Tim Lambert, Read This!

Self defense is dead in Great Britain. Crime lives on.

Via Instapundit.

The Absolutely Relevant Story Which Is Being Ignored

Varifrank is very unhappy at the peaceniks and those who question the run-up, the justification and the handling of the Iraq war. Let him give his simple compelling reason.

Does "Never again" mean anything to you?

Via Instapundit.

Bill Wants Kofi's Job!

According to George Woods on 710 KCMO, a UPI story says Bill Clinton wants the Secretary General's spot when Kofi Annan retires in 2006. What a calamity that would be!

A Kerry Win Sends The Wrong Message

Dean Esmay says that if Kerry wins, "The American people will have shown that they are willing to let the press get away with blatantly slanted, context-free, anti-war reporting, and the political classes will have shown that they will exploit this for victory at the polls." Dean then follows up. If Kerry wins, I believe that American troops should not be deployed to the Sudan, especially under the banner of the UN. Somalia all over again, and we won't have a steady hand a helm anymore to make it work.

The Debate

Great debate. Bush won, but Kerry showed sufficient spine that I won't panic if he is elected.

Sure wish either he or Bush had taken the opportunity to send a nice clear message to Iran, such as, "I will take military action to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons if necessary." I'm sure Bush would, but I'm pretty sure if we elect Kerry, Israel is the only thing preventing a nuclear mullacracy. Yuck. And as far as bilateral talks with North Korea, that's a loser. North Korea always wants bilateral talks with the US. That's a clue. The clue is they think it works to their advantage. They don't need any advantages.

Kerry is still dissing our allies. That is awfully ignorant and short sighted.

It's also clear that Kerry wants to destroy jobs. He'll raise taxes on the small companies who create them. (Here's an idea, John. How about a new tax bracket for people who earn over 50 million dollars in one year? That should leave small business alone. Your Mrs. and Soros can pay.) He'll increase regulations. He won't reform your legal liability system (except for medical liability). He'll drop Kyoto on us like a ton of bricks. Sounds like double digit unemployment to me. Thank God for the Republicans in the House and Senate.

The Clicketty Clack Boogie

For your train viewing pleasure, Trains Magazine has a Web Cam. Registration and Java plug in required.

An Intriguing Interview With Dr. Barnett

This guy clearly isn't pumping out either DNC or RNC talking points. Read An Interview With Dr. Barnett.

Via Glenn Reynolds.

The Whole Story Would Be Nice

News Media, listen up! Read the entire Duelfer report, not just the bits that support your world view.

Mirror, Mirror

Could the Democrats admit Bush was right? Can that admit that toppling Saddam was the right thing to do? Can they admit that Kerry's way would have kept that tyrant in power? Can they admit that Saddam was going to break out of his container and get WMD? Jonah Goldberg says, for shame. Must Kerry and the Democrats define themselves using a mirror?

Observe Shrove Tuesday

Les Jones points the way to Shrove Tuesday Observed. You will laugh when you find out how literature would be if all stories were written like science fiction stories.

Evil Joy

The Anchoress wonders if the two Johns remember the woman in the black hijab. I think they do, but I don't think they learned. We aren't in a worldwide popularity contest, gentlemen.

Via Glenn Reynolds.

Kerry Was A Brave Man

Brave in Vietnam, anyway. But Mike at Virginia Patriots notes that Kerry claims his anti-military rhetoric was brave. Well, I suppose that since many people are more afraid of public speaking than death, his stance could be called brave.

OTOH, wasn't Tailgunner Joe famous for vague, hysterical, unproven charges? Wasn't the Communist menace even more dangerous than Vietnam? Why do Democrats vilify Joe McCarthy but praise John Kerry for behaving exactly alike?

At Least The Republicans Aren't Organized

Mobs of Thugs on the Left.
Single thugs on the Right.
Stand up, sit down.

Umm. Hold it.

Let's NOT fight, fight, fight.

Good News From Iraq

The next generation will make up for us underachieving baby boomers. BTW, the Sixties (with the exception of the Civil Rights movement started in the Fifties) were an achievement just like an enjoyable 120 mph street race which ends with your car in someone's living room is an achievement.

Via Glenn Reynolds.

Three Brave Marines

Hurrah! I found the two marines who charged down that Iraqi trench with Marine Capt. Brian R. Chontosh! They were both awarded the third highest medal a Marine can receive, the Silver Star.

The first is Lance Marine Cpl. Armand E. McCormick, who was awarded the Silver Star.

Under heavy fire McCormick exhibited exceptional bravery when the lead elements of his battalion were ambushed with mortars, rocket propelled grenades, and squad automatic weapons fire. Fearlessly he drove his lightly armored vehicle directly at an enemy machine gun position and purposely crashed it into an occupied trench line. With the initial breach of the enemy defense now gained for his unit, he sprang from the vehicle and began assaulting the berm and ambush line with two Marines. Taking direct fire, and outnumbered, he pressed forward, firing his M9 pistol at enemy forces. Moving through the trench, he repeatedly came under enemy fire, each time calmly taking well-aimed shots.

As the group ran low on ammunition, he collected enemy rifles and a rocket- propelled grenade and continued to press the attack forward several hundred meters. As a follow-on company began to make their entrance into the berm, he returned to his vehicle and backed it out of the trench. McCormick's boldly aggressive actions greatly reduced the enemy's ability to inflict casualties on the rest of his battalion.

The second is Marine Cpl. Robert P. Kerman, who also was awarded the Silver Star.

Kerman exhibited exceptional bravery when the lead elements of the battalion were ambushed with mortars, rocket propelled grenades and automatic weapons fire.

As the vehicle he was traveling in drove directly into machine gun fire and into a trench line, Kerman sprang from the vehicle and began assaulting down the enemy occupied trench with two other Marines. As the enemy soldiers fired at him, he fearlessly plunged towards them firing his M16 with lethal accuracy. Continuing to move through the trench he repeatedly came under enemy fire.

Each time he would calmly occupy a steady firing position and take well-aimed shots that had devastating effects in the enemy.

As the group ran out of ammunition, they pressed forward 200 to 300 meters utilizing captured enemy AK-47s.

He showed no regard for his own personal safety, and his actions directly contributed to the successful outcome of the engagement.

And finally, their leader, Marine Capt. Brian R. Chontosh, was awarded the Navy Cross, the second highest medal a Marine can receive.

While leading his platoon north on Highway 1 toward Ad Diwaniyah, Chontosh's platoon moved into a coordinated ambush of mortars, rocket propelled grenades and automatic weapons fire. With coalitions tanks blocking the road ahead, he realized his platoon was caught in a kill zone.

He had his driver move the vehicle through a breach along his flank, where he was immediately taken under fire from an entrenched machine gun. Without hesitation, Chontosh ordered the driver to advanced directly at the enemy position enabling his .50 caliber machine gunner to silence the enemy.

He then directed his driver into the enemy trench, where he exited his vehicle and began to clear the trench with an M16A2 service rifle and 9 millimeter pistol. His ammunition depleted, Chontosh, with complete disregard for his safety, twice picked up discarded enemy rifles and continued his ferocious attack.

When a Marine following him found an enemy rocket propelled grenade launcher, Chontosh used it to destroy yet another group of enemy soldiers.

When his audacious attack ended, he had cleared over 200 meters of the enemy trench, killing more than 20 enemy soldiers and wounding several others.

God has truly blessed America through the services of these fine men.

The Swift Vets Smear Kerry

John Dean and The Daily Howler show pure smear in chapter four of Unfit for Command.

O'Neill and Corsi stoop to calling Kerry a baby killer, when by their own evidence he was no such thing.

Stick a fork in the Swift Vets. I won't tolerate that kind of behavior.

Update: More discussion at Dean's World. I failed to give credit to shep over at Rosemary's place for the John Dean article. He and I have been going at this hammer and tongs there, and at Ara's place. I don't like John Kerry calling all our vets war criminals, and I don't like some of our vets calling John Kerry a baby killer. The ends (getting out of Vietnam / preventing a bad Presidency) do not justify the means. (Rush Limbaugh, Michael Moore, Ann Coulter, Howard Dean, Ted Kennedy and Al Gore, take notes. And no I can't think of Republican equivalents to Howard Dean, Ted Kennedy and Al Gore, because I wasn't paying this much attention during Clinton's gig, and I really don't remember hearing any Republicans behave that badly this election cycle. Maybe Mark Adams or Bill Underwood will drop by and remind me. I'd appreciate it. It would round out this little rant nicely.)

Bush/Cheney - Bad For Halliburton

John Edwards played Oliver Stone in last night's debates, going all conspiracy theory about Halliburton. But Bush/Cheney has been bad for Halliburton. Here's a useful factoid:

So, if you bought the John Edwards view of the world, then three and a half years ago when Bush won the election, wouldn’t you have also bought Halliburton stock? If you did, you got hurt. Since Bush’s inauguration, Halliburton’s shares have fallen 11 percent. To put things in perspective, other oil-related industries have risen roughly 36 percent in this time.

But, since the Democrats believe that a Presidency should benefit the President and Vice President financially, if Kerry wins, be sure and buy stock in Heinz.

Mark Noonan explains....

Kerry's Global Test. Mark says,

Winston Churchill understood things much better than John Kerry - he was in favor of attacking Nazi Germany even when the whole world was opposed to it; no "global test" for Churchill. Right is right and you do what is right even if everyone disagrees with you. President Bush instinctively understands this as well - we do not put American honor up for a global vote; we do not resign ourselves to evil because a majority of the world is unwilling to assist us in fighting against it.

Kerry gives away too much power by seeking popularity.

The Winners Are...

Gwen Ifill over Jim Lehrer and Dick Cheney, in every way, over John Edwards.

Dick Cheney may be the best Vice-President ever. I know he doesn't want to run for President in 2008. I say draft him. He's that good.

Kerry's Iran Plan Worse Than We Thought

John Kerry's plan would give Iran nukes by Christmas.

Words fail me.

Holy Katz!

Joe Katz says I'm deluded for taking comfort in Kerry's debate performance. He says John Kerry is an appeasing dove. Look at this analysis of Kerry on Iran:

Kerry's positions on issues like Iran are clear, and were openly stated in the debate: normalize relations with the world's #1 terrorist sponsors while they undermine Iraq & Afghanistan, offer them nuclear fuel, propose sanctions the Europeans will drag their feet on in order to stop a late-stage nuclear program that's impervious to sanctions anyway, and oppose both missile defense and the nuclear bunker-buster weapons that would give the USA defensive or offensive options in a crisis.

I'm Wince, and I'm wincing now. That looks like a strategy which will only succeed because Bush gave Israel 5000 precision guided weapons before the election. Thank God. Kerry will force Israel to attack Iran. I am not enthused about using Israel to wash the world's dirty laundry. I'd rather see American elbow grease applied to this problem. Take some responsibility, Senator!