Free kibbles

Venezuelan Congress passes first vote to allow Chavez to rule by decree. I will never understand people surrendering power to tyrants like that. Here's how it will end up.

Senators who used to support more troops in Iraq have flip-flopped now that Bush is providing more troops.

British break up terrorist kidnapping plot. Intended victim and family under guard.

Alternate version of battle in Najaf.

Germany issues warrants for 13 CIA personnel suspected of being involved with renditions.

Egyptians blame Hamas for failure of ceasefire in Gaza.

NATO kills 30 Taliban in Afghanistan.

Suspected terrorist devices in Boston turn out to be Cartoon Network marketing campaign.

Reason on Bush's health insurance plan.

Terrorist on trial.

White House accused of censoring scientists on global warming. Canadian Prime Minister called Kyoto a socialist scheme to suck money out of rich countries.

Mad cow disease may be reversible.

Student forced to remove Florida Gators national championship shirt as "gang-style."

Obama thinks liberal arguments are more often grounded in reason and fact.

It seems everybody in Libby's trial has memory problems. Don't we all.

Lawsuit accuses black leaders of violating white voters' rights. Why isn't this prominent news? Isn' this "man bites dog?"

Global warming caused by solar cycles.

Ban Alert: California representative introduces bill to ban incandescent light bulbs. The free market should be allowed to handle this.

Tunnels between US and Mexico not destroyed because of "lack of funds."

John Stossel points out the problems with the war on drugs.

Brit Jan Moir sees right through Hillary. Let's hope Americans do as well.

With ethanol demand driving up corn prices, Mexicans stage tortilla protest.

Canadian town writes explicit rules to inform immigrants, including "you must not stone women."

Milton Friedman's "Free to Choose" PBS series.

The Road to Serfdom. Picture book.

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Europe refuses to go along with US plans to further isolate Iran. They must like Ahmadinejad.

Palestinian cease-fire in effect. This seems like the 5,000th cease-fire I can remember in the Middle East, and it will probably be just as successful as all the previous cease-fires. Fatah kills Hamas commander in spite of cease-fire. That didn't take long.

African Union rejects Sudan as rotating seat. China to press for peacekeepers.

Islamic militants kill 15 in Algeria.

New global warming report predicts catastrophic water and food shortages.

Chuck Hagel is a political opportunist, which is the opposite of courageous.

McCain and Hillary share loving gaze. I think I'm going to puke.

The Republican candidates suck. At least Rush is saying so this time, instead of being a sycophant like usual.

Ban Alert: California considers banning smoking in apartments.

I say more power to the billionaires. They're living the American dream in the biggest way. I wish I had been so smart.

All female unit of peacekeepers from India deploys in Liberia.

Nobody wants to listen to Air America. Al Franken quits.

Medical procedures causing people to set off dirty bomb alarms.

Threat level raised for Superbowl.

Vista marks end of an era for Microsoft. Good riddance.

List of wait times for Canada's socialized medicine.

John Podhoretz blasts Hillary's "resentment" as the only genuine thing she's said.

Finally, a call for Democrats to dump Harry Reid for his unethical land deals. Tough to be in the spot-light, isn't it Harry?

Rich Lowry points out special prosecutor Fitzgerald's shame.

Many Terrorist Threats

by Mark Luedtke

A common thread runs through the current wars in the world – almost all of them involve radical Islam. It's easy to think of the War on Terror as a war against al Qaeda, the war in Afghanistan, or the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, but that limited viewpoint is dangerous. From Africa to New Guinea, radical Islam is involved in a series of conflagrations. Muslim extremists also conduct terrorist attacks all around the world. By any measure, radical Islam is waging a world war against numerous countries of diverse governments and religions.

Our newspapers naturally focus on Iraq and Afghanistan because American troops are fighting in those countries. To a lesser extent, Somalia is in the news because of our history there, and because of our support for the Somali and Ethiopian governments against the radical Muslims supported by al Qaeda. In these three countries, the radical Muslims are engaged with superior forces, fighting for regional goals, and currently they're not much of a threat to US security, but we can't afford to allow any of those countries to become a safe haven for terrorists to organize and launch attacks against us.

The fluid dynamics of the radical Islam movement make it extremely difficult to track and access threats. The US lists dozens of terrorist organizations, but there are dozens in Iraq alone, and they ally and transform monthly if not weekly.

Since we liberated Afghanistan, al Qaeda has been searching for a new safe haven to reorganize. Their base in the lawless mountains of Pakistan on the Afghan border is so remote that their effectiveness is limited. There are reports that al Qaeda and the Taliban are supported by factions of the Pakistani intelligence services, but even so, their freedom to operate in that environment is severely curtailed by our allies in Pakistan.

Al Qaeda would love to overthrow President Musharraf of Pakistan, create a rogue Islamic state, and get access to Pakistan's nuclear weapons. Al Qaeda and Taliban sympathizers in Pakistan make diplomacy extremely dicey. Musharraf is walking a tightrope, and the US and NATO can't clean out the lawless areas of Pakistan for fear of igniting a popular uprising that would empower al Qaeda.

Al Qaeda is working to establish a new base in Somalia, which would give it strategic assess to the Indian Ocean and Africa. The US is backing Somalia and Ethiopia, but it seems unlikely that Somali leader Abdullahi Yusuf will open his government and gain broad support. The Ethiopians already look like occupiers instead of liberators (much like the US in Iraq), and more Muslim uprisings seem likely. The African Union is reluctant to send in peace-keepers, and the Somalia government is unable to defend itself at this point.

Al Qaeda is also working to establish a safe haven in Bangladesh, resulting in the President suspending elections and creating a caretaker government.

Hezbollah is still the preeminent terrorist organization in the world. Their recent war with Israel showed that they have grown from terrorist organization and militia to a military and economic power capable of stalemating one of the fiercest militaries in the world. Hezbollah has cells in the US, Canada, Europe and South America. They come to America across both our unprotected borders.

Iranian and Syrian support for Hezbollah have made them a major power in the Middle East. Lebanon is on the verge of a civil war that could turn the country over to Hezbollah. Hezbollah has trained al Qaeda members in the past, so losing Lebanon to Hezbollah, with its access to the Mediterranean is a significant danger. Former Secretary General of Hezbollah, Sheikh Subji al-Tufeili, recently criticized Hezbollah for pushing Lebanon toward civil war. This might help stop the drive toward civil war.

Hizb-ut-Tahrir is a movement to re-create Muslim caliphate world-wide, and it's growing fast in popularity in the Middle East. It considers radical Islam's current war with the west unresolvable, an inevitable clash of civilizations, and advocates the non-violent overthrow of non-Muslim governments, only using jihad as a last resort. It could play a significant role in further radicalizing the general population of the Middle East.

Jihad is expanding in Africa, the Middle East, Asia, and even into China. The breakaway Russian Republic of Chechnya provides a safe haven for jihadists, and threatens to capture a Russian nuclear weapon. Russian President Putin is turning back democracy and remaking Russia as an authoritarian state, using the threat of terrorism as support. But with a breakaway jihadist haven near nuclear missiles in the Caucasus, the US has very little power to deal with either threat.

But more immediate threats are near to home. Great Britain has a homegrown terrorist problem that spawned the London transit bombing and the recently thwarted US airline terrorist plan. Many British Muslims identify themselves as al Qaeda. France and its neighbors are unable to deal with the riots of Muslim youths. European jihadists are heading to Somalia to fight for al Qaeda's cause.

We have less advanced homegrown terrorists in Canada and the US as well. Our challenge is to defeat radical Islam abroad and in our own back yard without surrendering our freedom after every attack.

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Global Court to hold first trial. What is this global court? This is a great failing of the mainstream media. Where's the history? Where's the in depth coverage that explains why anybody should take this court seriously?

I should have known Kofi Annan was behind this global court. How come I have to go to China to get an article on it? I have no representation at the UN. No court without representation! We need to cut our funding for the UN in half, and use that money to fund an alliance of freedom loving nations who respect the sovereignty of other nations.

Iran plans to expand role in in Iraq. Ahmadinejad is yanking Bush's chain.

Shiite group destroyed in Najaf led by man claiming to be missing Imam returned to the world.

Rules and regulations vary for fertility services around the world.

How Carter turned Iran over to radical Muslims, and how the left wants to repeat the mistake in Iraq.

Did the Justice Department intentionally turn a blind eye to Sandy Berger's destruction of documents?

A glimpse at a world without America in the lead.

In a provocative essay in Foreign Policy three years ago, the British historian Niall Ferguson speculated that the end of American hegemony might not fuel an orderly shift to a multipolar system but a descent into a world of highly fragmented powers, with no one exercising any global leadership.

One-third of students in Texas high schools drop out.

Microsoft pulls controversial patent application, calling it a mistake.

Town declares Stephen Colbert day.

Question for anti-war Presidential Candidates

If President Bush gives in to anti-war pressure and pulls American troops out of Iraq this year, what will Iraq and the Middle East look like when the next President takes office in 2009?

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US and Iraqi troops kill 250 insurgents outside Najaf. Now that's the kind of news America needs to hear. We're on the offensive, and we're being successful. That's how you win a war.

Senate debates anti-war resolution despite being well informed by General Petraeus and Sec. Gates that it hurts American troops' morale and encourages our enemies. Helping our enemies defeat American troops is the goal of the American anti-war movement - the only force in the world that can defeat us. Naturally, Hanoi Jane's anti-war movement steps up just when we're making changes for victory.

Sinn Fein votes to support police.

Fighting in Gaza continues despite calls for calm. This highlights the chaotic nature of the violent factions in the Middle East. They don't recognize authority even in their own groups. Saudi king invites leaders to meet in Mecca.

Israel appoints first Muslim cabinet member. Wow. This won't stop the fanatical murderers attacking Israel, but it might inspire moderate Muslims.

Global court to decide whether or not to perform first trial. I don't like the idea of any global court. I didn't have a say in its establishment or conduct, so it's illegitimate.

Liberal Russian party blocked from participating in elections.

Harry Reid's other corrupt land deal.

Ethanol demand creates tortilla crisis. This is the free market at work. I bet you won't see any articles on the corn farmers who are making a bunch more money - just articles on people who can't buy as much corn or sell as many corn products.

Ebay sellers corrupt auctions.

A must read critique of modern politics from Mark Steyn.

The open defeatists on the Democrat side and the nuanced defeatists among "moderate" Republicans seem to think that big countries can choose to lose small wars. After all, say the "realists," Iraq isn't any more important to Americans than Vietnam was. But a realpolitik cynic knows the tactical price of everything and the strategic value of nothing. This is something on an entirely different scale from the 1930s: Seventy years ago, Britain and Europe could not rouse themselves to focus on a looming war; today, we can't rouse ourselves even to focus on a war that's happening right now. Read 100 percent of the Democratic presidential candidates' platforms and a sizeable chunk of the Republicans': We're full of pseudo-energy for phantom crises and ersatz enemies, like "global warming.''

Democrats allow representatives from US territories, not states, unconstitutional vote in the House.

Supporting the troops

Jane Fonda exposes the anti-America core of the anti-war crowd. This is a woman who hobnobbed with people who said they wanted to see Americans die in Vietnam, and who had her picture taken with a North Vietnamese anti-aircraft gun that shot down American planes, either killing or leading to the capture and torture of American pilots. This is the the anti-war movement's definition of supporting the troops.

General Petraeus, who was confirmed by the Senate to become a 4 star general and take command in Iraq, said anti-war resolutions hurt our troops and embolden the enemy.

In response to questions from Mr. McCain and Sen. Joe Lieberman, Gen. Petraeus added that resolutions of disapproval for the war would be unhelpful to American troop morale and would encourage our enemies in Iraq.

Democrats and anti-war Republicans don't care. They pass their resolutions that hurts American moral and emboldens the insurgents. That's their definition of supporting the troops.

After 4 years of mismanagement and stubborn ego, President Bush finally woke up and developed a plan that has a chance at success, but just like in Vietnam, the anti-war movement is on the side of the enemy. They support the enemy with their words, and soon they'll move to cut funds, supporting the enemy with their actions. That's the anti-war movement's definition of supporting the troops.

No force on earth can defeat America, except the American anti-war movement. They'll accept nothing less than our defeat in any war. Just ask Hanoi Jane.

Iran is bluffing about it's nuke program

I think Iran is bluffing about it's nuclear program. We have a report that Ahmadinejad's nuclear weapons program is in shambles. But the maniac wants to pretend to be a nuclear power in 2007 to pretend to fulfill some stupid prophesy. In reality, he hasn't the expertise to develop nuclear weapons, so to carry out his bluff, he approached North Korea to buy a nuke and plans to stage a test in Iran, with North Korea's help, to convince the world Iran is a nuclear power.

But Ahmadinejad wouldn't pay for an untested nuke, so he demanded a test first. North Korea needed cash and oil, so it staged a test with Iranian observers last year despite the warnings from the international community and even China.

This doesn't make Iran any less dangerous. They may well have purchased several nukes from North Korea. Ahmadinejad's martyr complex is driving him to meet this prophesied deadline, and his goal is to gain support from the Muslim world, which is very threatened by Iran right now.

But striking Iran's nuclear facilities won't stop any of this. It will only generate support for a madman. No doubt this nuke could be flown to Iran with no practical chance for interdiction. No doubt such a test by Iran would panic the world. But panic woulb be the wrong reaction, before or after the test.

Bush is following the best strategy possible for dealing with Iran. Keep turning up the heat until the Iranians kick Ahmadinejad out of the kitchen. The Iranians don't share Ahmadinejad's martyrdom goal, and they don't like the effect on their economy that his decisions have brought. The Ayatollahs are critical. Ahmadinejad's days are numbered - hopefully before he can pull off the nuke test in Iran.

Update: Iranian official denies nuke capability.

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Attorney General Gonzales is accused of appointing loyalist attorneys. I didn't hear the media scream when Clinton did worse, and you can hardly find an article on it on the internet. But once again, this just shows the self-serving depravity of the two parties. This is a much bigger deal than it may seem. Having an independent justice department is an important check on government power.

Maine is only the first state to rebel against the national ID card.

Praise for Canadian troops in Afghanistan.

Lebanon has financial troubles too.

Iran's bark may have no bite - report that nuclear program is in shambles. This supports my idea that Iran has purchased a small nuke from North Korea to test in Iran to bluff the world into thinking it's a nuclear power.

Uproar as NYC government employees have to "scan" to enter and leave work.

Dramatic media downsizing continues.

Microsoft copies idea, admits it, then files patent anyway.

Global warming on Saturn. Hysterics soon to claim it's man-made.

Big Corn won't be as clean, efficient, or cheap as Big Oil.

Newt's strategy for winning in Iraq.

Jane Fonda is protesting against the Iraq war. At least she hasn't appeared sitting on Osama Bin Laden's gun, yet.

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Ban, ban, ban, ban, ban. Tailgating banned at Superbowl.

Maine rejects Federal mandate for national ID requirements for drivers' licenses. This should be interesting.

Prosecuter gave former White House spokesman Fleischer immunity before even hearing his story. What is lost in all this reporting is that outing Valeria Plame wasn't a crime, so this whole mess is a non-issue. Each new revelation piles on to the evidence that this is an out of control witch-hunt. Making special prosecutors unaccountable has enabled this kind of abuse of power.

Illegals scared to work after raid in North Carolina. Same in California. When they can't pay their bills because they can't work or get benefits, they'll go home and find jobs in their own countries, and Americans and legal immigrants can get paid more for those jobs in America.

Senate confers 4th star on General Petraeus so he can take command in Iraq. How does the Senate get a say in the rank of officers?

Maliki talks tough, but Iraqi government still divided.

Sunnis and Shiites clash in Beirut.

Iran to install centrifuges for nuclear enrichment next month.

Bush says he thinks diplomacy will succeed with Iran.

Bush authorizes American troops to kill or capture Iranian agents in Iraq. Apparently American troops weren't allowed to kill them previously. How in the world can you expect to win a war when you won't kill the enemy?

Chavez threatens to dismiss US ambassador.

Russia refuses to extradite suspect in ex-spy's polonium murder.

Carter apologizes for wording in book. I don't remember him apologizing for allowing Americans to remain kidnapped by Iran for over a year. How transparent is this crap? Can we please banish this guy to the ash-heap of history? Boortz says Carter has a problem with Jews.

"The feds should stop harassing sick patients who have the legal right to use marijuana." We are perverting the definition of the word "right." In this case, the government has granted permission for some sick people to use marijuana. But that's not a right: they have to ask permission. Rights are innate, not something permitted by government, and everybody has right to smoke whatever they want. We just need to remind our government of that.

Edwards moves into largest, most valuable house in the county.

Government is piling on in Denver - resident fined for snow.

Government sells book claiming Noah's flood created the Grand Canyon.

Superbowl ads cost $2.6million this year.

How Democrats throw troops under the bus in order to keep hate for Bush alive.

Ralph Peters says Turkey is self-destructing.

A scary, accurate portrait of Hillary Clinton.

Charles Krauthammer scoffs at new alternative fuels, saying there is no free lunch.

Democrats don't want us in a civil war in Iraq, but they want us in civil wars in Kosovo and Sudan. What is their rationalization?

I know how to make America more secure

In response to Sec. Chertoff's claims that the 21st century will get more dangerous:

1. Reduce the size of government.

Our white elephant of a government can't do anything right because it's too damn big. If we reduce the size of government, that will enable tremendous growth, and our lean, mean government, coupled with a hot economy would be far more capable of dealing with threats.

The nanny state is supposed to make everybody safe, but imagine if a parent had to follow their kid everywhere they go, 24 hours a day. That parent wouldn't get much else done, and the same problem applies to the nanny state. Our government can't worry about security threats when it's wasting resources dealing with transfats and cigarettes.

How can any President be expected to be on top of Homeland Security, two wars, the rest of the War on Terror, health care, education, social security, the IRS, sticking his nose in business' business, illegal immigration, welfare, abortion, stem cell research, Congress, the press, the war on drugs, dealing with China and Russia, other foreign policy, and the crisis of the day? It's absurd. Get the government out of issues best left to the states and the free market, which is nearly every issue except national security.

2. Adopt the FairTax.

The economy will boom, the IRS will go away, Americans will have greater freedom, more wealth and more personal time. Better engagement by happier, wealthier people will help secure America.

Government won't spend so much time arguing about taxes. Lobbyists won't take up our representatives' time to change the tax code every other week. The President won't have to worry about puny tax cuts or the economy. That will allow the President and Congress to be smarter and more focused on security.

American will return to a great manufacturing country. With the income tax burden removed from American products, we'll sell more products overseas and at home, and therefore we won't be sending our money to our enemies and those who fund them, and the world will send more money to us instead of the same countries, like China.

3. End the War on Drugs.

Our War on Drugs finances the Taliban in Afghanistan and the Mexican drug cartels that control our border - assaulting and forcing American National Guardsmen to retreat. Both these enemies can be disarmed with one fell swoop - legalize and control drugs.

This will also free law enforcement to focus on actual threats instead of drug users and dealers. It will also disarm the frightening drug gangs, freeing up law enforcement even more. Freeing millions of Americans will improve the economy, and the government won't be distracted by our self-destructive war on drugs, and the size of government will shrink, allowing better focus on security.

4. Stop illegal immigration.

Get rid of the jobs and benefits. No fence necessary. With no jobs or benefits, the vast majority of illegal immigrants will go home so they can make a living. We'll catch the rest, and the terrorists with them. The southern invasion will stop because there will be no economic incentive to come here. It will be far easier to find the terrorists who have come here illegally in that environment.

Border control can focus on stopping terrorists from entering America instead of wasting their time on the hopeless task of stopping millions of illegal immigrants each year. Our financial resources will shift from trying to stop that human flood to hunting down and capturing terrorists.

The President and Congress can stop wasting their time on this issue, and focus more of their energy on security.

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Ban, ban, ban, ban, ban. We're drunk on preemptive crimes and banning. Banning cell-phones on bicycles.

Uranium is easy to get and smuggle.

Ayatollah refuses to meet with Ahmadinejad about nuclear program. Ahmadinejad's position deteriorating.

Progress in Iraq. Maliki is supporting arrests of Mahdi army commanders.

US is increasing committment to Afghanistan, and NATO is sending more troops, but still short of Europe's obligation.

Ford posts biggest loss in its history.

Violent riots in Lebanon. Military enforced curfew set.

China levels maximum pollution fine against corporation.

How Bush's immigration plan is just as bad as his Iraq plan.

Unidentified Flying Objects identified.

Marketing "Terror free" gasoline. You have to appreciate the sentiment and the ingenuity, but it won't change the oil money feeding terrorism.

Ben Stein says the media is trying to effect a coup. I agree, but this isn't the first time, so I don't understand why he's so worked up.

Victor Davis Hanson says we must help liberalize Mexico's economy to stop illegal immigration. They have no incentive to change when 1/2 their workers are in the U.S. sending money back to Mexico.

Daniel Henninger says we're talking ourselves into defeat in Iraq, and there's plenty of responsibility to share for the defeatism.

Changing temperature of the sun corresponds to ice ages. Don't tell the human made global warming people that the sun affects earth's climate, or you might end up on trial.

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North Korea is helping Iran with nuclear testing. This is what we get for allowing Russia and China to enable these two countries to develop nuclear weapons in the New Cold War of Terror. I bet Iran is going to test a North Korea nuke, they might as well test in Iran as North Korea, and leave the world wondering if it really is a nuclear power. North Korea's first nuclear test was probably just to guarantee a sale to Iran. Newt says Israel is facing a nuclear holocaust while the rest of the world sleeps.

Russia criticizes US for putting missile defense in Poland. They think we should allow the world to be vulnerable to Russian missiles or it will upset the balance of power. Meanwhile, they're assisting Iran in getting nukes.

China vows to purify the internet, may have world's largest online population in 2 years.

And we're so stupid, we keep treating China and Russia as allies, making them rich with our trade. Democrats and Republicans just love China and Russia.

Coalition troops assault insurgent stronghold in Baghdad.

US strikes at al Qaeda in Somalia again.

In depth view of Hezbollah's attempt to overthrow the Lebanese government.

Media bias against Libby continues. The prosecution is trying to convict Libby of perjury in a witchhunt because there was no real crime in Valerie Plame non-affair, but the press is still trying to show Libby in the worst possible light by saying his lawyers attack prosecution witness.

GOP wants Sandy Berger to undergo a lie detector test. In his plea deal, before the investigation was even aware he had hidden records under a dumpster, Berger agreed to a lie detector. Let's see if the DOJ will carry through.

Key to Diebold voting machines copied from Diebold website.

Milton Friedman in Reason. Monday is Milton Friedman day.

Pete Du Pont explains how "pay as you go" is really code for growing government faster.

Petraeus is the right man for the wrong job.

Mike Nifong, the Duke rape ex-prosecutor, faces new charges that could lead to disbarment.

Praise for Bush's State of the Union address. There probably won't be much. Text of speech.

Libertarian party response to State of the Union speech.

Non-lethal weapons are no panacea against war casualties. This might be fine for riot police, but I don't see the point for the military.

Walter Williams discusses "global warming" as government boogie-man.

Our immigration security is overwhelmed and broken, and Bush wants to add "guest workers" to their load. This is recipe for disaster for many reasons.

Save your pennies - they'll soon be worth a nickel.

Microsoft tries to hire blogger to edit Wikipedia data to favor Microsoft.

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Strikes turn violent in attempt to overthrown Lebanese government.

Blog wars over AP's incorrect report of destroyed mosques in Iraq.

Blue dog Democrats won't vote to end war in Iraq; instead will call for Congressional oversight of spending.

Strikes turn violent in attempt to overthrown Lebanese government.

The politics of climate change.

An interview with Ron Paul about his Presidential aspirations.

Investigation into Carter Center's funding. Let's send this guy away in final, humiliating disgrace.

Libby's jury is set. I still want to know why Wilson hasn't been investigated.

More taxing and government involvement in health care - from Republicans.

Drudge link shuts down Senate website.

Couple with obnoxious 3 year old kicked off plane. Let's hope this becomes the norm.

Israeli President Katsav to be indicted on rape charges.

James Pinkerton thinks that both parties are ignoring our biggest security threats. Like China and their new Cold War of Terror.

Jack Kelly thinks the "surge," really the change in strategy and tactics, is already having a positive effect.

Thomas Sowell points out that personal greed has nothing to do with compensation.

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Bush's approval rating lowest since Nixon. He has nobody to blame but himself.

Here comes the Fairness Doctrine, another attack on free speech. There are so many anymore it's hard to keep track.

Chavez steals yet another company in Venezuela. Isn't it lovely to watch a tin-plated dictator in the making? Fidel Castro would be proud. More to follow, for sure. I wonder how much destruction he'll wage in Venezuela before he's done. Tells Washington to go to hell and calls Condoleezza Rice "my little girl."

Iran bars UN nuclear inspectors.

Bloomberg has an excellent analysis of Billary's chances.

Stephen Hess, a presidential scholar at Washington's Brookings Institution, said Clinton's statements last week left him ``with the impression that her remarks were written by a committee, measuring exactly how far she should move left, right, up, down.''

More on Billary's marriage and chances.

Then there's that husband of hers. Could there be a more complicated marriage in America?

"She doesn't fit the mold," says Elizabeth Ossoff, a political psychologist at St. Anselm's College in Manchester, N.H. She predicts "a difficult but very interesting race. A lot of things are going to get brought up, and people are going to have to face their opinions."

Clinton to focus on health care and climate change.

India returns space capsule to Earth.

Reason provides sobering commentary on Bush's new Iraq strategy, and why we should try it.

In effect, Keane appears to be saying that the plan works at an acceptable cost only if the United States can pacify the Shiite militants without forcibly confronting them. To me, and possibly also to the Sadrists, this looks like what gamblers call a bluff.

Trying to re-establish education of the classics on American campuses.

Slate discusses the history of the Vietnam War, but draws a very mistaken, liberal apologist, conclusion. Kissenger has it right, not Slate. Cutting off the funding doomed the South Vietnamese. That it was predictable just points out that liberal treachery on the issue was predictable.

"Soon after the agreement was signed," Kissinger wrote in his memoirs, "Watergate undermined Nixon's authority and the dam holding back Congressional antiwar resolutions burst." He claimed, "The war and the peace ... won at such cost were lost within a matter of months once Congress refused to fulfill our obligations."

It is true that Congress restricted U.S. operations and cut aid to the South, and these moves did indeed facilitate the eventual Northern victory. But these events were entirely predictable; the settlement the Nixon administration negotiated left the South vulnerable to future attacks.

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Violence in Iraq intensifies as a result of the coalition offensive.

Meeting between leaders of Palestinian factions may not happen. Meeting failed to resolve differences, but leaders agreed to meet again.

Hillary to run as Margaret Thatcher.

Bill Richardson enters the race. Forget the empty suit, Obama. This is a guy to watch.

Iran announces war games to try to intimidate "world powers." I wonder how that will work out for them.

Duke ex-prosecutor Nifong hires lawyers. He's going to need them.

Reporter accuses Weather Channel of intentional liberal bias regarding climate change.

[Weather Channel executive] Lucas admitted in a recent interview with Media Village that the reprogramming of The Weather Channel was influenced by her tenure at CNN when that network shifted from presenting straight news to personality-driven programming.

Judge Judy earns more than all 9 Supreme Justices combined. And she makes better decisions.

Interesting insight into US foreign policy.

Mark Steyn lampoons Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, the left and all of us.

Reuel Marc Gerecht says we need more troops, sooner, and we need to enable General Petraeus to win in Iraq.

How liberals plan to use government to further screw up America.

Germany and Russia weigh in on Serbian elections.

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China claims space missile test "aimed at peace." In fact, it was just another volley in China and Russia's new Cold War of Terror. I wonder if Billary gave China that technology.

6 party talks to disarm North Korea to resume. I don't think this has a chance of succeeding. Why would Kim Jong Ill give up his nuclear weapons? He has nothing to gain. China has nothing to gain either - they love having North Korea take up our time and resources.

Heads of Fatah and Hamas to meet.

Political rhetoric heats up regarding Iraq surge.

Ohio election recount fraud goes to trial.

Billary launches Presidential bid. Maybe they'll finally have to answer for their crimes.

Race to digitize books continues.

Chinese professor cracks cornerstone internet encryption scheme.

Amsterdam to erect statue honoring prostitutes.

The relationship between China and Iran.

Scandal over failure to find evidence of scandal is leading to a Constitutional crisis in Britain.

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McDonald's opens drive-thru in China because of China's new love of cars. I wonder what a billion Chinese drivers will do to oil prices.

The terrorist surveillance program is shrouded in secrecy.

California nanny-state bill to criminalize spanking children.

Russian gang performs largest online bank robbery of Swedish bank.

US certifies new labs for evoting machine testing.

British Airways changes uniform policy to allow symbols of faith.

Israel releases funds to support Abbas.

Solar powered house eliminates utility bills. Except for the maintenance.

Pelosi won't block funds for troop surge. Smart move. If Democrats blocked the funds, they would have to take responsibility for failure in Iraq. They want Iraq to be Republicans albatross for a long time. The only problem is, we could still succeed in Iraq.

"Blue dog" Democrats likely to split with party on Iraq.

Typical political games with ethics bill, minimum wage, and line-item veto.

Stem cell research flourishing despite, or because of, lack of government involvement. Federalism and the free market win again.

World unites in condemnation of Chinese destruction of satellite.

Wild, jungle woman found in Cambodia. This will heat up the nature/nurture debate.

Anderson Cooper signs $4 million a year deal with CNN.

King Abdullah says Jordan will develop nuclear energy in interview.

Family of woman who died because she kept drinking water and didn't go to the bathroom in a radio stunt is suing the radio station. Give me a break!

The British cover our global warming debate better than American media.

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Even cops and narcs say we should legalize drugs. In addition to disarming our enemies, foreign and domestic, allowing us to control our border, saving American lives, and freeing Americans from prison, it would go a long way toward repairing relations between police and the public, because right now, everybody is a suspect.

Chilling assault on free speech by global warming fanatics continue. Expert wants to de-certify man-made global warming skeptics.

Iraq announces crackdown on Mahdi army. Let's hope this is real. It doesn't sound real, and it sounds like Republicans are going to continue to pay.

Maliki's gambit. Give us weapons and troops can go home. I wonder what al Sadr's ally plans to do with those weapons. Maliki is playing to the Democrats, trying to short-circuit Bush's plan so his Shiites can take over completely. Maliki is not trying to create a democracy in Iraq.

Senate introduces resolution against troop surge. Democratic chairman supported surge, then flip-flopped when Bush announced it.

Sheik arrested for inciting terrorism in Australia.

China tests anti-satellite weapon.

Culture gap: No free hugs in China.

Russian newspapers skeptical of Russian terror crackdown. Russia is in such a bizarre state right now,m working feverishly to become more authoritarian, supporting assassinations domestically and in foreign countries, I wouldn't be surprised if they orchestrated a "terror attack" to gain more power.

I found this tantalizing line at Real Clear Politics - but the article is gone! A New Cold War Can be Averted - Mikhail Gorbachev, The Guardian. Gorbachev sees the obvious. Why won't the US?

Fitzgerald tries humor to make witch-hunt more palatable.

Jobs Americans won't do - at a crappy wage. When you have illegal immigrants who will work much cheaper, why pay more to hire Americans?

Slate makes a case for abolishing the FCC.

Retired Air Force Colonel reports unexplained lights.

Elementary school stops master/slave exercises. Who ever thought this was a good idea?

Victor Davis Hanson points out the hypocrisy of anti-Americanism.

Expect government to grow a lot more, thanks to entitlements.

Boeing versus Airbus - how the free market outperforms government consortium's.

Hezbollah sympathizers clash with peace keepers.

Robot senses snipers. The funny thing about technology is, as much as we love our modern weapons and defense technology, our enemies will employ the same technology against us tomorrow.

Are engineers technicians or thinkers? I was educated as a thinker, and I always thought every other engineer was as well. But upon reflection, I think many engineers I worked with were technicians, not thinkers. This opens my eyes.

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Bill would force political bloggers to register as lobbyists.

Valerie Plame and her lacky husband, who has somehow managed to escape investigation for outing his wife, claim Cheney doesn't have immunity on the same issue, even though the prosecutor has declared no crime was committed. Their opinion is about as worthwhile as a snake's. They're just trying to prolong the 15 minutes of fame they manufactured at the nation's expense. Insight into Libby's trial.

Captured Taliban spokesman claims Mullah Omar is in Pakistan under the protection of a Pakistani intelligence agency. Pakistan denies. The implications for Osama bin Laden are clear.

Gates considering adding troops in Afghanistan. It would be far better to just legalize drugs and disarm the Taliban.

Afghan civilians thwart attack at US base.

Pressure on Israeli PM Olmert to resign increases after top general resigns.

Iran shoots down US spy drone.

Domestic pressure on Ahmadenijad increases.

Reason thinks Bush's surge in Iraq is about staying relevant. If that's the case, too bad he wasn't this relevant at the start or we might not be in this position. I think the new Iraq plan is a last ditch effort to win while creating an exit excuse. Bush is playing it for all it's worth, but it's about time he did that. I think Bush got this one the best he could for the country. Christopher Hitchens points out how we can still screw up.

Germany to prioritize EU constitution.

No progress at 6 party talks regarding North Korean nukes.

Director of UN Oil for Food program indicted.

Bush appointing "controversial" attorneys without Senate approval - thanks to the Patriot Act. Controversial is code for "not acceptable to Democrats."

The FISA court has finally fixed its procedures to handle the overseas terrorist wire-tapping program. It's funny this is reported as "Bush changing course" when he's been trying to get the court to adjust all along. It took them years.

In a sure sign that man-made global warming is a matter of faith, not supported by evidence, evangelicals agree. This may also be a sign of the apocalypse. Reason injects... reason on the subject. Boortz on global warming.

If a college education is a good investment, why subsidize it (making it more expensive and harder to get)?

Oil falls to 20 month low.

Hong Kong to bar pregnant Chinese women from entry.

HP develops technique to quintuple the number of transistors on a chip.

John Stossel says our trade deficit doesn't matter. Walter Williams concurs. That's fine, but handycapping American products relative to foreign products with our income tax is terrible. Support the FairTax.

Thomas Sowell points out the mistakes of both parties in the Iraq war.

Somebody may be making a profit from Medicare-D.

Ralph Peters says negotiations will only make matters in Iraq worse.

Lately, pundits have cited Churchill's line that "to jaw-jaw is better than to war-war." But Winnie was no Neville Chamberlain: He understood that only a position of strength makes jaw-jaw a viable option. And he certainly understood that wars had to be won.

Russia, along with China, is waging a new Cold War of Terror against us.

Russia's power is constantly growing via-a-vis EU -- and America, too. Less than two years after blocking such a sale, Russia is now ready to approve export of the Iskander-E (SS-26 Stone in NATO nomenclature) medium-range rocket to Syria. It has a range of 280 kilometers and multiple warheads. This is a not-so-friendly warning to both EU and the U.S. that Russia is back in the Middle Eastern game of nations -- opposed to Western interests.

Cod enzyme kills bird flu.

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Russia delivers anti-aircraft missiles to Iran. Russia blocks sanctions on Iran, then uses that as an excuse to sell them weapons. Whatever happened to Bush's blustering about "you're either with us or against us?" China and Russia are against us - using Iran, North Korea, and Venezuela as proxies in a new Cold War of Terror. Russia uses its oil resources like a club against our allies. Russia and China are draining our resources so communist China can overtake us much more quickly than they otherwise could. They steal our technology, thwart our diplomacy, and arm and enrich our enemies. Their attack on us is right out of Sun-Tzu's Art of War. And we're so stupid, we just keep making the communists rich so they can become more powerful, faster.

Even more stupid than that: we sell arms to our enemies ourselves.

Anne Applebaum has a solution to the drug problem in Afghanistan. Legal opium. I have a solution to all the drug problems. Legalize them all.

Investment banker warns of likely Israeli strike against Israel. Any strike by Israel or the U.S. could boost Ahmadinejad's popularity. Best to work to bring him down domestically.

Double bombing kills 60 at Baghdad university.

Barack Obama joins the all Billary, all the time, presidential race. The press has somebody else to squee over. Hillary canceled her Iraq trip after Obama registered.

Ron Paul is running for President - as a Republican this time. Maybe he can pull the Republicans back to the libertarian mainstream.

Democrats plan to once again attack free speech through the fairness doctrine.

Jury selection begins in Libby trial.

Michigan court rules adulterers may face life in prison. Ouch! This is interesting. Who's going to start the movement to get that changed and forever wear the scarlet 'A'?

Pat Buchanan recognizes the income tax is killing American businesses. His solution? Tariffs. Talk about missing the boat. Support the FairTax.

Worldwide, the poor are getting richer.

Castro is still dying. Just get on with it already.

Thomas Sowell points out our fundamental mistake in Iraq, and wonders if we'll have to sacrifice the Maliki government to guarantee security in Iraq.

Prosecutorial abuse in the misnamed Duke rape case and correctly named Valerie Plame affair - unfortunately it's Plame and Wilson who should be investigated, not Scooter Libby.

Victor Davis Hanson blasts the international community of critics of Saddam's execution.

John Bolton on new UN Secretary-General, Ban Ki-Moon.

Spain seeks international arrest of American soldiers.

Justice for Saddam Tainted by Revenge

by Mark Luedtke

25 million Iraqis can sleep easier at night. That may seem an odd statement given the violence in Iraq, but their very real boogie-man, Saddam Hussein, who tortured them in life and in their dreams for 30 years, is dead. No chance for escape. No chance for parole. No chance for a political deal to free him. Saddam can never come back to take revenge on Iraqis for being free. All those Iraqi fears were laid to rest along with the ex-dictator.

Americans can't know the fear the Iraqis had for Saddam Hussein, but we can agree on the punishment he deserved. 82% of Americans supported the death penalty sentence for Saddam. Even a majority of Europeans supported it. The trial and execution of Saddam was great justice in Iraq, more justice than Saddam ever allowed his victims, and the best justice that could be had for him. But we should never compromise our system based on what we saw in Iraq.

Saddam's trial was the big top of circuses. Americans think the OJ Simpson trial was a circus, but the magnitude of the crimes and the courtroom chaos can't be compared. Iraqi judges quickly allowed the trial to turn into a stage for Saddam to perform rants and tirades like a caged clown in a tiger suit. Judges had to be removed. Violence surrounded the proceedings, including the murder of defense lawyers and witnesses. All this overwhelmed the evidence of Saddam's crimes, and allowed the deposed tyrant to dominate the venue over his victims and their families.

If Saddam dominated his circus trial, the execution was orchestrated into a personal and sectarian act of revenge by Moqtada al Sadr. After the appeals court upheld Saddam's verdict and sentence, the murderous Shiite cleric and his ally, Prime Minister Maliki, arranged Saddam's execution, and in doing so, managed to turn the world's most evil man into a martyr.

Saddam, a Sunni, had executed al Sadr's father decades ago. Saddam had sentenced Maliki to death in 1980, and Maliki had been forced to live in exile. Maliki and Sadr joined forces when the U.S. invaded Iraq, and together, these two circumvented Iraqi law and orchestrated the government sanctioned revenge killing.

Some argue there's no such thing as execution with dignity, but we all know the difference between justice and revenge. Maliki broke Iraqi law, which demanded the signatures of the President and two Vice Presidents to order the execution. That law was in place specifically to prevent government sanctioned sectarian executions. Iraqi's President, a Kurd, had not signed the execution order, but Maliki pushed forward anyway.

Iraqi law forbids executions on religious holidays. Saddam was executed on the first day of the Sunni version of Eid al-adha, rushed so it fell one day before the Shiite version of the same holiday. The taunts by the executioners, chants of “al Sadr,” and the secret cell-phone video highlight the sectarian revenge nature of this execution.

It has been reported that both Moqtada al Sadr and Abdel Aziz al-Hakim, another Shiite cleric who considers Saddam a personal enemy, attended the execution. Saddam's lawyers charge that the executioners abused Saddam's body after the execution.

This rush to vengeance also stole Saddam away from another genocide trial. The families of Kurds who Saddam wiped out will never get their say in court. Justice was stolen from them by al Sadr and Maliki.

This failure of the rule of law falls on America too. With the U.S. ambassador gone, Maliki tried to force lower-level American officers to surrender Saddam without proper procedures. The Americans refused, and the matter was referred to Washington, where support was divided. Condoleezza Rice reportedly green-lighted the transfer of Saddam for execution knowing that it broke Iraqi law. In the Bush administration's weighing of law and Iraqi sovereignty, the law lost. This doesn't bode well for the future.

Justice was served, but the taint of revenge has consequences. Turning Saddam into a martyr will inspire even more violence. But memory of Saddam's crimes should outlive his botched execution. Reflecting on the murder, torture, mutilation, and devastation Saddam wrought on the people of Iraq, I hope the Iraqis demonstrating against Saddam's execution recognize the irony of their actions.

If America has anything to learn from Saddam's execution, it's that we are correct in following the rule of law and allowing every possible appeal for those sentenced to the death penalty. Every legal avenue should be explored to insure a just verdict and sentence. Circumventing the appeals process increases the possibility that mistakes will be overlooked, and justice will not be served.

But there is no need for the interminable delays between appeals. A thorough review of a case does not take years at each level. The families of victims would be better served by timely appeals.

I hope tyrants world wide are losing sleep after Saddam's execution, but I also hope the rule of law makes for better justice than Sadr and Maliki provided to Iraqis.

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Pentagon obtaining bank records of Americans.

Reality sets in over Bush's plan - the Shiite led government doesn't want the U.S. to go after Shiite militias. This is the acid test for Maliki's government. It also goes straight to the heart of the civil war debate. If the government choses the Shiite side, then Iraq is in civil war, Shiites against Sunnis, and the coalition should leave immediately. If the government is above the sectarian strife, then Iraq isn't in civil war, and we should destroy all the combatants.

U.S. opens front against Iran in Iraq. We should have been fighting Iran's agents in Iraq since we toppled Saddam. Why the delay?

Saddam's co-defendants executed.

Rice to meet with Olmert and Abbas on Israeli / Palestinian solution.

The high price of pot is just a small part of the price we pay for the war on drugs.

Walter Williams compares NYC's transfat ban to the beginning of the anti-smoking movement.

Honduras grabs big oil terminals temporarily.

Presidential candidates need $100 million by the end of 2007. This highlights the need for equal funding for candidates.

Euro displaces dollar in bond markets.

Lost to set end date. This is good news.

"None of us want to be doing the stalling show," added executive producer Damon Lindelof. "We don't want them to be building sandcastles next week."

Why won't the media investigate Sandy Berger? What are they helping Bill Clinton hide?

Reforming Harry Reid. Good luck.

Newt Gingrich on politics and the failure of Karl Rove.

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Duke prosecutor asks to be replaced on case.

Bush vows to send troops despite Congress, challenges critics to come up with a better plan. Iraqis are optimistic, but with some concerns.

Cato thinks we already lost in Iraq, and we should pull out immediately.

Washington’s Iraq occupation and democratization mission is failing, and there is little realistic prospect that its fortunes will improve. Something much more dramatic than a modest course correction is needed.

Did we just declare war on Iran?

Guantanamo is about executive power.

Somalia declares martial law.

Terrorists using Google Earth to target UK troops in Iraq.

Terrorists can use web-cams.

The media refuses to acknowledge it's roll in shaping anti-war opinion.

Pirate Bay plans to buy man-made island to house torrent business.

Deficit continues to drop as tax revenue increases.

The extent of the Sandy Berger's destruction of historical documents may never be known.

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It shows how bad a spot we're in in Iraq, when the good news is that an aid to Muqtada al Sadr vows to send Americans home in body bags. Nobody wants Americans to come home in body bags, but this signals al Sadr's intention to fight American troops - a battle he cannot win. Al Sadr's wisest move would be to lay low until this new offensive is over; that way he can use Maliki to keep his Mahdi army intact. The only reason al Sadr and his Mahdi army are alive is because they've been protected by politics. Given Bush's new strategy, if al Sadr intends to attack Americans, he'll be destroyed, and victory in Iraq is possible. Blair support the plan. The New York Times calls Bush's plan the least bad approach. If Maliki restricts our troops, we're in big trouble. But that gets back to Bush's way out - if Maliki restricts our troops, Bush can save face in a pull-out. A sobering look at Bush's plan.

Reason magazine points out the inherent problem in trying to wage a war in Iraq by navigating the Washington minefield. Reason stops short of pointing out that the Democrats laid the minefield instead of debating how to win. Their complete failure as the minority party sabotaged every American effort for 6 years. They vacated the field of ideas, and mined it as they pulled out.

Russia upset about raid on Iranian office. They don't want us finding out what how much they're supporting Iran in the new Cold War of Terror.

Al Qaeda active in Bangladesh. They're on the run in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Somalia, so they're desperately looking for a home to destroy. New Prime Minister sworn in as caretaker.

Or maybe Al Qaeda has a secure base in Pakistan, as Negroponte claims.

Gunship attack in Somali nets al Qaeda targets, but misses top terrorists.

Rocket fired at U.S. embassy in Athens. No injuries.

Amid much partisan squabbling, Democrats fail to deliver on promises. Pelosi exempts major company in her district from minimum wage law. Barbara Boxer takes shot at Condi because she has no children. And some people thought it couldn't get worse than the Republicans.

Bomb threat on American Eagle flight in Toledo. Hoax.

Germany calls for EU wide initiative to better integrate Muslims. Why did it take this long?

Socialized medicine Arnold style - giant growth in the welfare state hiding behind platitudes of personal responsibility.

New Orleans residents march on City Hall. But I bet they re-elect Ray Nagin again anyway.

Does income inequality matter? Of course it does. The have nots get madder the bigger the difference. The question is what to do about it, and the answer is to get government out of the free market so competition can drive up wages.

Seattle schools restrict Gore's global warming movie as propaganda.

Teacher arrested for zooming camera in on girls' crotches during public wrestling matches. Arrested for zooming in the camera? Girls' wrestling?

Hillary and others heading to Iraq. It'll be interesting to hear what she says afterward.

Video game industry is now a $12 billion business.

14 Carter board members quit over Carter book. Everybody else in America quit on Carter in 1977. What took these 14 so long?

Mona Charon ask why we need 119,000 troops in Europe instead of Iraq? We have troops in Japan and South Korea too. If we have all these combat troops in non-combat theaters, how come we're not rotating units into Iraq and back to those non-combat theaters? Why are our units being deployed so many times instead? And why can't we draw on these other theaters to increase our troop levels in Iraq to as many as necessary?