August 25, 2006
History can make you anything.
Barry Goldwater: Liberal. Al Franken, Ted Kennedy, James Carville and Hillary Clinton say so.
When the populace has resolve but the leadership does not
Most Israelis want prime minister to resign – poll
I wrote about this on Michelle Malkin’s blog (shut it, Ken):
The problem, of course, is that Israelis are feeling that their mission was not accomplished. Hezbollah remains operational, and now defiantly so, while Israeli civilians remain a target. What did Israel win, exactly?
A Jerusalem Post article notes that Israelis feel their “sacrifice has been betrayed”.
I can’t help but feel there is a similiar phenomenon going on with the Iraq war. The president’s approval numbers are dismally low, so low that when they hit the upper 30s, it seems like he’s “back”. But more than ever I feel it isn’t because he is too much of a hawk or a cowboy–it’s because he’s not enough of those things.
I think that like Olmert, Bush is now perceived as weak and ineffective by a majority of his countrymen. Forget the wacky left, who think Bush likes to kill people for sport. Bush has lost the right, the majority of the people who supported the Iraq war and re-elected Bush by a majority in ‘04, mostly because he hammered John Kerry on being a weakling. Americans are tough, it wasn’t accidental that they picked the cowboy over the guy offering a ‘global test’.
My feeling is that Americans are souring on Iraq for two reasons:
1. They feel our kid glove treatment, with more focus on winning hearts&minds and less on killing terrorists, just isn’t working. They are not seeing toughness. We’re frequently told we’re at war…but it feels like we’re in some weird gray area where yeah, we’re sort of at war but we’re also sort of trying to be some kind of good samaritans. I love the idea of helping the Iraqi people while making that part of the world safer, but I was for this war to destroy terrorists wherever they may breed–helping Iraqis was a noble side goal. Which brings me to point #2:
2. We’ve lost faith in the Iraqi people. Let’s face it, we thought Iraqis would step up and welcome their freedom. Its happened to some extent but the big image out of Iraq is of a people resigned to live under Saddam’s thumb who don’t want the big responsibility of governing themselves. I hear this from friends who have served in Iraq. They were for the war, and still are, but they wish the Iraqi people would begin to take over some of the burdens of civilization–building roads, forming governments, and, most of all, killing terrorists–so that our boys can come home.
I still support the Iraq war, I supported it when it began and I support it now. But Bush should take some lessons from the problems of Olmert. Israelis and Americans have a common enemy, it’s clearer now than ever. And both of our peoples are resolved to defend ourselves as needed. If only our leadership doesn’t falter, I believe we will be successful.
A Jew, but not for Jesus
I saw a Jews for Jesus pamphlet recently with Jackie Mason’s face on it. I thought that was odd…Jackie a Jew for Jesus? That just can’t be! It turns out, it isn’t. And Jackie is suing.
How?
How did I know Jeff Goldstein was going to be adorable (though as I don’t have sound where I am I can’t add “how did I know he was going to be hilarious)?
UPDATE: Jeff Goldstein is hilarious.
August 24, 2006
Stop talking crazy, everyone knows there was no mideast tension before the Iraq war
One harsh lesson is that France — the lead proponent of projecting Europe as an alternative to U.S. global leadership — is little more popular with Hezbollah, Iran and others in the Muslim world than the U.S., despite Paris’s opposition to the Iraq war.
ABM ‘08
Drudge: McCain heads overseas to observe ‘global warming’ effects…
UPDATE: On another note, it looks like McCain’s Straight Talk PAC has hired Howard Dean’s webmaster and they’ve been less than straight in answering Jim Geraghty’s questions.
Technorati Tags: John+McCain Election+2008 Straight+Talk+PAC
August 23, 2006
Anybody but McCain ‘08
McCain faults Bush administration on Iraq: Americans led to believe war would be a ‘day at the beach,’ senator says.
After 5 seconds of googling, here’s Bush talking about our upcoming beach day, on the eve of the Iraq war, March 19, 2003:
I want Americans and all the world to know that coalition forces will make every effort to spare innocent civilians from harm. A campaign on the harsh terrain of a nation as large as California could be longer and more difficult than some predict. And helping Iraqis achieve a united, stable and free country will require our sustained commitment.
If anything, Bush has said so much to dispel the idea that this war would be easy. Many of his early speeches centered around the idea of a long and difficult war, not only in Iraq but in general when we fight global terrorism.
So many people that I respect (hi W.O!) like McCain and if he is the Republican candidate in ‘08, I pledge right now to support him. But I will fight against him in the primary. I don’t want someone that watches polls and “mavericks” his way into constantly offending his fellow Republicans. Anybody but McCain for the Republican nomination in ‘08, anybody.
UPDATE: Allah has video and thinks that distancing oneself from the war will become a fact of life for anyone running for president in ‘08. I’m not convinced and will try to write more on that in the next day.
Fox News crew still missing (bumped with new info)
WHERE IS THE MEDIA?
My opinion: No news is news. So is unchecked terrorist thuggery against Western journalists. The disappearance of Centanni and Wiig is at least as newsworthy as–and far more threatening to our national security than–people falling off cruise ships or getting eaten by alligators or attacked by bees.
UPDATE, 8/23/06 10:17am: Reader Sara writes in:
“A new terror group – the holy jihad brigade has them and says they want all muslims held in US jails to be released in 72 hours and the world should convert to Islam. Plus, they say that the muslim leaders are too weak and speak too much to Non Muslims. They have a 90 sec video with the two men. They say they are bring treated well and have fresh water, food, clean clothes and bathroom accessibility.”
Update, 10:46am: Allah has got the video.
I realize this isn’t my poker blog, but I need to share
I had quad aces last night. And, the most miraculous part is I got paid on them
August 22, 2006
Crazy or terrorist?: A new fun game for all ages.
A French teenager who threatened tourists with a toy gun on top of the Arc de Triomphe in Paris was Friday undergoing a psychological evaluation after being arrested by police, officers said.
The 17-year-old, a resident of a northern Paris suburb, was taken to a police psychiatric ward in the capital following the incident late Thursday.
He was not immediately identified. Police said he had no prior criminal record.
According to officers, the teenager waved his compressed air pistol at tourists on top of the landmark building at the top of the Champs-Elysées, and even fired once into the air.
He had written the words “revendication Al-qaeda” (’in the name of Al-Qaeda’) on his T-shirt and on his torso.
So, is anyone giving odds that the kid is Muslim? I assume he was, not because he was waving a (toy) gun at tourists and not because he wrote “Al Qaeda” on himself, but because he was “not immediately identified” which seems to mean, lately, that he’s going to have a distinctively Arabic/Islamic name. Just. A. Hunch.
Hat-tip Ark.
UPDATE: Though I love the NRA, I don’t know my guns. According to Ken and Jake in the comment section, a “compressed air pistol” IS NOT a toy and can do damage.
August 21, 2006
MK is prett-ay.
My co-guest-blogger from Michelle Malkin’s site, Mary Katharine Ham, is guest-hosting Vent over at Hot Air. Check her out.
Say what now?
There’s a Superhero Supply Store in Brooklyn, owned by writer Dave Eggers (whose first book “Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius” I couldn’t put down and whose second book “You shall know our velocity”, I couldn’t finish).
Via Johnny Triangles.
UPDATE: Store website here.
The sun’ll come out tomorrow
The United Nations has given Iran until the end of August to end its uranium enrichment program. If Iran doesn’t, I’m positive the UN will write a strongly worded letter. They might even send 200 French soldiers–but, of course, only if they are promised that they will not be in any danger.
Anyway, this isn’t actually a bash-the-UN post, fun as that is. The Iranian leadership has self-imposed tomorrow as the deadline for response. “Iran on Sunday said it will offer a “multifaceted response” to the incentives proposal.” There are rumors that that means some kind of military action by Iran. My boyfriend, Peter, is worried they will launch something at Israel or at us. Personally, I doubt it. Multifaceted can just mean incorporating music and dance in their response. Perhaps some doves.
I’m not worried about Iran because I feel they must know (they must!) that Iran will be completely wiped off the map if they do anything to the U.S or Israel. Peter thinks I’m imagining them as much more rational than they are.
What say all of you? Are you worried about tomorrow? And is the Iranian leadership more crazy or less crazy than they seem?
That blogger party….
…is definitely not happening in August. I just don’t have the time to put it together. Stay tuned for info in early September.
