The Cost of Our Security
This past week President Bush signaled a major change in his Administration's Middle East policy by backing Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's unilateral withdrawal plan which included keeping Israeli settlements in the Palestinian West Bank. As the Christian Science Monitor points out the Arab world has reacted predictably harshly. The Palestinians ask why Bush thinks its within his right to give away land which was illegally taken from them by Israel. Virtually everyone agrees the move by Bush puts an end to his own "Roadmap to Peace". Throughout the Middle East the TV footage of Bush announcing his full support for Sharon's unilateral plan while standing in front of an Israeli flag no doubt further spurred terrorist recruitment efforts.
"No state, especially if it is a mediator, has the right to cancel the rights of one party," Hossam Zaki, the spokesman of the 22-member pan-Arab body, told the Arab News.
Why would Bush take this move at this time? Clearly it is to appeal to pro-Israel Jewish voters in Florida and other key states in the upcoming election. Why else would Bush again become Sharon's lapdog and unnecessarily further inflame the Islamic world? Why not just poke every Palestinian and Arab in the eye with a stick? That's about all the President could do to further prove to Arabs that we are not honest brokers in the Israel-Palestine conflict. This President will obviously do whatever it takes to get re-elected, even if it further endangers our security.
Thursday, April 15, 2004
Cam Edwards Has Left the State for NRANews.com
As reported by Cam Edwards, until recently an Oklahoma blogger, he has taken the first host spot at the new NRA News.com. Unhappy with spending limits on political campaigning the NRA decided to launch its own Internet-based radio news network. They hired conservative talkshow host Cam away from Oklahoma to DC for this enterprise. With all the money the National Rifle Association has they better be paying Cam BIG bucks. While I'm happy for Cam and his family I'm not in the NRA's target audience. In fact the thought of listening to Radio NRA is, well, an effort in itself.
But congrats to Cam! I'm sure he'll do great.
As reported by Cam Edwards, until recently an Oklahoma blogger, he has taken the first host spot at the new NRA News.com. Unhappy with spending limits on political campaigning the NRA decided to launch its own Internet-based radio news network. They hired conservative talkshow host Cam away from Oklahoma to DC for this enterprise. With all the money the National Rifle Association has they better be paying Cam BIG bucks. While I'm happy for Cam and his family I'm not in the NRA's target audience. In fact the thought of listening to Radio NRA is, well, an effort in itself.
But congrats to Cam! I'm sure he'll do great.
Tuesday, April 13, 2004
Senator Suredum Calls Animal Rights Groups "Poopoo Heads"
04/13/2004 16:56:36
(Oklahoma City, OK) -- Senator Frank Suredum of Henryetta, champion of gambling interests and the cockfighting industry lost his usually urbane manner today, calling animal rights groups such as the Coalition to Ban Cockfighting and the Humane Society of the U.S. a "bunch of phonies." "He went further, calling them "poopoo heads, naughty nitwits and meanies". Following a case from last January where a poor family had 90 chickens worth over $50,000 confiscated, Suredum says he wants the people of Oklahoma to know the truth behind the animal rights group movements, citing that not one animal rights group has actually called him to ask about the welfare of the chickens. He says the groups are only interested in seeing the family prosecuted for a $10-thousand fine and ten years in the state penitentiary. Suredum was quoted as saying, "They really don't give a damn about animals or chickens" and "they are only interested in punishing people." Suredum says if the Oklahoma Legislature do (sic) not change the law on the procession (sic) and ownership of game fowl, er chickens, hundreds of law-abiding Oklahoma gamblers and chicken abusers will face felony charges for not slaughtering their birds.
04/13/2004 16:56:36
(Oklahoma City, OK) -- Senator Frank Suredum of Henryetta, champion of gambling interests and the cockfighting industry lost his usually urbane manner today, calling animal rights groups such as the Coalition to Ban Cockfighting and the Humane Society of the U.S. a "bunch of phonies." "He went further, calling them "poopoo heads, naughty nitwits and meanies". Following a case from last January where a poor family had 90 chickens worth over $50,000 confiscated, Suredum says he wants the people of Oklahoma to know the truth behind the animal rights group movements, citing that not one animal rights group has actually called him to ask about the welfare of the chickens. He says the groups are only interested in seeing the family prosecuted for a $10-thousand fine and ten years in the state penitentiary. Suredum was quoted as saying, "They really don't give a damn about animals or chickens" and "they are only interested in punishing people." Suredum says if the Oklahoma Legislature do (sic) not change the law on the procession (sic) and ownership of game fowl, er chickens, hundreds of law-abiding Oklahoma gamblers and chicken abusers will face felony charges for not slaughtering their birds.
Monday, April 12, 2004
Wacky and Troubled
I haven't seen any Kerry TV commercials yet but I've seen at least two versions of Bush/Cheney commercials ABOUT Kerry. Each one opens with President Bush walking down a colonnaded corridor toward the camera and a voice-over telling us he approved the commercial we are about to watch. The first commercial is called "Troubling" and covers Kerry's "troubling" record on trying to raise taxes. The second commercial I saw today for the first time is called "Wacky" and focuses again on Kerry's tax policy. You can view these commercials at the Bush/Cheney site. I don't find the contents and claims of either commercial believable. The commercial includes a claim that Kerry will raise taxes by some enormous amount within his first 100 days in office. How would the Bush campaign know what Kerry's timetable and agenda is? Such silly claims negate the credibility of the other claims in the commercials.
This weekend I received in the mail a nice computer-addressed photo of George W and Laura Bush. The nice couple were smiling in a familiar way - the way my Uncle Steve and Aunt Kathy do when you pay them a surprise visit. And right there below the autographed photo it was addressed to me! Only problem was Uncle George and Aunt Laura addressed me by my unused middle name.
I haven't seen any Kerry TV commercials yet but I've seen at least two versions of Bush/Cheney commercials ABOUT Kerry. Each one opens with President Bush walking down a colonnaded corridor toward the camera and a voice-over telling us he approved the commercial we are about to watch. The first commercial is called "Troubling" and covers Kerry's "troubling" record on trying to raise taxes. The second commercial I saw today for the first time is called "Wacky" and focuses again on Kerry's tax policy. You can view these commercials at the Bush/Cheney site. I don't find the contents and claims of either commercial believable. The commercial includes a claim that Kerry will raise taxes by some enormous amount within his first 100 days in office. How would the Bush campaign know what Kerry's timetable and agenda is? Such silly claims negate the credibility of the other claims in the commercials.
This weekend I received in the mail a nice computer-addressed photo of George W and Laura Bush. The nice couple were smiling in a familiar way - the way my Uncle Steve and Aunt Kathy do when you pay them a surprise visit. And right there below the autographed photo it was addressed to me! Only problem was Uncle George and Aunt Laura addressed me by my unused middle name.