More Silencing Of Speech

You know, for all the whining from the left, for all the movie actors complaints, made endlessly on television, for all the moaning about the way speech is being silenced in Amerikkka by the Bushitler Rethuglicans there is one little oddity.

The only times I hear about any behavior like this is when the left assaults people they insist must not be allowed to speak. The only times.

Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, in town for a fund-raiser for Sen. Rick Santorum, had a close encounter with a large group of anti-Republican protesters as he was making his way to the Duquesne Club, Downtown.

It was about 4:15 yesterday when Mr. Bush met up with the protesters near the corner of Liberty and Sixth avenues. The protesters were marching to join other pickets already gathered in front of the exclusive club, a little more than a block away at 325 Sixth Ave.

Protesters said Gov. Bush blew them a kiss, acknowledging the crowd of about 30 chanting pickets that was made up of United Steelworkers and members of Uprise Counter Recruitment, a tour traveling through 22 cities to support anti-war efforts.

The protesters came closer.

"Jeb, go home," they shouted.

Mr. Bush, accompanied by a security guard and a female aide, made a slow retreat toward the T-station at Wood Street.

"He was quickly getting out of the way and not wanting to engage us," said Jon Vandenburgh, one of the protesters, who also is a researcher for the United Steelworkers.

Once in the subway station, Mr. Bush scurried to the escalators and descended to the mezzanine level, Mr. Vandenburgh said.

By now, Mr. Bush was cornered. He was surrounded by signs that said "Pittsburgh is a Santorum Free Zone," "Honk if you're sick of Rick," and a crowd growing increasingly louder, according to Mr. Vandenburgh.

"We don't want you here," protesters chanted.

Port Authority spokesman Bob Grove said six or seven officers responded to the scene to control the crowds.

He said Mr. Bush had been walking in the area near the T-station and the incident happened spontaneously when about 50 pickets "tailed him and stayed with him and went into the Wood Street station."

About 75 protesters remained on the street, said Mr. Grove.

He said the crowd was asked repeatedly to disperse.

Mr. Grove said a Port Authority canine unit was called in to help with crowd control. Two officers used their tasers to stun two protesters who "were asked to leave, but did not go," Mr. Grove said.

The tasers he said were empty of the cartridges that supply a more powerful charge.

So, tell me again who are the thugs here? These people are no different from any other group of storm troopers. In some ways they are even worse. Because they should know better.

Must be Canadian, Eh?

Well, this will boggle the mind. The Democratic party has seen fit to explain how they will undo all the evils done by the Republicans to the armed forces. They will honor the troops. They will take care of all the troops needs and wants. They will be there for the troops.

Unfortunately for American troops, the Democrats will be taking care of Canadian troops, apparently.

A military guy e-mails a weekend website blooper:

Thought you might be interested in posting this. The DNC website has a page called Veterans and Military Families where they purpo[r]t to care about the welfare of US troops. Unfortunately they couldn't even find a picture of a US soldier to post on the page. The picture in the Get Involved frame is not a US Army uniform. The soldiers in the background are not in a US uniform either.

I just checked. The man in the Canadian uniform is still up on the Democrats website. One thing good about it. The photoshop they did to remove the Canadian hat insignia is so bad, it actually makes the efforts here at the Crabitat look good! And I work with a Photoshop Elements version 2.0.

UPDATE: Florida Cracker found the original stock photo that the Democrats chose to use. Not even remotely accurate. Pretty much like their support for the troops. Frankly, this is beyond appalling. (H/T Riehl World View).

UPDATE: By the way, the Canadian military deserves our respect, even if the Democrats here at home deserve derision for not understanding we are different countries. Here's one reason why we need to treat the Canadians with respect. More here.

UPDATE: Q and O gives a lesson on spotting American uniforms to the Democrats. McQ recommends they look for the "US" on the lapels of the uniform. A recent innovation only in use for a century or so.

Are You Ready For Some Riots?

The old ABC Monday Night Football theme song was, "Are You Ready For Some Football?". It was arguably Hank Williams, Jr.'s greatest gig ever. It ran for a lot of years. Well, it isn't funny at all that the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt is denouncing some Danish television broadcasts. It seems that some hard line anti-immigrant political party held a contest for young people to draw cartoons making fun of Mohammed. Danish television aired the footage.

Well, it is hard to justify the media role in this. The film was secretly shot, apparently. The media chose to air it. I don't think that was a particularly wise decision, given the history here. But if the film showed people drawing insulting pictures of the pope what would be the response? A few people complaining? A few letters? A few interviews? Then nothing.

Now, however, we should be preparing ourselves. Are you ready for some riots?

The Wages Of Multiculturalism

There is a report in the British Sun newspaper that shows how dangerous a situation Britain is in right now. Four returning veteran military officers planned to rent a house in a quiet neighborhood not far from the base they were stationed at. Until, that is, a Muslim gang attacked and trashed the house.

In Britain. A mile or so away from Windsor Castle.

The house in a village near riot-torn Windsor had BRICKS thrown through windows and was DAUBED with messages of hate.

Four young Household Cavalry officers who had planned to rent it were also the target of phone THREATS.

They were yesterday forced to look elsewhere to live — after top brass warned them against inflaming racial violence near the Queen’s Windsor Castle home.

Last night furious Shadow immigration minister Damian Green said: “This is a shocking development.”

Colleagues of the officers branded the vandalism a “disgrace”. A source at the regiment said: “These guys have done nothing but bravely serve their country — yet they can’t even live where they want in their own country.” The £3,000-a-month detached home in picturesque Datchet, Berks, is less than a mile from Windsor Castle. It was attacked as extra police were drafted into Windsor — where battles have raged for days between Asian and white gangs.

On Wednesday a Muslim-run dairy was firebombed.

The young officers — from the same regiment as Prince Harry — had planned to use the four-bed house for rest and recuperation after months risking their lives on the frontline.

Louts struck two days after the four arrived in uniform in an Army Land Rover to view it.

The source said: “A gang of local Muslims set about keeping them away. They hurled bricks through the windows and then wrote offensive graffiti across the front of the house.” The vile messages included one in 4ft letters on the drive — warning: “F*** off”.

Sources inside Windsor’s Combermere Barracks — where the officers are based — confirmed Muslims had made calls threatening the men.

Years and years of allowing unchecked Islamism to thrive in Britain in the name of multiculturalism. Years and years of looking away when vile little power hungry thugs preached hate and violence. In the name of tolerance. In the name of respecting other cultures. Even though those four officers saved many Muslim lives in Afghanistan. Even though Islamists are the number one killer of Muslims in the world. Even though more Muslims are alive today because of the efforts of Western soldiers like these four men.

And they can not rent a house in peace in their own country.

Islamists invent new ways to blow civilians up. Mostly Muslim civilians. Western troops go into Kosovo and Iraq and Afghanistan to stop Islamist killers and save Muslim lives. The west sends men into space and to the moon itself.

Explain the justification for multiculturalism again? Explain the value. Explain away the wages it brings.

Danger! Warning!

From the new Daily Mail "Viral" section. There's more.

UPDATE: Oh, this SO belongs here. H/T Cold Fury.

Oaxaca Situation Worsens

Things in the Mexican City of Oaxaca are getting worse according to reports. Three policemen were abducted and beaten for a number of hours and an anti-strike teacher was murdered. Tourism is virtually dead in the once popular city. Leftist demonstrators are becoming more unruly as the days pass.

The violence raised fears the four-month-old standoff between protesters and Oaxaca state government could lead to a wider confrontation.

Thousands of state police have gathered outside the city in recent days, and helicopters and military planes have flown over the demonstrators.

About 2,000 leftists, labor activists and Indian groups have occupied the center of this historic city since May. They are demanding the resignation of Oaxaca Gov. Ulises Ruiz, whom they accuse of rigging the 2004 election.

The standoff began when teachers went on strike for higher wages, but it quickly mushroomed into a broad-based movement. Ruiz and local business groups have asked the army to intervene to end the standoff.

About 60 protest sympathizers seized the three policemen in Zaachila, a village six miles outside Oaxaca city, state police said Friday. They said the officers were kicked and beaten for about two hours before being released.

On Thursday, a teacher belonging to a group opposed to the strike was killed by two assailants who stabbed him in the neck with an ice pick, said Oaxaca state police official Victor Alonso Altamirano. Protesters deny they were involved.

This was once a thriving tourist town and the leftists have destroyed it in order to "save" it. This is a very bad situation for the Mexican government. They are going to need to go in and clean this up. The Mexican economy cannot afford to lose the kind of money that Oaxaca used to generate from the tourists. Someone is financing all this. The Mexican government should try to track down that money source.

Keeping Abreast Of Developments

Australian bra manufacturer Berlei has had to make larger larger bras available down under, including making sport bras in E and F cup sizes.

Berlei product manager Louise Woods said sales in larger sized bras were increasing. Ms Woods said larger breast sizes meant women were more likely to experience breast bounce when they exercised.

Tests carried out at the Australian Institute of Sport found that wearing the right bra size would reduce breast movement and more woman would be able to play sport in comfort.

We're not going to add a word to this report.

This Is Almost Too Funny

Rasmussen Reports is reporting that House Speaker Dennis Hastert's poll numbers for favorable/unfavorable have not changed in the latest poll from the numbers taken last in May of this year. All the indignation and ink the carnival barkers have been expending and there is no change in his polling. At all. None.

As far as resigning, the numbers could be a little better for Hastert, but it is not an overwhelmingly negative assessment. Frankly, about the best thing he could do is make a very showy departure while making it quite clear he was doing it to remove any source of confusion that certain partisan hucksters are promoting. It may or may not work, but it would remove at least one distraction. On the other hand, I can also understand his not wanting to step down under this kind of politically opportunistic partisan hack job.

“Psst, Hey Buddy, Want To Buy A Carbon Credit?”

Says the man in the trench coat holding open one lapel. That's a good visual interpretation of the new market in "carbon offsets" market that the global warming enthusiasts are pushing for. It turns out that the Guardian of all papers has investigated and found that the burgeoning carbon offset market is rife with fraud. Why it's the new Brooklyn Bridge scam.

Green consumers and businesses who want to neutralise their carbon emissions face being ripped off by unscrupulous operators who exploit the growing market in carbon offset schemes, a Guardian investigation has revealed.

The surge in interest in such schemes, which invest millions of pounds in forestry and clean energy projects in the developing world, has created a lucrative market in carbon, which is unregulated and subject to little scrutiny. Campaigners and analysts say independent standards are urgently needed to protect consumers and to ensure the promised carbon savings are delivered. Francis Sullivan, a carbon offset expert who led attempts by banking group HSBC to neutralise its emissions, said: "There will be individuals and companies out there who think they're doing the right thing but they're not. I am sure that people are buying offsets in this unregulated market that are not credible. I am sure there are people buying nothing more than hot air."

Whether it's selling the same offsets over and over, a la The Producers, or selling phony projects that will never get built to the classic scam of selling forests that the seller doesn't actually own, the scams are coming fast and furious. A lot of people are already getting burned and the situation is accelerating.

The carbon offset market worth about £60m worldwide, up from £20m in 2005. Within three years it is expected to top £300m, as a growing number of organisations and companies race to declare themselves "carbon neutral".

Mr Sullivan said: "There are sharks out there who are literally just trying to get money off you. People were offering to sell us large chunks of the rainforest in Papua New Guinea. I don't think it was theirs to sell."

So. Anyone need a carbon offset? Low prices! Easy financing! This is going to turn out to be one of the greatest scams since the South Sea Bubble. Just watch.

Ban Ki-Moon Must Be A Pretty Good Choice

For the next Secretary General of the UN. Despite there really not being an awful lot of information available on the man, all the major powers including the US backed him. But what really says he must be a good choice: UN bureaucrats HATE the choice.

Senior officials at the United Nations expressed despair yesterday at the prospect of Kofi Annan being succeeded as secretary general by Ban Ki-moon, the South Korean foreign minister.

"The mood among staff is glum," one of the officials said. "We are not very excited about the outcome." With morale low at the UN after five years dominated by divisions, deadlock and corruption, they are sceptical about Mr Ban's ability to turn the organisation round or provide the strong, inspirational leadership they had been hoping for.

Another official, who has met Mr Ban several times, said: "He is pretty faceless and does not have much charisma. Kofi, for all his problems, is a man of considerable dignity, political insight and wide international experience."

Officials, who requested anonymity on the grounds that they would be working for Mr Ban, portray him as more secretary than general, happier with the minutiae of administrative detail than broad strategy, and a man given to platitudes.

But the South Korean foreign ministry claimed the perception of Mr Ban as weak is misleading. Park Soogil, a veteran diplomat put forward by the ministry for interview, said: "In the Oriental culture leadership is assessed in a different way. One can look very affable, very gentle, but inside his mind he has a strong conviction … appearance is one thing, his firm beliefs and readiness to make tough decisions is another."

Mr Park, who worked with Mr Ban, added: "He knows how to disagree without being disagreeable."

Someone put a link in comments on an earlier post that that pointed to some highly negative analysis of Ban. That is the only place I have read any assessment even close to that harsh. There really is not a lot to go on about the man. He'd have to work pretty hard to be worse that Kofi Annan has been for the UN and the world itself, though.

UPDATE: Alexandra at All Things Beautiful notices the same article and reaches pretty close to the same conclusions.

USS George H. W. Bush Christened

The newest and last Nimitz class aircraft carrier to join the US fleet was christened today at Newport News, Virginia. The USS George H. W. Bush was given the traditional champaign sendoff by the former president's daughter, Doro Bush Koch.

"I know you join me in saying to our father, President Bush, your ship has come in," the current president said during a ceremony for the last of the Nimitz-class carriers, the CVN 77.

"She is unrelenting, she is unshakable, she is unyielding, she is unstoppable," Bush said, lauding the warship's state-of-the-art design before pausing for a punch line aimed at his mother's well-known steely constitution. "As a matter of fact, probably should have been named the Barbara Bush."

The elder Bush, a decorated Navy pilot in World War II, joined the armed forces on his 18th birthday, June 12, 1942. "After our nation was attacked at Pearl Harbor, you simply couldn't find anyone who wasn't anxious to sign up," he told the audience as a heavy rain fell.

"The point is that our nation was totally united against the insidious totalitarian threat against freedom," he said. He added, "In my humble view, we were no greater than the kids that serve today."

The current president said that in the 21st century, "freedom is again under attack and young Americans are volunteering to answer the call."

In case you were not aware of this, George H. W. Bush was shot down in the Pacific near the Japanese held island of Chichi Jima in 1945. He was rescued. Others shot down that were not pulled from the sea ended up on the Island where every one of them was executed by the Japanese garrison. The book Flyboys by James Bradley tells their stories. Here are some photos of the Bush under construction. Here is the Northrup Grumman website for the CVN-77.

UPDATE: Received via email, a link to a video of the construction of the CVN-77.

Time Reports Castro Has Cancer

They are basing it off a source in US intelligence and the Cuban government has denied it completely. But it would certainly fit with many of the oddities of Castro's sudden, secret medical treatment and his complete absence from public life since then.

Ever since President Fidel Castro was sidelined for what was said to be abdominal surgery last July, Cuban officials have maintained that the country's leader will return to his post. ''We will again have him leading the revolution,'' said Foreign Minister Felipe Pérez Roque just two days ago, speaking at an outdoor rally to protest the U.S. trade embargo against Cuba, according to the Communist Party daily newspaper Granma.

But U.S. officials tell TIME that many in the U.S. government are now convinced that Castro, 80, has terminal cancer and will never return to power. "Certainly we have heard this, that this guy has terminal cancer," said one U.S. official.

Of course, such intelligence reports could be wrong, and one official cautioned that definitive proof is nearly impossible for the U.S. to come by. Yet the fact that the Cuban government removed Castro from the public stage before his death could suggest that Castro and his would-be successors were aware of a terminal condition and wanted to gauge public reaction to his absence. "They got to see how people would react," says one U.S. official. "They have had a chance to see how things might work without out him functioning day-to-day."

That would explain the way this has been handled by the Cuban government. Castro has been gone from sight for an awfully long time at this point.

Selling Those Cities Again

I don't often link anything by William Kristol, not because of any real problems with him, but only because I honestly don't read a whole lot of his articles. In this case, I think he's hit on something that myself and a lot of others have been trying to get across. The Democrat's focus on the Foley sideshow will backfire, especially if Republicans hold fast to the real issues. Why do you think a bunch of us outed ourselves yesterday?

"It shocks the conscience. Congressional leaders have admitted covering up the predatory behavior of a congressman who used the Internet to molest children. For over a year, they knowingly ignored the welfare of children to protect their own power. For 17 years, Patty Wetterling has fought for tougher penalties against those who harm children. That's why she's demanding a criminal investigation and the immediate expulsion of any congressman involved in this crime and coverup."

–TV ad on behalf of Patty Wetterling,
Democratic candidate in Minnesota's 6th Congressional District

"A call is placed from New York to a known terrorist in Pakistan. A terrorist plot may be unfolding. Should the government intercept that call or wait until the paperwork is filed? Nancy Johnson says: 'Act immediately. Lives may be at stake.' Liberal Chris Murphy says: 'No. Apply for a court warrant even if valuable time is lost.' Chris Murphy — wrong on security, wrong for America."

–TV ad on behalf of Nancy Johnson,
Republican candidate for reelection in Connecticut's 5th Congressional District

There you have it. These TV ads in two competitive House races tell the story. Repelled by former Republican congressman Mark Foley's sexual overtures to congressional pages and ex-pages, and by the House GOP leadership's alleged failure to move aggressively against him? Vote Democratic. Worried about the Democrats' tendency to coddle jihadists? Vote Republican.

There is a sad tendency in the Democratic party to talk down to the electorate as if they were too stupid to understand real, substantive issues. This is a horrible mistake, for the electorate is not collectively stupid. The continues attempt to make the sale of two cities is bad politics. Trying to sell the sideshow of a disgraced former Congressman as more important than everything else that is going on in the world is disastrous.

The attempt to make Foley a key issue in this fall's election is flopping. It's not credible to tar a political party with the misdeeds of one person. Did Republicans, for example, even try to link Gary Condit to other Democratic candidates in 2002? Was anyone really interested in Condit's party affiliation? Of course not.

And voters aren't in Foley's. National polls taken last week were basically unchanged from pre-Foley polls–bad for the GOP, but not irredeemable. And in the two competitive House races in Florida districts near Foley's, where there was of course saturation coverage of the story, the Republican candidates happened to gain ground last week.

The more the Democrats have their carnival barkers thrash the Foley sideshow, the worse the outcome will be for them. All the Republicans have to do is stay focused on what is really important.

Amateurish Blunder

This one is really surprising, I guess. In this day and age, with fact-checking at the speed of sound(bite), candidates who make false claims are caught awfully fast. So it is that Harold Ford, Jr. Democratic Senate candidate in Tennessee has shot himself in the foot. He had been running a pretty tight campaign up until this point, too. Claiming you are a lawyer when yo have not passed the bar is raw meat to the opposition.

Harold Ford Jr. says, "I'm a lawyer. You would expect all of those who are interviewed to be truthful and candid and forthcoming."
Yeah, Harold… you sure would!

But, theres a problem…
Harold Ford Jr. never passed the bar exam, which is nothing to condemn the man about. But, the fact that he goes around and calls himself a lawyer IS a problem.
The Chattanooga Times also finds Harold Ford Jr. guilty as charged for impersonating a lawyer:

Democratic U.S. Senate hopeful Harold Ford Jr. referred to himself as a lawyer earlier this week, but the congressman has not passed the bar exam.

Michael Powell, senior adviser to the Ford campaign, said U.S. Rep. Ford took the Tennessee bar exam in February 1997 and failed. He said that was the only time Rep. Ford has taken the test.

Rep. Ford, of Memphis, got his law degree from the University of Michigan Law School in 1996, according to his congressional Web site.

He said Tuesday during a meeting with Chattanooga Times Free Press editors and reporters that Republican opponent Bob Corker has said the next senator should be a businessman and not a lawyer.

"I told Senator (Lamar) Alexander, I said, ‘I won’t hold it against you if I’m elected, and there’s two lawyers in the delegation who try their hardest to work through the issues," Rep. Ford said.

It seems today is the day for a number of candidates, from both parties, to have stumbled over amateurish mistakes. Welcome to the major leagues, guys. There is still time to recover, but mistakes like this can kill you if they continue.

All The Best Bribes

Are being offered to Iran right now and Kim Jong Il feels neglected. That's the analysis by Peter Brookes on why the diminutive deranged deviate is threatening to set off a nuclear weapon.

North Korean dictator Kim Jong Il is known for being mercurial, but this time he's promising to go absolutely nuclear: Pyongyang announced Tuesday that it will test its first nuclear weapon - perhaps this weekend.

The "Dear Leader," as Kim's propagandists call him, is feeling ignored.

Kim's lackluster July 4th missile fusillade plainly failed to achieve the desired effect: Instead of forcing the Americans back to the table on North Korea's terms, it prompted the United Nations to slap Pyongyang with new economic sanctions. Looks like the Dear Leader decided he wasn't being bad enough . . .

So the Dear Leader is "doubling down."

Of course North Korea says its hand has been forced because of the "extreme threat of nuclear war and sanctions and pressure" from America. But while the sanctions may be biting (that's the point, after all), there's a lot more at work here.

First, Pyongyang can't help but notice all the time and effort going into bribing Iran to swear off nukes: Tehran's not only getting all the attention, the mullahs are being offered all the best bribes, too - all manner of economic and trade incentives, for starters, from the European Union.

Kim must be saying to himself: "What about me?"

I personally believe there is a high degree of coordination going on here, unlike Brookes. Pyongyang and Tehran have a lot of the same things at stake and they are working hand in hand. They've even opened a South American franchise with Hugo "Little Red" Chavez. Brookes thinks there will be diplomatic efforts and that Kim won't set off the nuke just yet. I think he's probably being a bit optimistic right now. We'll see.