What did Ros-Lehtinen say? Does it matter?

(hat tip Allah Pundit)
A YouTube video is circulating that shows a clip of Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, apparently welcoming any assassination attempt on Fidel Castro. Here is the clip:



The controversial line is this:

I welcome the opportunity of having anyone assassinate Fidel Castro and any
leader who is oppressing the people.

Over on Kokonut Pundits, Mike McConnell has closely analyzed the clip and believes that it has been altered:

If you listen closely she says "I" twice as if she was stuttering right
before she says "welcome." This is where I believe the audio splice took place
to cover up the word "won't" if you lip read it closely without the sound.

Give it a try. I think Mike may have it right. For her part, Ileana is claiming that the tape was altered to give the wrong impression:

Ros-Lehtinen, who has never hid her loathing for Castro, says the clip was spliced together.

Watch the video closely, she says. She says her lips aren't saying what the audio says she is. At one point in the clip, a sharp-eyed viewer can see what appears to be a skip in the filming.

''It's twisted in a way that gives the viewer a totally wrong impression,'' Ros-Lehtinen said Friday. ``I've said the community has moved on, that those strategies are not being used today, but apparently the filmmakers think we're still in a '60s
mentality.''

That said, Ros-Lehtinen, born in Havana, says she will celebrate Castro's death -- whether by old age, illness or at the hands of an assassin.

''The day that Fidel Castro dies is a day that all freedom-loving Cubans will celebrate,'' Ros-Lehtinen said. ``I've been saying that for many years and I'm not shy about saying it.''

Anyone who has paid attention to politics in Florida - especially South Florida - knows that both Ileana and her colleague Rep. Lincoln Diaz-Belart have long said many unflattering things about Fidel. For someone who has represented the Cuban-exile community for so long and witnessed the results of Fidel's brutality, we can certainly understand if Rep. Ros-Lehtinen had gone as far as calling for the Evil Dictator's assassination.

We have known the Congresswomen to be honest in the past, so will trust her here.

National Review Pays Tribute to Jeane Kirkpatrick

Click over to the Symposium put together by NR. A fitting tribute to the "Iron Lady" of America.
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Also, see our tribute - posted Friday.

Good Bye and Good Riddance

UN Sec. Gen. Kofi Annan is set to make his farewell address today. The USA Today reports that Annan will "blast" the United States in the major thrust of his speech. Having led a scandal ridden administration - remember the oil-for-food program - Annan will have few, if any, real accomplishments to speak about. He will instead follow what has been his line for years - blame the U.S. for all of the world's problems.

From the USA Today:

In a farewell speech on U.S. soil today, retiring United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan plans to deliver a tough critique of President Bush's policies. He will accuse the administration of trying to secure the United States from terrorism in part by dominating other nations through force, committing what he termed human rights abuses and taking military action without broad international support.

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These ideas can be advanced only "if America remains true to its principles, including in the struggle against terrorism," the speech says.

Response from Malkin:

Like Kofi Annan knows anything about remaining true to principles? He leaves behind a feckless, corrupted, global bureaucracy incapable of policing the predators in its ranks, unwilling to stand up to evil, and useless in the struggle against terrorism--or any other global threat.

__________(more from USA Today)

In the 61-year history of the U.N., no secretary-general has ended his tenure by criticizing U.S. policies so sharply, said Stanley Meisler, a historian of the United Nations and author of a new biography of Annan.

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The speech, to be delivered at the presidential library of the late Harry Truman in Independence, Mo., contrasts Truman's support for the United Nations with the Bush administration's unilateral actions.

Annan acknowledges terrorism and other global threats but cautions against nations acting alone. "Against such threats as these, no nation can make itself secure by seeking supremacy over all others," the speech says.

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Why not speak about accomplishments?

Critics of Annan in Congress, including Sen. Norm Coleman, R-Minn., faulted the Ghana-born, U.S.-educated diplomat for lax management of the $64 billion U.N. oil-for-food program. The 1996-2003 effort was tainted by $1.5 billion in kickbacks to the regime of Saddam Hussein.

"Annan's legacy will be one of missed opportunity and failed leadership," said Coleman, who urged Annan to resign last year.

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From Redstate:

Kofi Annan has never done anything well, unless you count marrying his wife. His family has benefitted from the corrupt culture of the United Nations, he has personally benefited from that same corruption, and his tenure at the United Nations has seen scandal, rape, and failure. Yet, today, he will feel so bold as to go to the Truman Library and attack American foreign policy.

From AllahPundit:

Rwanda, Kosovo, Darfur, Oil for Food, child-sex scandals, twelve years of unenforced resolutions against Saddam, paralysis in the face of an accelerating Iranian nuclear program, a North Korean bomb test this summer, and an antagonism towards Israel so relentless as to border on the persecutional.

From Captain Ed:

Kofi Annan has an op-ed column in today's Washington Post that must be read to be believed. The column, which serves as a valediction of sorts, talks about what Annan has learned from his time at the United Nations. If his rule hadn't resulted in such worldwide misery and despair, it would be one of the funniest pieces of opinion journalism so far this year.

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Some gems from the WaPo piece:

First, in today's world we are all responsible for each other's security. Against such threats as nuclear proliferation, climate change, global pandemics or terrorists operating from safe havens in failed states, no nation can make itself secure by seeking supremacy over all others.

Second, we are also responsible for each other's welfare.

Third, both security and prosperity depend on respect for human rights and the rule of law.

My fourth lesson, therefore, is that governments must be accountable for their actions, in the international as well as the domestic arena. Every state owes some account to other states on which its actions have a decisive impact. As things stand, poor and weak states are easily held to account, because they need foreign aid. But large and powerful states, whose actions have the greatest impact on others, can be constrained only by their own people.

Kofi must of just learned the lesson on accountability this week.
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Check out this Times (UK) article - a ringing indictment of Kofi's term. (hat tip Betsy Newmark) Here is a taste:

The bodies were still warm when Lieutenant Ron Rutten found them: nine corpses in civilian clothes lying crumpled by a stream, each shot in the back at close range. It was July 12, 1995, and the UN-declared “safe area” of Srebrenica had fallen the previous day. The lush pastures of eastern Bosnia were about to become Europe’s bloodiest killing fields since 1945.
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Annan’s term has also been marked by scandal: from the sexual abuse of women and children in the Congo by UN peacekeepers to the greatest financial scam in history, the UN-administered oil-for-food programme. Arguably, a trial of the UN would be more apt than a leaving party.
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Charge one: Rwanda

That in 1994, Annan and the DPKO refused the UN commander General Romeo Dallaire (below) permission to raid Hutu arms caches, despite his warning mass slaughter was planned, that they failed to inform the security council, and failed to clarify the extent of the genocide

Charge two: Srebrenica

That from July 6 to July 11, 1995, Unprofor, the UN mission in Bosnia, repeatedly failed to authorise air strikes to save the town, despite having the means to do so, and was in grievous breach of its obligations to protect civilians

Charge three: Darfur

That the UN, in particular the Department of Political Affairs (DPA), repeatedly ignored reports from humanitarian officials of atrocities because they were politically inconvenient, and that the UN still refuses to take action to stop the slaughter.

After reading that, one can not argue with the tone of Kofi's speech today. After all, it is easier to wag the finger at someone else than to face a record like his.

FL-13 Update: St. Times Urges Jennings to "Bow Out"

Yet another major Florida newspaper has added its voice to the call for Christine Jennings to end her partisan fight over the FL-13 seat. The St. Petersburg Times is telling Howard Dean to "Butt Out" and Jennings to "bow out".

The race's troubling aspects have morphed into absurdity. It is time to bring finality. Jennings should concede defeat and the Democratic Party should butt out.

Jennings accomplished what she set out to do with her initial protest. The state Division of Elections did a thorough audit of touch-screen voting machines used in Sarasota and found no system breakdowns or abnormalities. While that doesn't resolve the mystery, analysis by the media and election experts indicates what likely happened. It appears ballot design played a key role in the undervote. The District 13 candidates were listed on a screen dominated by the governor's race, so voters who hurried could have overlooked them. Many voters reported spotting the mistake on the review screen and correcting it.

Unfortunately, Jennings is still blaming voting machine malfunction for the outcome despite contrary evidence. Perhaps that's because the only reason a court would consider ordering a new election is proof of widespread fraud or machine error. While Floridians should be concerned and election officials more careful about ballot design, there isn't sufficient reason to throw out the results.

It would be a big mistake for House Democrats to heed Dean's advice. No election is perfect, and Americans likely would resent a partisan political effort to interfere in the will of voters, no matter how misguided or inattentive they were in casting their ballots.

-----------

It's time for Jennings to bow out and for Democrats to stop fanning fears about electronic voting machines without much more than suspicions.

The SP Times is but the most recent in a string of editorials calling on Jennings to call it quits:

The Tampa Trib: "Time for Jennings to throw in the towel"
The Tampa Trib: "Jennings wants to count until she wins"
Bradenton Herald: "Give it up"

We just wonder when Jennings will get the message.

FL-13 Update: A Partisan War in the Making

Both sides are preparing for battle as the fight over FL-13 heads toward Congress. Republicans are bracing for the possibility that the now Democrat speaker will refuse to seat the winner of the FL-13 race, Republican Vern Buchanan.

Republicans are warning Dems not to bring the FL-13 fight to Washington, which they say will "poisen (the political) well".
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From SP Times:

"If that happens ... forget about any possibility of pretending to be civil," said Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart, R-Miami. "That would be an affront to democracy."
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Rep. Jeff Miller, a Panhandle Republican, predicted Friday that Democratic
leaders, including incoming House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, would do just
that.

"Nancy Pelosi will not seat Vern Buchanan. I expect that," he said. "I expect the Democrats to try to take that seat."
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"Clearly if the speaker and the House Administration Committee do not seat Buchanan it will be a slap in the face to voters in the 13th District," said Rep. Ginny Brown-Waite, R-Brooksville.

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For there part, FL Dems say that niether Buchanan nor Jennings should be sworn-in. This despite test that prove bad ballot design and voter error were to blame for the undervote.

More later.

Vent TV Keeps Light on Mumia Outrage, 25 years later

Watch Michelle Malkin's piece on the disgraceful saga of Mumia Abu-Jamal, convicted murderer of Philly policeman Daniel Faulkner. See Vent with Michelle Malkin here. This disgusting crime took place 25 years ago today. From the "Justice for Daniel Faulkner" website:

On July 3, 1982, having heard weeks of testimony, a jury of 12 citizens sentenced Mumia Abu-Jamal to death for the premeditated murder of Philadelphia Police Officer Daniel Faulkner. Over the next 19 years, Jamal's case has become one of the most publicized Death Penalty cases in the world. It has also become the most misunderstood. The twisted tales about this case are many. They have been told and retold by countless individuals who know little or nothing of the actual facts of the case.

You really need to go there and look through the whole site.
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The following is from Michelle Malkin: (hat tip)

In case you missed the roll call vote on the resolution protesting the decision by the city of St. Denis to honor Faulkner's convicted Death Row murderer with a street name, here are the 31--all Democrats--who voted against the measure (via BOTW):

Neil Abercrombie (Hawaii)...Carolyn Kilpatrick (Mich.)...Robert Scott (VA)

William Clay (MO).........Barbara Lee (CA)..................Jose Serrano (NY)

Emanuel Cleaver (MO)...Cynthia McKinney (GA)...Fortney H. Stark, Jr. (CA)

John Conyers (Mich).............Gregory Meeks (NY).........Edolphus Towns (NY)

Jim Cooper (TN)...........Jerrold Nadler (NY)..............Tom Udall (NM)

Danny Davis (IL).........James Oberstar (Mich).........Nydia Velazquez (NY)

Raul Grijalva (Ariz)........Major Owens (NY).................Maxine Waters (CA)

Maurice Hinchey (NY)..........Ed Pastor (Ariz).............Anthony Weiner (NY)

Mike Honda (CA)...................Donald Payne (NJ)........Lynn Woolsey (CA)

Jesse Jackson, Jr. (IL)............Charles Rangel (NY)

Eddie Bernice Johnson (TX)..Bobby Rush (IL)

(sorry about the formatting)
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Delaware County Times: Supporters Rally for Fallen Officer; others cry foul

MyFox Philadelphia: Pilly D.A Honored by Fallen Officer's Wife

Philly Daily News: The Case of Mumia Abu-Jamal - a time-line

NBC 10 Philly: Slain Officer Daniel Faulkner Remembered 25 Years Later

AP on CentreDaily.com: Faulkner remembered on 25 anniversary of his slaying

HamNation Gives Us Top 10 Bolton Moments

Check out this great post by Mary Katherine Ham.



From the MKH post:

Farewell, Ambassador Bolton. You will be missed by those of us who don't much care for the U.N., and you should be missed by those who love it, if they have any wish for it to do the job it's supposed to do. Unfortunately, they don't know what's good for 'em.

The Sentry concurs.

FL-13 Update: Presidential Hopeful Evan Bayh Enters FL Through District 13

Adam Smith of the Buzz reports that Indiana Sen. Evan Bayh is weighing in on the side of Christine Jennings.

Indiana Sen. and likely '08 presidential candidate Evan Bayh is the latest Democrat to jump to Christine Jennings' defense in CD 13. He's asking his e-mail list to donate money to "help Christine protect our fundamental right to a free and fair election."

"This under-voting, combined with numerous statements from voters who reported machine malfunctions on Election Day - including machines that would not register votes cast for Christine - make it clear that thousands of voters were denied a voice in an election that has been certified for Republican Vern Buchanan by less than 500 votes."

You'll be satisfied to know that the first couple of comments to the post were hard on Bayh. His money would be better spent in Iowa and NH.

Milton Friedman Honored by Congress

Just picked this up from the Cato Institute website:

U.S. House Passes Resolution Honoring Milton Friedman

Read the Resolution here.

Excerpts:

Resolved, That the House of Representatives, on the occasion of the death of Doctor Milton Friedman —

(1) mourns Doctor Friedman’s passing and expresses its deepest condolences to his family, including his widow Rose Friedman, who is herself an accomplished economist and was instrumental in co-authoring some of his major works; and

(2) honors Doctor Friedman’s lifetime of achievements and recognizes his outstanding contributions to freedom, the study of economics, the United States of America, and the world.

A well deserved honor.

Jeane J. Kirkpatrick, R.I.P.

Jeane J. Kirkpatrick died late Thursday at her home in Bethesda, MD. Kirkpatrick, who the AP called "an unabashed apostle of Reagan era conservatism," served as UN ambassador under Reagan.

Kirkpatrick most recently served as a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute.
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US Senators on Kirkpatrick

Sen. Mitch McConnell:

“Few people did more to win the Cold War than Jeane Kirkpatrick, and few can match the courage that she brought to defending freedom and American interests around the world. She was a warrior for human rights, for freedom and for her nation. Few have or ever will match her service to our nation. We, and millions around the world, are in her debt.”

Joe Lieberman:

“America has lost a clarion voice for freedom. Ambassador Kirkpatrick was a genuine patriot who played a critical role in liberty’s triumph over totalitarianism in the Cold War. Ambassador Kirkpatrick profoundly understood that ideas have consequences, but she was not an armchair intellectual. She employed her great intellect in freedom’s struggle against tyranny. Once again, we are engaged in a battle with the forces of evil and totalitarianism and Jeane Kirkpatrick’s stalwart commitment to freedom should remain an inspiration to us. Jeane Kirkpatrick lived a life of a tribune of democracy. We mourn her passing.”

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Bill Bennett from AP story: ISG would have been better w/ Kirkpatrick

Bill Bennett, a former secretary of education under Reagan, the nation's drug czar under the first President Bush, called her "very forceful, very strong, a daughter of Oklahoma, great sense of humor. She held her own."

Bennett said the Iraq Study Group so prominently in the news "would have been better with Jeane Kirkpatrick on it ... She had no patience with tyrannies, said they had to be confronted, you couldn't deal with tyrannies, that there were some people you could work with — these people you couldn't."

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Excerpts from the statement issued be The Heritage Foundation's Edwin Feulner:

"Whenever I think about Jeane Kirkpatrick, I'm reminded about a story that her husband, Kirk, once told.

"He and his wife, who was U.N. ambassador at the time, were strolling around Manhattan when a truck pulled up besides them. The driver, whom they never seen before, looked at Jeane, smiled, stuck out his head and cheered, 'Give 'em hell, Jeane!’

"Before Jeane, we never had such a bold and brilliant representative for freedom in the United Nations -- an ambassador who earned support from policymakers and truck drivers alike.
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"The world is completely different now than it was in the 1980s, thanks in large part to Jeane, her ideas and her skill in making them work. In Great Britain, they call Lady Margaret Thatcher 'the Iron Lady.' In America, they should call Jeane Kirkpatrick 'the Steel Lady'-- U.S. steel to be exact -- for rebuilding an American foreign policy that’s so strong, we still stand on it today."

________________

John J. Miller: "she fought the Commies to the very end."

John J. Miller: from the '96 GOP Convention "They always blame America first."

They said that saving Grenada from terror and totalitarianism was the wrong thing to do - they didn't blame Cuba or the communists for threatening American students and murdering Grenadians - they blamed the United States instead.

But then, somehow, they always blame America first.

When our Marines, sent to Lebanon on a multinational peacekeeping mission with the consent of the United States Congress, were murdered in their sleep, the "blame America first crowd" didn't blame the terrorists who murdered the Marines, they blamed the United States.

But then, they always blame America first.

When the Soviet Union walked out of arms control negotiations, and refused even to discuss the issues, the San Francisco Democrats didn't blame Soviet intransigence. They blamed the United States.

But then, they always blame America first.

When Marxist dictators shoot their way to power in Central America, the San Francisco Democrats don't blame the guerrillas and their Soviet allies, they blame United States policies of 100 years ago.

But then, they always blame America first.

The American people know better.

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Peter Schweizer: Kirkpatrick on advice to women
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Words of Wisdom from Jeane Kirkpatrick:

"What takes place in the Security Council more closely resembles a mugging than either a political debate or an effort at problem-solving."

"We have war when at least one of the parties to a conflict wants something more than it wants peace."

"History is a better guide than good intentions. "

"Democrats can't get elected unless things get worse, and things won't get worse unless they get elected. " (my favorite)

"I conclude that it is a fundamental mistake to think that salvation, justice, or virtue come through merely human institutions."

"Democracy not only requires equality but also an unshakable conviction in the value of each person, who is then equal. Cross cultural experience teaches us not simply that people have different beliefs, but that people seek meaning and understand themselves in some sense as members of a cosmos ruled by God."

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Kirkpatrick's is voice that is sorely needed in the U.S. and at the United Nations. She will be missed.

Read the article that brought Kirkpatrick to the Reagan Administration, "Dictatorships and Double Standards" from Commentary.

The Right Angle at Human Events has a good post.

Reuters coverage is here.

English First Sets-up Campaign to Stop Martinez from Taking RNC Chair

English First has created a project aimed at derailing the nomination of Mel Martinez to chair the RNC. That motto at StopMartinez.com is "The wrong choice in any language." English First is comparing Martinez to another Bush nominee:

"Mel Martinez is Spanish for Harriet Miers."

Some more points from the website:

''Sen. Martinez is wrong on official English and wrong on amnesty for illegal aliens,'' said Jim Boulet Jr., executive director of English First. ``Asking Sen. Martinez to run the Republican Party is like asking Mrs. Phyllis Schlafly to run Planned Parenthood.

''Should Martinez win the RNC post, reporters will encourage him to do nothing but argue with his fellow Republicans about immigration and language issues,'' Boulet said.

Here is the Miami Herald story.

The Tallahassee Sentinel is holding out hope that a Martinez chairmanship will embrace, and return to, the conservative principles of Reagan; and at the same time promote Florida's position within the party.

Dean Enters FL-13 Mess - Feeney Hits Dean Back

The AP reports that DNC Chair Howard Dean has injected himself into the middle of the FL-13 debacle. Now it should really get ugly.

Democratic National Committee chairman Howard Dean called for another election in the race to replace Rep. Katherine Harris, saying the declared Republican winner should not be sworn in until election questions are sorted out.

''You cannot seat someone if you don't have an election that's valid,'' Dean said in a taped interview scheduled to air Sunday on a Tampa Bay-area news channel.

Rep. Tom Feeney (FL-24) is firing back at Dean (SP Times Buzz Blog):

U.S. Rep. Tom Feeney, an Orlando area Republican, blasted Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean for his earlier comments on the Vern Buchanan-Christine Jennings race.

"DNC Chair Howard Dean and his liberal entourage should be called the UNDemocratic party for their refusal to honor the election results from Florida's 13th Congressional District,'' Feeney said in a press release.

"There is no way to stimulate 18,000 disenchanted voters or reconnect with voters who deliberately chose not to vote for this particular seat. It would be irresponsible to have a new election every time someone claims confusion' at voting precincts.

District 13 residents have spoken through an election day count and a subsequent manual recount and deserve to be represented as of January 4, 2007. Floridians should not be put at a disadvantage in the 110th Congress due to the obstinate plan of Howard Dean and Co. We need all 25 members of our delegation seated, and I would feel this way regardless of the political party involved."

We agree with Feeney. The last thing Florida wants for Christmas is to have Howard Dean tramping around the state.

FL's Mica and Ros-Lehtinen Assigned Top Minority Seats on Key Committees

Rep. John Mica (FL-7) and Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (FL-18) have been tapped to serve as ranking members on two key House committees.

Rep. Mica will serve as the ranking minority member of the Transportation Committee. This appointment presents a great opportunity to have Florida's transportation needs addressed. Florida, and other southern states, have often been left wanting for important infrastructure dollars. From the Congressman's press release:

“It is a great honor to be selected to this most important position by my colleagues,” Mica stated. “Our states and communities face very serious challenges with congestion clogging our highways, railways, airports and ports. My priority as the Republican leader on the Transportation Committee is to work effectively with the Administration and Members of Congress as we review and help set our national transportation policies.”

The Transportation and Infrastructure Committee sets national policy and funding levels for all U.S. aviation, highway, transit, railroad, water resource and U.S. Coast Guard programs. The Committee passed legislation after September 11 th that helped restore the aviation industry and reformed aviation security, and also authorizes major highway and aviation bills every four to six years.

Rep. Mica has served on the Transportation Committee since 1993. He has been Chairman of the Aviation Subcommittee since 2001, and has also sat on the Railroad and the Highways and Transit Subcommittees. The Congressman has been recognized as a national leader on aviation security and mass transit issues.

Mica said, “With record levels of traffic congestion and delays experienced by travelers today, we must continue to invest in our nation’s transportation systems to expand our economy and build our nation’s aging infrastructure. I look forward to working with the public and private sector to achieve these goals.”

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Rep. Ros-Lehtinen, who was poised to chair the International Relations Committee had the Republicans retained control of the House, will now serve as its ranking member.

The ''support is most humbling and it shall be rewarded by my working doubly hard to ensure that the message of the GOP in international affairs is strong, determined and rooted in the core principles of our party to protect our nation's security and interests,'' Ros-Lehtinen said in a statement.

Henry Hyde, current chair of Inter. Rel., had nothing but good things to say about Ros-Lehtinen:

Ros-Lehtinen brings ``intelligence, leadership and enthusiasm to the important task of guiding the minority on the International Relations Committee.'' (Miami Herald)

Congratulations to Reps. Mica and Ros-Lehtinen, and good for Florida.

Quick Disclosure for Crist Inauguration

Gov.-elect Crist, apparently in an attempt to silence critics, has announced that his inaugural committee will now disclose contributions on a weekly basis. This goes well beyond the legal requirement of 90 days. (from SP Times - Buzz Blog)

You should remember from my post just this Wednesday that Common Cause expressed dismay over the $500,000 limit on contributions to the inauguration fund.

We applaud Gov. Crist for this move, but we remind him that he will never make those guys happy.

Download the Inauguration Schedule of Events.

The official 2007 Inauguration website is here.

Is your school library safe?

Parents from at least one Queens, NY, school used to think so. That is until their kids started displaying their reading comprehension skills. (hat tip Michelle Malkin - from NY Daily News)

Sixth-graders at a Queens school were getting quite an education - in homosexuality, French kissing and cursing - thanks to three books widely available in classroom libraries.

But after numerous complaints from parents at Public School 150 in Sunnyside, the books - a profanity-laced poetry book, short stories about homosexuality and a novel called "First French Kiss" - were pulled from the shelves last week.

Several parents learned of the racy books after overhearing their kids snickering about the sexual themes.

The poem "I Hate School" in a book called "You Hear Me?" includes the rhyme, "F--- this s---, up the a--. I don't think I'll ever pass."

_________________(further on)

"You Hear Me?" was suggested for sixth-, seventh- and eighth-graders by the Columbia University Teachers College's Reading and Writing Project because it is the only anthology with poems written by minority teenagers, said Lucy Calkins, its founding director.

"It's a tricky balance to walk so we are putting books in their hands that they'll want to read," said Calkins, who had not seen the language in the book.

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Sound unusual? It shouldn't. Just check out the Young Adult section next time your in the bookstore. You may not believe what is on the shelf.

See also Blogs of War

Remembering Pearl Harbor

One Last Roll Call (AP)

PEARL HARBOR, Hawaii - This will be their last visit to this watery grave to share stories, exchange smiles, find peace and salute their fallen friends.

This, they say, will be their final farewell.

With their number quickly dwindling, survivors of Pearl Harbor will gather one last time today to honor those killed by the Japanese 65 years ago and to mark a day that lives in infamy.

"This will be one to remember," said Mal Middlesworth, president of the Pearl Harbor Survivors Association. "It's going to be something that we'll cherish forever."

The survivors have met here every five years for four decades, but they are now in their 80s and 90s and are not counting on a 70th reunion. They have made every effort to report for one final roll call.

Drawing Comparisons, Asking Questions (VDH on Townhall)

On Dec. 7, 1941 — 65 years ago this week — pilots from a Japanese carrier force bombed Pearl Harbor. They killed 2,403 Americans, most of them service personnel, while destroying much of the American fleet and air forces stationed in Hawaii.

The next morning, an outraged United States declared war, which ended less than four years later with the destruction of most of the Japanese empire and its military.

Sixty years after Pearl Harbor came another surprise attack on U.S. soil, one that was, in some ways, even worse than the “Day of Infamy.”

Nearly 3,000 people died in the Sept. 11 attacks — the vast majority of them civilians. Al-Qaida’s target was not an American military base far distant from the mainland. Rather, they suicide-bombed the United States’ financial and military centers.

It’s been five years since Sept. 11. After such a terrible provocation, why can’t we bring the ongoing “global war on terror” — whether in Afghanistan, Iraq or elsewhere — to a close as our forefathers fighting World War II could?

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Donna Miles @ Armed Forces Press on 9/11 Parallels

Sixty-five years ago today, the United States endured an attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, that for the next 60 years -- until Sept. 11, 2001 -- stood as the most devastating enemy attack on U.S. soil. Like the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, the Japanese raid on Pearl Harbor has been called a defining moment in U.S. history. It caught the country by surprise, rallied its people against their attackers and thrust the nation into a long, difficult war against tyranny.

On the 65th anniversary of the Pearl Harbor attacks, they present more parallels, and possibly lessons, for today’s global war on terror.

.

Tampa Trib to Jennings: Throw in the Towel

The Tampa Tribune has published its second editorial calling on Christine Jennings to end the FL-13 drama. (see earlier post)

Christine Jennings continues to seek a new election in the District 13 congressional race even though two recounts concluded she lost to opponent Vern Buchanan and two state audits found the touch-screen voting machines used in Sarasota County functioned properly.

There is no evidence of tampering and only theories - no facts - that somehow the voting machines malfunctioned, yet Jennings refuses to end her lawsuit.

Sure, she's been talking about the sanctity of the vote and defending the true choice of the voters, but what she wants is the win. Since the recount numbers didn't go her way, she hopes a sympathetic judge will overturn the election results.

Jennings would use statistics, not vote counts, to show that most of the voters who for some reason failed to vote in her race would actually have voted for her. After all, Jennings the Democrat carried what has traditionally been a Republican county.

But then wouldn't that suggest more Republicans than Democrats chose not to vote in the race?

Losing by 369 votes after a vicious campaign and in a season when Democrats were winning has to be a bitter pill to swallow, and Jennings will forever wonder just exactly why things didn't go her way.

But voters made their choice, and without a verified paper trail to prove otherwise, Jennings came up short. Now it's time to stop.

The Tallahassee Sentinel could not have said it better - OK, maybe a little better.

Common Cause Displays Lack of Common Sense

The St. Pete times reports that Gov.-elect Crist is soliciting contributions for as much as $500,000 to pay for his inauguration events.

As Crist says, increased fundraising will make the events more accessible to more Floridians.

"I'm working hard to make this a non-paying event for a lot of people. And it's just a request."

Well, of course Ben Wilcox of Common Cause doesn't see it that way. In response to the sliding scale of perks (tote bags, cuff links, etc) offered to donors, Wilcox is aghast:

"It's pretty mind-boggling," said Ben Wilcox of Common Cause, a nonpartisan group that tracks political money. "It must be a pretty impressive tote bag."

Wilcox said he believes inaugural donors are "buying access" to Crist.

"It's unfortunate," Wilcox said. "The inaugural celebrates the people of Florida, but to be a part of this committee you have to be a pretty wealthy person from Florida."

It wasn't that long ago when few were able to experience and celebrate the inauguration of a new governor. It takes a lot of money to bring it to the masses. Better that it come from donors - even lobbyists - than from taxpayers.

By the way, any unspent funds will go to a good cause (thankfully not Common Cause):

After costs are met, receipts will be given to the Jessica Marie Lunsford foundation, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children and Derrick Brooks Charities.

Bolton's Gone - The Party's Back On!!

I just had to post this.

From Florida Times-Union - Ed Gamble

Iraq Study Group Takes Defeatist Tone

"The situation in Iraq is grave and deteriorating. There is no path that can guarantee success, but the prospects can be improved" (openning lines of the executive summary)

Read: No chance for victory. That's what it sounds like to me. And remember, the enemy has internet access too. They must have a smile on their face right about now.

The ISG has come with two primary recommendations:

Our most important recommendations call for new and enhanced diplomatic and political efforts in Iraq and the region, and a change in the primary mission of U.S. forces in Iraq that will enable the United States to begin to move its combat
forces out of Iraq responsibly.

As we find out later in the report this means engagement with Iran and Syria, and a timetable for troop withdrawl:

(On Iran and Syria)
Given the ability of Iran and Syria to influence events within Iraq and their interest in avoiding chaos in Iraq, the United States should try to engage them constructively.
(see what we have said recently on this subject: here and here.)

(On Redeployment)
By the first quarter of 2008, subject to unexpected developments in the security
situation on the ground, all combat brigades not necessary for force protection could be out of Iraq.

____________________

The report also envisions a increased role for Iraqi forces, and pull back of U.S. forces to a supporting role:

The primary mission of U.S. forces in Iraq should evolve to one of supporting the Iraqi army, which would take over primary responsibility for combat operations.

Military experts disagree: (from Reuters analysis):

Pulling back American troops into their bases in Iraq will reduce U.S. casualties, but it could also spark a firestorm of unrestrained sectarian violence that will sorely test the loyalties of the Iraqi army.

"The short term will see a drop in (U.S.) casualties. But the military consequence of pulling back will be to cede the initiative to the enemy and to reduce the patrol presence that keeps enemy activity down," said Stephen Biddle of the U.S. Army War College Strategic Studies Institute. "If we were to withdraw to bases, the intensity of the civil war is going to increase dramatically," he warned.

____________________

Intersperesed throughout the report there appears to be some sound advice. The ISG makes recommendations on Iraq's criminal justice system, its oil sector, reconstruction, U.S. budgeting and intelligence. It is the two primary points that are troubling.

Keep in mind that I have undertaken only a cursory reading of the report. I will have more comment later on some of these secondary recommendations.

Here's the USAToday blog report summary.

Allah at Hot Air picks-up on pessimism of report.



Again, the report is here.

Rahm Emanuel: Days of the rubber stamp on Iraq are over

From USA Today blog:

Not only are Democratic leaders predicting there will be more congressional oversight of U.S. efforts in Iraq and Afghanistan now that they're going to control both the House and Senate, they're also hinting they may not automatically OK the Bush administration's next request for funds to pay for those operations, USA TODAY's Kathy Kiely reports from Capitol Hill.

"The days of a rubber stamp on a request by the administration for this effort are over," Rep. Rahm Emanuel, D-Ill., said today, Kiely tells us.

Iraq Study Group to Report Today

As we wait for the report to be issued, here are some things to look at:

The Iraq Study Group Homepage - the report will be available at 11:00 am.

Bush has already met with Baker and Hamilton, and calls the report "very tough" and vows to take it seriously: (from FoxNews.com)

"I will take it very seriously and we will act on it in a timely fashion," Bush told reporters at the White House after meeting with the group for about an hour.

"This report gives a very tough assessment of the situation in Iraq. It is a report that brings some really very interesting proposals," Bush said.

Report calls for talks with Iran and Syria:

Leaks of the report suggest that the ISG will encourage the U.S. to reach out for more help on Iraq's security — including Iran and Syria as part of a larger group — and to gradually change the mission of U.S. troops from combat to training and support, with a broad goal of withdrawing the Americans by early 2008.

The president has resisted engagement with Iran and Syria, which the U.S. accuse of being bad actors on the world stage as well as fomenting instability in Iraq. Bush has rejected any timetable for U.S. troop drawdowns.

But the White House also insists that the examinations, including an administration review of military options led by Gen. Peter Pace, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, will be considered.

USA Today blog on expected reccomendations:

• President Bush should set specific security benchmarks for the Iraqi government and threaten to pull support if it fails to meet them.
• The Pentagon should "withdraw nearly all combat units by early 2008 while leaving behind tens of thousands of troops to advise, train and embed with Iraqi forces," the Washington Post reported.
• Bush should "aggressively tackle the Israeli-Palestinian dispute to reduce the broader regional tensions fueling the Iraq conflict," according to the Post.
• U.S. diplomats should hold talks with Iran and Syria about stopping the violence in Iraq.
• Iraq's neighbors should be brought to together for a regional conference.
• Sources told CNN a major theme "is a blunt assessment that the mission in Iraq will fail unless the Bush administration and the newly elected Democratic Congress come together on a bipartisan basis to deal with the declining support for the war within the United States."

Here's what others are saying:

Rick Moran of Redstate on the commission report:

Today is the day that the Iraq Study Group will deliver its not so secret recommendations on how we can best pull out of Iraq without leaving behind a bloody mess, regional chaos, increased Iranian influence, and a helpless, toothless, Iraqi government dominated by theocrats and thugs.

This is our new battle cry; "We must mitigate defeat!"

Stirring, isn't it? Not quite the ring that "Remember the Alamo" has but then, this is the 21st century and such patriotic and emotional displays are frowned upon by the blue blooded "wise men" of the ISG who have labored long and hard to produce this recipe for American retreat.

Paul Seale of Redstate:

What I am concerned about is what the media is already talking about. Apparently it is being leaked that the group is recommending that "President Bush to move most U.S. troops out of combat roles by early 2008," yet it supposedly does not set any hard time tables.

Uh, so what do you call a urge to pull out by early 2008?

Perhaps what is so maddening about this whole affair is how we are seemingly hanging out to dry our troops who are taking the fight to our enemies, and by proxy, siding with those who wish to do us harm.

Andrew McCarthy of NR:

Some, like congressional Democrats, a growing chorus of disaffected Republicans, the vaunted Baker-Hamilton Iraq Study Group, and departing Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, think the answer is fewer American troops. Others, prominently including National Review’s Rich Lowry, aptly point out that the only stable precincts in Iraq (at least outside the Kurdish region, the war’s much ignored success story) are those that enjoy a high concentration of American troops. Wherever we see the political establishment’s preference for a light U.S. footprint, chaos reigns.

McCarthy says view Iraq as a battle, not the war:

There is only one good reason for American troops to be in Iraq. It is the reason we sent them there in 2003: To fight and win the “war on terror” — i.e., the war against radical Islam — by deposing rogue regimes helping the terror network wage a long-term, existential jihad against the United States. You can argue that Iraq was the wrong rogue to start with; but destroying radical Islam’s will and its capacity to project power is what the war is about.

Iraq is but a single battlefield in that war. It is not “the war.” Stabilizing or even — mirabile dictu! — democratizing Iraq is not winning the war. It is the overseas equivalent of rebuilding the World Trade Center. The hard reality is that war exacts a terrible toll and its fallout must be addressed. This is why we hate war and resort to it only in the face of greater evils. But cleaning up war’s unavoidable messes is not the same as winning.

Winning the war means taking on the regimes and factions that are waging it. That is what the president promised to do after 9/11. “You’re with us or you’re with the terrorists.”

FL-13 Update: Looks Like Bad Ballot Design

A number of election experts have concluded - or come close to concluding - that bad ballot design was the cause of the unusually high undervote in FL-13. It also appears that the majority of the undervote ballots were from staright ticket voters - those looking for either DEM or REP, instead of candidate names. In other words, careless voters.

A Herald-Tribune analysis of every ballot cast shows these loyal party voters -- on both sides of the aisle -- were largely responsible for the massive undervote in Sarasota's House District 13 race. Nearly 60 percent of the 18,000 undervotes in that race came from people who otherwise did their best to ensure their party's candidate won.

The bizarre trend has convinced a growing number of election experts that the most important factor in the undervote was bad ballot design --

This theory poses problems for both Jennings and Buchanan:

For Buchanan, blaming the undervotes on inattentive voters would essentially be an acknowledgment that he would have lost but for the design of the ballot.

And a ballot design that caused voter confusion is a legal dead end for Jennings. Her lawsuit specifically shoots down ballot design in favor of machine error.

State auditors have yet to settle on any particular explanation for the undervote, so we continue to wait the results of their audit.

If ballot design is determined to be the culprit, it does not bode well for Jennings' lawsuit.

The prospect that bad ballot design caused 18,000 missing votes in a Sarasota congressional race could make Democrat Christine Jennings’ fight for a new election tougher.

Legal experts say convincing a judge to order a new election is dicey even if you can prove fraud or counting errors. But arguments over ballot design are among the hardest to win.

“It would be difficult for the plaintiffs to prevail if that’s what the problem is,” said Jon Greenbaum, voting rights director for the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law. “You’re always in a better situation if you can say clearly what went wrong.”

.......

Experts doubt that would convince judges to overturn the election.

“A court is not going to say if the ballot was different, people would have voted another way,” said Doug Chapin, director of electionline.org.

Former Florida Attorney General Jim Smith, who also was Secretary of State, said a judge may tell Jennings’ attorneys it’s too late to challenge the ballot.

“This ballot layout was obviously a problem, but when you balance that against the fact the candidates get to look at the ballot and the parties get to look at it before the election, and say it looks OK to them, I don’t know how you get it done,” he said.

Though this looks good for Buchanan, its not over yet. Look for this to drag on for a few more weeks.

School busing rares its ugly head in Manatee

At least the FL-13 debacle is no longer the most rediculous news story in SW Florida. The school board of Manatee County has approved a redistricting plan that will force over 1000 students to switch schools.

As part of the plan - as we assume the reason for the plan - about 75 migrant children will be bused to a whiter, more affluent school than the one that they now attend.

Why is this necessary?

(from Sarasota Herald-Tribune) The migrant busing plan was pushed by some administrators who want to diversify McNeal's student population.

Teachers at the school where the migrant children now attend are speaking out against the move.

Myakka has spent years building programs so the migrant students can succeed academically, and to help them adjust to a new culture. Some Myakka teachers worry the students' cultural differences -- many migrants speak Spanish as their native language and come from low-income families -- are too vast for them to adjust well to McNeal.

"They have a history at Myakka," said teacher Vickie Parker, who has worked at Myakka for 20 years. "Obviously going to McNeal is going to be a whole different world for them."

The view of the teachers will probably have little effect on what happens in Manatee County. Now that the "D" word has been invoked the plan is as good as gospel. (that's diversity - in case you were wondering)

It's not clear who is supposed to benefit from the busing. Apparently some teachers fear for the white students at McNeal (that's the rich white school):

"This is not a migrant issue," said Myakka teacher Cheryl Mathis. "It is an issue of how do we make our classrooms equitable, and make changes at McNeal so those kids see some faces other than their white neighbors all the time."

Unfortunately, it is usually the more disadvantaged kids that are harmed by moves like this. But how can we blame the school board? It probably feels like the right thing to do. I wonder how many of their kids will be bused.

Bonior to lead Edwards Campaign

Remember him? Well, it looks like he's back again. No, he won't be yelling at us from the floor of the House.

It looks as if David Bonior has signed on to lead the presidential campaign of John Edwards - that would be the one that doesn't exist yet.

(AP) Former Rep. David Bonior, a one-time leader in Congress who has close ties to labor unions, has signed on to manage a future John Edwards presidential campaign.

Edwards hasn't announced a repeat of his 2004 presidential bid yet, but an Edwards adviser said Thursday that Bonior will run the effort if Edwards decides to run. In the meantime, Bonior has signed on as a senior adviser to Edwards' leadership PAC, the One America Committee.

Bonior strong ties to organized labor should help Edwards with this important Democratic target group.

One can only imagine Bonior meeting up with a candidate Gingrich on the campaign trail in mid-2008. Remember what Rep. Bonior was up to in 1996?

U.S. Navy to San Francisco: See Ya!

Secretary of the Navy Donald Winter has vetoed plans to hold the commissioning ceremony for one of the Navy's newest warships in San Francisco. After continual assaults on the military by local activists, the Navy is finally striking back. (hat tip Michelle Malkin - see her latest edition of Vent: San Francisco Hates the Troops)

The USS Makin Island will now be commissioned in San Diego.

(From the AP)

Navy leaders were concerned about San Francisco's refusal to offer a homeport for the retired battleship Iowa, which would be turned into a museum, as well as the school board's decision to abolish junior ROTC training in city high schools, Myatt said.

Some city politicians also have publicly criticized the Pentagon. In one instance, Supervisor Gerardo Sandoval said national defense should be left to “the cops and the Coast Guard.”

It's about time that military leadership stand-up to those that have nothing but disdain for our troops. There are many - in fact, most - areas of the country that would be honored to play host to our military.

I look forward to seeing how Nancy Pelosi reacts to this snubbing of her city.

FL GOP Should Support Early Primary

Florida was a rare bright spot for the GOP this election year. It should be an obvious place for Republican presidential hopefuls to stake their claim on the nomination. It also makes sense for Florida to move its presidential primary to a date that will put it in play.

Florida Republicans have earned the right to help determine which candidate will head the national ticket. Gov. Crist should get on board and actively support an earlier primary.

See The Miami Herald: Florida may get early primary

The Herald tells us that Speaker Rubio is in favor of this move:

House Speaker Marco Rubio of Miami says a state as big and diverse as Florida should have its say immediately afterward.

''From immigration to agriculture to Israel, virtually every issue the next leader of the free world is going to be asked about will be asked in Florida,'' Rubio said. ``Florida is the largest and most relevant state that has no voice in the electoral
process.''

In a related story, the SP Times is reporting that Gov. Crist has not yet expressed his support for the GOP straw poll. They are also reporting Crist's support for the early primary.

Though party officials have been working on the "Presidency IV" convention for months, Crist last week was noncommittal. "I haven't really thought about it," said Crist, who does support moving Florida's 2008 primary earlier in the calendar to increase the state's influence in the primary.

An early primary can only help the position of Florida Republicans nationwide.

Another Campus Outrage: This Time Columbia University

Yesterday, we relayed to you the story about Tom Tancredo's visit to Michigan State University. That story had made it around the blogosphere for a couple of days prior to my post.

Today, Matt Sanchez, a corporal in the Marine Corps Reserve and a junior at Columbia University, writes in the NY Post about his experiences on the "hyper-tolerant" campus.

December 4, 2006 -- Did you hear the one about the Marines that Columbia University invited to campus for Fleet Week?

Not any time in the last few decades, you didn't.

But you might have heard the one about the Marine who was told by a fellow Columbia student that he was stupid for joining the military because he's Hispanic and didn't realize he was being used for cannon fodder.

It's actually kind of funny - but when it happened to me during Columbia's Activities Day last year, I was fighting mad. Not because I was publicly humiliated in front of several hundred of my fellow classmates (any devil dog who has spent a summer on Parris Island gets used to insults), but because of what the incident showed about New York's most prestigious university.

On the surface, Columbia is all for diversity (good, very good) and completely opposed to intolerance (bad, really bad). On any given day, eager undergrads can speak out for Starbucks employees forced to make coffee with non-ergonomic espresso machines, or call for the school to install non-gender-specific bathrooms.

Sanchez goes on about the tolerance double-standard as it devolves from the administration.

Read Sanchez' entire piece here.

The End for Bolton

As regular readers of the Sentinel know, we have actively supported the retention of Ambassador John Bolton. We have heartily promoted the Blogging for Bolton program, as is obvious as you scroll through our site.

I now appears that the effort of the conservative blogosphere has come up short. The AP is reporting that President Bush has accepted Bolton's resignation, effective at the end of his current term.

WASHINGTON -- Unable to win Senate confirmation, U.N. Ambassador John Bolton will step down when his recess appointment expires soon, the White House said Monday.

Bolton's nomination has languished in the Senate Foreign Relations Committee for more than a year, blocked by Democrats and several Republicans. Sen. Lincoln Chafee, a moderate Republican who lost in the midterm elections Nov. 7 that swept Democrats to power in both houses of Congress, was adamantly opposed to Bolton.

President Bush gave Bolton the job temporarily in August 2005, while Congress was in recess. But the appointment expires when Congress formally adjourns, no later than early January.

Although Bush could not give Bolton another recess appointment, the White House was believed to be exploring other ways of keeping him in the job, perhaps by giving him a title other than ambassador. But Bolton informed the White House he intended to leave when his current appointment expires, White House deputy press secretary Dana Perino said.

Bill Kristol on Fox, says that the Administration did not fight hard enough. "Sends a signal" that a man that was strong on national security is leaving the Administration. He believes that Bush should appoint Bolton as deputy sectratary of state.

John Miller at NR's The Corner: "How about Rick Santorum for the UN job?"

From Redstate: "we can chalk-up one in the "win" column for Chris Dodd. Oh, joy!"

Well, this should be a sad day for those that appreciate the job that John Bolton has done at the UN. This is yet another example of what we have for the next two years.

From Allah at HotAir: "Bad things happen when you lose your majority."

Here's what we had on Bolton a few weeks ago:

Look out for a compromise appointee.

Blogging for Bolton w/ video.

We'll update as available.

Another Campus Protest Out-of-Control

This is becoming a national epidemic - liberal campus activists/protesters disrupting presentations by invited speakers. More alarmingly, these protests are becoming increasingly violent. When will college administrators - and campus law enforcement - put an end to this disgraceful behavior?

Protesters, and their ACLU-like defenders, are quick to lean upon the 1st Amendment, but should we allow this to be a defense and justification for infringing on the rights of other students and their invited speakers?

This latest episode took place on the campus of Michigan State University, and its target was Rep. Tom Tancredo. From the State News:

A campus discussion about illegal immigration turned violent Thursday evening, when protesters clashed with the MSU College Republicans and Young Americans for Freedom, who sponsored the event.

Kyle Bristow, chairman of the Young Americans for Freedom, or YAF, said he was kicked and spat upon by some of the protesters when he was outside the MSU College of Law, where the discussion was being held.

"It saddens me that my fellow Spartans would display this type of behavior," he said. "They are racist. It's sad we need police to come to control these radical leftists."

Unable to identify the people who assaulted him, Bristow said he wasn't planning to file a police report.

MSU police were dispatched to the event after an employee of the law college called the department, MSU police Sgt. Brian McDaniel said.

"About 10 to 20 protesters disrupted the event," he said. "We believe they were
responsible for pulling the fire alarm."

Protesters said they came to show their opposition to controversial Republican congressman Tom Tancredo, of Colorado, who spoke at the event. Before Tancredo arrived and while the event was being set up, protesters gathered on the fourth floor of the law college with signs that read "Ignorant Racist."

Someone in the building set off a fire alarm twice throughout the evening. After the first alarm was pulled, a few hundred people were evacuated from the building. The person or persons responsible for pulling the alarm could face a misdemeanor or felony charge if caught, McDaniel said.

Randy McPherson, whose sign read "Where's the wall to keep you out?" came to protest when he heard that the congressman would be speaking.

"God works in mysterious ways," said McPherson, a food science and premedical junior, after the second fire alarm was pulled. "(Tancredo) shouldn't be here."

Some protesters weren't allowed inside the discussion room because they had signs, which aren't allowed in the law college. The people who attended to oppose the event said they came to represent themselves — not the minority campus groups with which they are affiliated.

Another student who came to protest the event said she wanted to make sure it was known that Tancredo is racist.

"We were here to protest the whole event," said Claudia Gonzalez, an interdisciplinary studies in social science and community relations senior. "It got heated and there was a lot of disagreement and argument. This is a very big issue."

While waiting for the discussion to start, accounting graduate student Matt Ledesma said he witnessed someone being pulled out of the discussion area for spitting on someone.

"They were being disruptive," he said. "Someone pulled the fire alarm, which got us all out here."

After everyone was allowed back into the law college, Tancredo addressed a crowd of more than 40 people, who clapped and booed when he began speaking.

His speech focused on illegal immigration in the United States and emphasized
looking at the issue with a clear head.

"Look, you can't get emotional," Tancredo said during his speech. "Let's just talk about the policy."

He also stressed the importance of a single national language, which he believes should be English, but added he supports people who are bilingual.

"I think diversity is a great thing," he said. "But it becomes a negative thing when it's the only thing."

Slapstick Politics has a lengthy post on the latest Tancredo news, including video from MSU.

We'll keep an eye on this and update as needed.

Is Bush getting closer to Iran?

CNN has reported that President Bush will soon meet with Abdul Aziz al-Hakim, a prominent Shiite leader with close ties to Iran. Does this mean the the U.S. is inching closer to talks with Iran? Probably not, but it's worth keeping an eye on.

Who is al-Hakim? Here is a short bio from the Council on Foreign Relations:

A popular opponent of Saddam Hussein's regime, Hakim is the chairman of the Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq (SCIRI), which was founded as a guerilla movement in 1982 in Iran. Its militia, the Badr Brigades, staged armed attacks against Hussein's regime. Hakim's beliefs align with Shiite leader Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani's, in that he supports a secular democracy that recognizes the importance of Islam but bars clerics from overtly exercising political power. He lived in exile in Iran for more than twenty years before returning to Iraq to serve as a member of the Governing Council and advocates autonomy for the south and close relations with Iran.

CNN also reports that Bush plans to meet with VP Tariq al Hashemi, a key Sunni leader in Iraq.

It is important not to jump to any conclusions vis-a-vis Bush's meeting with al-Hakim. We will hope that this is a function of presidential leadership in Iraq, not an overture to Iran.

See- To Baker Commission: This is why we should not talk to Iran - from earlier today.

.

First Murtha ... and Now We Lose Hastings Too!

Well, we won't have old Alcee Hastings to kick around - at least not as House intel chair.

Nancy Pelosi has come to her senses and passed over Hastings in favor of Silvestre "Silver" Reyes. Pelosi also snubbed Jane Harmen, a political foe.

In response to the public outcry over the consideration of Hastings as chair, Alcee treats us to some of his eloquence:

"Sorry, haters, God is not finished with me yet." (from FoxNews)

We don't know much about Reyes yet, but we're looking into it - more later. For now, this is what Fox gives us:

Reyes, whose nickname is "Silver," also served in the Army from 1966-68 during the Vietnam War, including 13 months in Vietnam. The helicopter crew chief and gunner received a Purple Heart, the military honor for being wounded in service.

Under Democratic control, his committee is expected to conduct more public oversight of some of the most difficult issues facing the United States, including terrorism, Iraq and government surveillance. Given the committee's inherently secret nature, much of the work will have to be done behind closed doors.

In an interview this month, Reyes said he will insist on more information about the Bush administration's most classified programs and how they are working. The Republicans, he said, have made a habit of rubber-stamping those programs.

He said he also wants to look at the role of intelligence three years after the war in Iraq began, as well as the state of traditional spycraft — also called "human intelligence" by intelligence professionals — versus "signal intelligence" gathered by satellites and electronic surveillance.

"We haven't required or haven't had the administration give us the details, evaluation or plan of how these classic programs are functioning," Reyes said. "There is plenty to do on the role of intelligence, the programs that are vital and critical to our national defense, and certainly to our war fighters."

Reyes is considered less partisan than Hastings, and signaled that the day after the election when he praised the selection of former CIA Director Robert Gates to replace Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld.

Reyes noted that Gates served in Republican and Democratic administrations, giving him a bipartisan background. "I do look forward to hearing from him and what his ideas are," he said, particularly on the administration's new direction in Iraq.

I guess we have to give a little credit to Pelosi for finally caving in to the pressure. But not to worry, she'll give us plenty to work with soon enough.

To Baker Commission: This is why we should not talk to Iran

From ABC News:

WASHINGTON, Nov. 30, 2006 — U.S. officials say they have found smoking-gun evidence of Iranian support for terrorists in Iraq: brand-new weapons fresh from Iranian factories. According to a senior defense official, coalition forces have recently seized Iranian-made weapons and munitions that bear manufacturing dates in 2006.

"There is no way this could be done without (Iranian) government approval," says a senior official.

This should answer the question I posed yesterday - as if we didn't already know.

ACLU "Nativity Scene" at U of Texas

You've got to see this!! (Hat Tip to Political Pit Bull)