every successful businessman, every successful coach or athlete, every successful person in every walk of life will testify to the fact that the surest way to ensure failure is to make excuses. Yet modern liberalism breeds a culture of excuse, thereby ensuring failure for those who allow themselves to be deceived by its dogma.

Thank you Mr. Kristof for illustrating for America what liberalism really means.

September 11, 2001

"We will make no distinction between the terrorists who committed these acts and those who harbor them." -President George W. Bush

Congratulations Saints!

I'm a diehard Indianapolis Colts fan, but today, for one day, all of America is a New Orleans Saints fan. Congratulations to the team, the fans, and the city on today's 23-20 victory.

Exploiting Katrina for Political Gain

I have found this to be one of the most difficult posts I have made. The reason is simple: there is so much conflicting information in the aftermath of Katrina that to be 100% certain of the facts at this point is nearly impossible. However, I have become increasingly incensed at liberals who, intending to gain political ground, have automatically pointed the finger at George W. Bush. Of course, that has been their standard game plan for the past 4½ years, so it should not surprise anyone. I guess I was hoping that in the case of a natural disaster the magnitude of Katrina, politics would be set aside. I was wrong.

There are those on the left who will say that, with this post, I am playing the blame game. To them, I can only say that when accusations are being launched in a hate-fill, partisan manner, without facts to back up those accusations, I have a hard time remaining silent.

I would prefer not to point a finger. I would prefer that government officials on both sides of the aisle work together to fix whatever went wrong. However, it has become obvious that this is not happening, and if a finger must pointed, it should be pointed in the direction of those most responsible.

Emergency management is the primary responsibility of the local government, followed by the state, and finally by the federal government. So, let's start with the local government.

It is the responsibility of the local government to have an emergency plan in place. The city of New Orleans did, in fact, have such a plan. The problem is that it wasn’t followed.

The New Orleans’ Emergency Guide for Citizens begins with a message from Mayor Ray Nagin to parish residents. The first line of the message states, “The safety and well-being of the citizens of New Orleans is my greatest priority.” In this message, Mayor Nagin states to residents that as they read the emergency guide, they should "pay particular attention to the section on Evacuation. Knowing the routes of egress during situations such as hurricanes, can avoid needless injury and loss of life.”

So what does the section on evacuation tell residents? It tells them, among other things, that the local government will assist in getting them out of the city. Here is the relevant section of the “Hurricane Evacuation Guidelines”:

During the Recommended Phase of Evacuation:

1. The City of New Orleans Emergency Operating Center (EOC) is staffed for 24-hour operation.
2. Local transportation will be mobilized to assist persons who lack transportation. (Emphasis added)
3. Bus routes and locations of staging areas for those needing transportation to shelters in or out of the Parish, will be announced via radio and television.
4. Relatives and neighbors should help family and friends who need transportation and other assistance.

One of the complaints heard from the early moments of this crisis is that the poor in New Orleans had no cars and no way to evacuate the city. That may be true, but as you can plainly see, according to Mayor Nagin's own emergency plan, the city was responsible for using local transportation to evacuate those citizens. That obviously didn't happen. Why not?

Here is an September 1 Associated Press photo, now widely circulated on the internet.



The picture shows over 200 school buses sitting in water. Could those buses have been used to evacuate people from the city prior to Katrina making landfall?

Here is a tight satellite view of the same bus lot. In the upper left is a freeway leading to the Superdome in one direction and out of the city in the other direction.



As B. Preston of JunkYardBlog points out, "If the city's emergency planners couldn't figure out that the bus lot, the freeway and the dome make a pretty tight emergency staging and evacuation system all by themselves, those planners are beyond incompetent."

I must note here that in at least one report it was stated that the school buses are not under Nagin’s control; they are under Governor Blanco’s control because they are owned by the State Board of Education. If that’s true, then the responsibility for the fact that those buses are sitting in water right now rests with Blanco, or perhaps with both Blanco and Nagin for not coordinating how those buses would be used in an emergency evacuation. Any way you look at it, the responsibility here lies with the state and local government.

The school buses are only part of the story. According to the 2002 National Transit Database, the New Orleans Regional Transportation Authority (NORTA) operated 364 buses. More recent data from the NORTA website is not currently available, so let's go with the 2002 numbers. These buses are definitely under Mayor Nagin's control. If we add the 364 public transit buses to the 200 plus available school buses, New Orleans had over 564 buses available in which those without their own transportation could have been evacuated prior to the storm!

In the aftermath of his failure to do what his emergency plan required him to do, Nagin had the gall to lash out at state and federal authorities proclaiming, "I need reinforcements. I need troops, man. I need 500 buses, man. This is a national disaster… Get every Greyhound bus in the country and get them moving… I don't know whether it's the governor's problem, or it's the president's problem, but somebody needs to get ... on a plane and sit down, the two of them, and figure this out right now... They're thinking small, man, and this is a major, major deal… Get off your asses and let's do something."

Did he just blame everyone but himself?

What about the responsibilities of Governor Blanco in this crisis? In addition to whatever accountability she has for the school bus fiasco, she has some other issues to answer for as well.

President Bush declared a Federal State of Emergency in Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana on Sunday before Katrina even made landfall . He also appealed on August 27th for a mandatory evacuation of New Orleans. However, Blanco did not issue the order until the 28th.

FOX News’ reporter Major Garrett reports that immediately after the storm, the Red Cross was prepared with water, food, blankets and hygiene items, but were prevented by the Louisiana Department of Homeland Security from entering the city. According to Garret, the Red Cross was told they could not enter because “A) it's not safe, because the water is dangerous. And we're now learning how toxic the water is. B) there's a security situation, because they didn't have a handle on the violence on the ground. And C) and I think this is most importantly, they wanted to evacuate out. They didn't want people to stay.” So while people were sitting in the Superdome and the Convention Center without water, food, and personal hygiene items, Red Cross trucks full of these items were sitting on the freeway, not allowed to bring the items to the people who needed them!

Who directs the Louisiana Department of Homeland Security? Governor Blanco.

For all of Blanco’s crying about not receiving federal assistance during the chaos, she refused a request by President Bush on September 2nd to place all evacuation efforts under federal command. Evacuation efforts under state control had been largely ineffective and even riotous; still, for whatever her reasons, Blanco refused the President’s offer.

The next day, President Bush did order active military troops into the city to take over evacuation efforts and to restore order. Whether Blanco finally acquiesced or whether Bush circumvented her authority is unclear. What is clear, however, is that the situation quickly and dramatically improved.

What about all the criticism of FEMA and its supposed slow response? One FEMA pilot responded by saying, "I think they're (the critics) wrong. They had C-130s on the tarmac [in New Orleans] Wednesday morning, which came in sometime during the evening on Tuesday…They had the Chinooks on the tarmac Wednesday morning. They had the Blackhawks Wednesday morning. Everything was there." However, according to the same pilot, “Shortly thereafter, however, the mission ground to a halt…We were being shot at by various snipers around the city…"

The New York Post reports that, according to Coast Guard Lt. Cmdr. Cheri Ben-Iesan, "Hospitals are trying to evacuate. At every one of them, there are reports that as the helicopters come in, people are shooting at them."

The same article reports that Acadian Ambulance suspended its flights after a shot was fired at a military helicopter. Richard Zuschlag, chief of Acadian Ambulance, said it was too dangerous for his pilots.

Whose responsibility was it for law enforcement? The Louisiana National Guard, under state authority, and the New Orleans Police Department, under local authority.

Did President Bush make any mistakes in his handling of this emergency? Probably. Did FEMA make any mistakes? Again, probably. Should mistakes that might have been made by the federal government, including FEMA and the President himself, be studied so that improvements can be made? Absolutely. But that's not what we're hearing. What we are hearing is venomous rancor being spewed by liberal politicians who want to regain power, and repeated by a liberal media anxious to finally find something they can pin on this President.

It's not going to work. The American people are too smart. No one but the left-wing partisan crowd is listening.

Does Ted Kennedy Ever Make Any Sense?

In a Washington Post article coming out on Wednesday, Sen. Edward M. Kennedy (D-MA), in commenting on President Bush's impending second Supreme Court nomination, invokes images of the Katrina aftermath.

"What the American people have seen is this incredible disparity in which those people who had cars and money got out and those people who were impoverished died," Kennedy stated. Roberts needs to be asked whether he stands for "a fairer, more just nation" or for "narrow, stingy interpretations of the law to frustrate progress."

What in the world does the Katrina evacuation have to do with John Roberts' qualification for Supreme Court Chief Justice? I'm trying to imagine what the questions Kennedy might want to ask and the answers he thinks Roberts might give would sound like.

Kennedy: "Judge Roberts, do you believe the laws of the United States should be fair to everyone?"

Roberts: "Absolutely, except for poor people."

Kennedy: "Can you elaborate on what you mean by 'except for poor people'?"

Roberts: "I believe that we need a certain percentage of the population to be poor. Otherwise, how would those of us who are rich know we are rich? We must have someone who is poor to compare ourselves to."

Kennedy: "But surely you believe that everyone deserves to have a car."

Roberts: "Why do poor people need a car? They don't even have a job, and if they don't have a job, they don't need a car."

Kennedy: "Well, shouldn't the government provide them with a job?"

Roberts: "No."

Kennedy: "Why not?"

Roberts: "Because then they would need a car."

Kennedy: "Alright, forget the car. Let's move on. Are you in favor of frustrating progress?"

Roberts: "Of course."

Kennedy: "But why would you want to frustrate progress?"

Roberts: "Because I'm one of those cold-hearted conservatives."

Kennedy: "Are you saying that you are for narrow, stingy interpretations of the law?"

Roberts: "Of course I am. That's what I'm trying to tell you. I'm a narrow-minded, stingy conservative. Did I mention that I'm in favor of poor people? In favor of having lots of them, that is. I'm sure I mentioned that earlier. Now how can we continue to have lots of poor people if we don't frustrate progress?"

Kennedy: "Never mind, I need a drink!"

Americans Do Not Blame Bush

An ABC News poll released on Sunday suggests that the efforts of the Left to pin Katrina blame on President Bush has not worked. While 67% say that the federal government was inadequately prepared for such a disaster, only 44% blame the President, while 55% do not.

A closer look at the poll shows what we already know: that Republicans support the President; Democrats don't. 71% of democrats responding to the poll disapprove of Bush's handling of the crisis, while 74% of republicans approve.

In short, what the poll shows is that the hurricane and the government's response to it will not change the political landscape one bit. This is how it should be. In spite of what the mainstream media, liberal politicians like Hillary Clinton, and the usual Hollywood liberals like Sean Penn would like America to think, this is a human tragedy brought on by a natural disaster, not a disaster caused and exacerbated by the President.

The Balance of the Court

The retirement of Supreme Court justice Sandra Day O'Connor presented President Bush with the opportunity to tip the balance of the court toward the right. The President nominated John Roberts, who appears to at least be right of O'Connor, and hopefully will prove to be a conservative in the Rehnquist/Scalia/Thomas image. Of course, past experience shows that we can't be sure of what we're getting, but the fact that The National Organization for Women, the People For the American Way, and scores of other radical left-wing groups oppose Roberts is a good sign.

The passing of Chief Justice William Rehnquist, however, changes the whole situation. Assuming that Roberts is confirmed, he will now replace Rehnquist as Chief Justice, and all that will have been accomplished is that a proven conservative justice will have been replaced by what we hope will be an equally conservative justice. That still leaves the court with a liberal balance, in spite of what democrats would like us to think.

The President now has the opportunity to truly leave his mark upon the court and upon the nation by nominating a true conservative to replace O'Connor. The Left will put tremendous pressure on Bush to nominate a moderate, claiming that a moderate would balance Roberts' nomination. In truth, a moderate nominated for this second opening would only mean that the status quo has been maintained, something that would please liberals immensely, but would disregard the conservative base that elected Bush into office.

Nominating a conservative for this second Supreme Court vacancy would almost certainly kindle a confirmation battle much greater than the one we're going to see over the Roberts' nomination. That's fine. The conservative majority in this country is ready for the battle. The President has not backed down from a battle yet. Let's pray that he does the right thing, stays loyal to his base, and nominates another conservative for the Supreme Court.

It Has Nothing To Do With Race

Is anyone else absolutely sick and tired of everything being about race? Our country is witnessing one of the most horrific natural disasters in its history. Images of people stranded in makeshift shelters or on bridges, highways, and rooftops have dominated our television screens. That disaster has been made much worse by despicable thugs looting and destroying property, and raping and murdering those who were already victims.

The fact is that nearly all the people involved, both the innocent victims and the lowlife criminals, are black. So what?

The government is being widely criticized for being slow in rescuing victims, and the accusation has been made that the reason the government has been slow is that the victims are mostly black.

During "A Concert for Hurricane Relief," aired Friday night on NBC, rapper Kanye West exclaimed, "George Bush doesn't care about black people," and said America is set up "to help the poor, the black people, the less well-off as slow as possible."

Jessie Jackson , whom we can always count on to play the race card, has questioned why blacks have not been named to top federal response positions. "How can blacks be locked out of the leadership, and trapped in the suffering? It is that lack of sensitivity and compassion that represents a kind of incompetence." Jessie must not consider the head of the military task force overseeing operations in the region as a leadership position since U.S. Army Lt. Gen. Russell Honore, who is black, holds that position.

Randall Robinson, entitlement activist and author of The Debt – What America Owes to Blacks wrote Friday, "I am hopeless. I am sad. I am angry against my country for doing nothing when it mattered. This is what we have come to. This defining watershed moment in America’s racial history."

Michael Moore, who would blame George W. Bush for the mistreatment of the Native Americans, for slavery, for The Great Depression, and for the Nazi Holocaust if he could find a way to do it, on Friday penned "an open letter from Michael Moore to George W. Bush" on his website. In the letter, referring to Katrina victims, Moore writes, "C'mon, they're black! I mean, it's not like this happened to Kennebunkport. Can you imagine leaving white people on their roofs for five days?"

Maybe everyone else missed this, or maybe I was just dreaming, but I seem to recall seeing men in helicopters risking their lives to rescue victims off the roofs of their homes the very day the levees broke. These were black victims. I don't recall these helicopters flying around, leaving black families on rooftops in search of white families to rescue.

So the government didn't get everyone out of New Orleans right away? They didn't get food and water to every individual right away? No kidding. The place was flooded. Roads were under water. Bridges were collapsed. The immediate concern was to get people to places of temporary safety - out of homes, off rooftops, pulled out of the water - and into places like the Superdome and the convention center. So people were gathered into these places by the thousands. Without power, without running water, conditions in these places became appalling, but it was better than sitting on the roof or drowning in the street.

While rescue efforts continued, some of the victims made conditions for everyone even worse and rescue efforts even more difficult than they already were. Thugs began to rape, murder, and fire gunshots at rescue workers. It doesn't take a genius to figure out that when you shoot a gun at the people trying to rescue you, it tends to slow down the rescue.

By Saturday morning, five days after Katrina came ashore, rescue efforts continued. Thousands of victims remained in the city - mostly black. Thousands more had been evacuated out of the city - also mostly black. It takes time. It cannot happen overnight.

If anyone - politicians, athletes, entertainers, civic leaders, anyone - had pointed out that most of the looting and violence was being perpetrated by blacks, they would have immediately and harshly been denounced as racists, and rightly so. It's a very small percentage of the thousands of blacks trapped in New Orleans who are committing these criminal acts. If thousands of white people were in the same situation, a small percentage of those white people would probably also prey on others. It’s the worst in human nature manifesting itself in a small percentage of people. It has nothing to do with race.

Likewise, rescues efforts have nothing to do with race. However, people like Kanye West, Jessie Jackson, Randall Robinson, and Michael Moore will play the race card. It's that playing of the race card that is the most racist thing about this human tragedy.

With Deepest Respect

Chief Justice William Hubbs Rehnquist
October 1, 1924 - September 3, 2005

Able Danger Update II

UPI reported today that three more individuals have claimed to have knowledge of a chart generated in early 2000, which identified 9-11 ringleader Mohammed Atta as part of a terrorist cell operating in New York.

The three join Defense Intelligence Agency civilian analyst Army Reserve Lt. Col. Anthony Shaffer and Navy Capt. Scott Philpott, team leader of a military intelligence program known as Able Danger, who have both previously indicated that Able Danger had identified Atta and the terrorist cell as early as 1999.

Although the chart identifying Atta has not been found, Pat Downs, a senior policy analyst in the office of the Undersecretary of Defense for Intelligence has stated, "These people are credible people...There are strict regulations about collection, dissemination and destruction procedures for this type of information. We know that that did happen in the case of Able Danger documentation."

So, five credible people have now affirmed that Atta was known to be operating inside the United States over a year before 9-11. Pentagon lawyers refused to allow the information to be passed on to the FBI, and the matter was never pursued. In 2003, the 9-11 Commission was briefed on the Able Danger information; however, there was no mention of Able Danger or of the information in the Commission's final report.

Stay tuned...

A Bit of Good News

In the midst of all the bad news coming out of New Orleans this week, a bit of goods was reported today. 169,000 jobs were added to the economy in August, bringing the nation’s unemployment rate down to 4.9%.

I’ve been amazed for several months now that all the economic indicators have continued to show a prospering economy in spite of the extremely high energy prices. The fact that $2.00+ gasoline prices have not been able to slow the economic growth is a real testament to the effectiveness of the Bush economic policies.

The latest job and unemployment figures were calculated before Katrina’s Monday morning wrath, and we’ll have to wait to see what economic effect the hurricane will have. Can we endure $3.00+ gasoline prices without a detrimental effect on the economy? Time will tell, but you can count on one thing. If the economy does slow down, the left will be out in full force blaming the President, and the media will be all too happy to spread that message. It will be up to the bloggers and talk radio to remind people that, for the second time, President Bush is facing an unprecedented crisis, and that, regardless of what liberals try to make us believe, neither Katrina nor 9-11 was something that he could have prevented.

After 9-11 the economy struggled, but it bounced back, and it has grown. After Katrina the economy may well struggle, but it will bounce back, and it will grow once again.

Ann Coulter - You Gotta Love Her!

Just an exerpt from the wit and wisdom of Ann Coulter.

Sen. Teddy Kennedy has demanded that the Bush administration waive attorney-client privilege and release internal memos John Roberts worked on while in the solicitor general's office 15 years ago, all of which were supposed to be held in the deepest confidence. Apparently, Kennedy thinks public officials have no right to keep even their attorney-client communications secret...

...Consequently, applying the principle even-handedly to members of the executive branch as well as the legislative branch, I demand that Kennedy immediately waive all attorney-client privilege relating to his communications with his lawyer after he drove Mary Jo Kopechne off the bridge at Chappaquiddick. It's time to clear up, once and for all, the many questions that have swirled around Kennedy since Chappaquiddick....

Lawyer: Let's start at the beginning.

Teddy: I'm going to say you were driving.

Lawyer: No, you are not saying I was driving.

Teddy: OK, someone in your family was driving.

Lawyer: They weren't even in Massachusetts that week. Can we move on? Why didn't you call the police after the accident, Teddy?

Teddy: I had to protect my political career, obviously. But this wasn't just about me! I was thinking about future drunk, philandering U.S. senators who may or may not have just drowned some chick they met at a party.

Lawyer: But what about Mary Jo --

Teddy: Yes, precisely! How would it look if I, a United States senator, were driving off to a secluded beach at midnight with a beautiful, nubile female after a private party? How would that look?...

Read the whole column at Townhall.com.