Kerry Coronated – Then PUNKED!

Kerry’s first day after his coronation.

“Ninety-seven days [left in the campaign]; let’s make it happen,” Kerry told hundreds of bleary-eyed but upbeat supporters who showed up at a 7:30 a.m. rally on the shores of Boston Harbor — less than nine hours after Kerry finished his acceptance speech.

He then invoked the memory of Paul Revere’s famed midnight ride, “One if by land, two if by sea.” He no doubt didn’t expect to be assailed by some [in his next stop] that do travel “by sea”. He got thoroughly PUNKED!

Kerry was treating running mate Sen. John Edwards and his wife, Elizabeth, to a Wendy’s lunch in Newburgh, N.Y., for their 27th wedding anniversary — an Edwards family tradition — when the candidate approached four Marines and asked them questions.

The Marines — two in uniform and two off-duty — were polite but curt while chatting with Kerry, answering most of his questions with a “yes, sir” or “no, sir.”

But they turned downright nasty after the Massachusetts senator thanked them “for their service” and left.

“He imposed on us and I disagree with him coming over here shaking our hands,” one Marine said, adding, “I’m 100 percent against [him].”

A sergeant with 10 years of service under his belt said, “I speak for all of us. We think that we are doing the right thing in Iraq,” before saying he is to be deployed there in a few weeks and is “eager” to go and serve.

The Marines — all of whom serve at nearby Stewart Air Force Base — wouldn’t give their names.

Bwwahahahahahahahahahahahaha.

I don’t give a damm, I have over 400 blog entries to read in RSS Bandit at the moment – and this is the read of the day!

Bwwahahahahahahahahahahahaha.

Sempre, mother fucking, Fidelis – Take that “War Hero.”

Bwwahahahahahahahahahahahaha.

Other references to this story: (And proud to say I was way out in front of – don’t think so? Subtract 12 hours EST from my post and compare, HUH as Glenn would say) [Who also notes the story – late].

Ed Driscoll
Hugh Hewitt
Capt’n Ed
BitsBlog
Whomping Willow
California Yankee
Also noted @ The Command Post and Blogs of War
Bill @ INDC Journal who includes this:

“I’ve always thought that Kerry’s post-Vietnam behavior (“reminiscent of Ghengis Khan …”) was despicable, but I also thought that some right-wing criticism of Kerry’s record in Vietnam was cheap and unwarranted (the flesh-wound complaints). But you know what? That was months ago. And since then, I’ve watched this man base his entire resume on his actions during 4 months of combat in Vietnam. No senate record, no prosecutorial career, no lieutenant governorship, nothing. And it’s ludicrous.”

“If he wants to merely rely on four months of his life so heavily, I can’t really criticize individuals that decide to pick apart those same four months. I just wonder if the rest of America (or at least the swing voters) feel insulted by this shameless self-promotion as much as I do. And if they aren’t angered by it, do they at least find it ridiculously funny?”

“I mean, Dubya prowling around in the flight suit was worth a chortle or two, but “My name is John Kerry and I’m reporting for duty?” “Viet-naam … Viet-naaam, Viet-naaaaaaaam …””

“Oh, man …”

Or…. “Oh, manchild“

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Fisking the Democrats – The Last Roundup Edition

Here is a post convention roundup of editorials, and a couple blog posts of note.

New York Post: John Kerry “Doesn’t Get It” When it Comes to the War on Terror. “Give John Forbes Kerry credit for being honest as he accepted the Democratic Party’s nomination for president last night. Because in his 55 minutes at the mike, he was truthful about how he’d fight the War on Terror. He won’t. ‘The United States never goes to war because we want to,’ Kerry said. ‘We only go to war because we have to.’ At best, this is a gross calumny: President Bush never ‘wanted’ war — and it is repugnant even to hint otherwise. At worst, it is telling evidence of a profound misunderstanding of America’s proper place in a fractious world. . . . There is no greater concern that Americans have today than the War on Terror. Kerry showed last night that he doesn’t understand this.” (Editorial, “Kerry’s Strategic Myopia,” New York Post, 7/30/04)

Rocky Mountain News: Kerry Gave Few Answers. “What we had hoped to hear Thursday, however, was how Kerry’s admirable record of valor and public service would make a difference in leading this nation in the struggle against terrorists that target the United States and the regimes that aid them. Unfortunately, we came away still unsure of the answer.” (Editorial, “Kerry’s Tough Talk Leaves Many Questions,” Rocky Mountain News, 7/30/04)

Washington Post: Kerry’s Speech “A Disappointment.” “In accepting the Democratic nomination last night, John F. Kerry spoke to a far more anxious America, one that has weathered a recession and, more important, entered what the nominee called ‘a global war on terror against an enemy unlike we’ve ever known before.’ Mr. Kerry therefore sought above all to make the case that he could be trusted to lead a nation at war, and rightly so; he and Mr. Bush must be judged first and foremost on those grounds. But on that basis, though Mr. Kerry spoke confidently and eloquently, his speech was in many respects a disappointment.” (Editorial, “Missed Opportunity,” The Washington Post, 7/30/04)

New York Times: Kerry Failed To “Provide A Clear Vision On Iraq.” “He did not, however, provide a clear vision on Iraq. Voters needed to hear him say that he understands, in retrospect, that his vote to give President Bush Congressional support to invade was a mistake. It’s clear now that Mr. Kerry isn’t going to go there, and it’s a shame.” (Editorial, “John Kerry Speaks,” The New York Times, 7/30/04)

USA Today: “Kerry Leaves Boston Still Not Having Formed In Voters’ Minds An Image Of Where He’d Take The Nation On Its Most Urgent Issues.” “Trouble is, Kerry leaves Boston still not having formed in voters’ minds an image of where he’d take the nation on its most urgent issues: the war on terrorism and resolving the mess that is the U.S. situation in Iraq. So far, his policies sound a lot like those of President Bush.” (Editorial, “Kerry’s Challenge: Set His Own War-Time Course,” USA Today, 7/30/04)

Los Angeles Times: Kerry Needs To Further Explain His Position On Iraq. “By putting Iraq near the top of the speech, before jobs and the economy and healthcare, Kerry made it official that he is going to make opposition to the war his big issue. Possibly the best of many great lines in the speech was: ‘I will be a commander in chief who will never mislead us into war.’ Kerry voted for the war. Is he now prepared to say he was misled? If Iraq is going to be Topic A, he will need a smarter strategy of evasion, or more brutal frankness, than he has managed so far.” (Editorial, “Kerry’s Craft,” Los Angeles Times, 7/30/04)

Boston Globe: Kerry “Didn’t Close The Sale Last Night.” “All in all, it was a pedestrian address, uninspiring, cliched, and humorless. It made sure to work in all the poll-tested buzzwords — I counted 17 mentions of ‘strong’ and ‘strength,’ 28 of ‘value’ or ‘values.’ But buzzwords don’t decide elections, and they aren’t the key to a swing voter’s heart. Kerry may yet prevail over George W. Bush, but he didn’t close the sale last night.” (Jeff Jacoby, Op-ed, “Buzzwords And Cheap Shots,” The Boston Globe, 7/30/04)

Steven Taylor has posted his “Bite-Size Toast for Thursday Night” that is a excellent compendium of reactions to Kerrys speech.

And I include this on target, straight to the point, at the heart of the matter rant because, well, because it’s, on target, straight to the point, at the heart of the matter.

The Dem convention is a wrap, and that’s an appropriate word to use because they spent most of it keeping their real motivations and base of support as under wraps as possible. Oh, sure, now and then you’d get a nightmare like Michael Moore popping out like the monster who lived under the bed when you were a kid, but the public face the Dems tried to present throughout was nothing but a mask.

***

There’s a good reason for that. Because the last thing Kerry and the Democrats need is for Mr. and Mrs. America to see what they look like without the mask.

From here on out, the election campaign is going to consist of attempts by the Bush team to strip the mask off the Dems, and the Dems attempting to see that it remains in place, or enough so that a plurality of Americans will be fooled into thinking that the Dems are serious about fighting terrorism. Hint: they aren’t. They weren’t back in 1993, when Clinton shook his fist at the WTC bombers and swore to hunt them all down and then called the job done with one or two lower-echelon dupes jailed—and the masterminds sitting comfortably in safe havens (one of which was Iraq, by the way) and plotting the next one. They weren’t after the Cole was attacked and nearly destroyed—when Clinton did the same thing, followed by the same brand of do-nothing-much-of-use. Ditto the other terrorist attacks throughout the 90’s.

***

The Democrats, most of them, don’t have the heart to fight the WoT because they can’t bring themselves to believe that war, even a proactively defensive one (awful as all war unquestionably is), can ever serve a useful purpose, can ever be a means to a more noble end—sometimes the only workable one. It’s pretty damned amusing to sit back and watch today’s Dems declare their admiration for Kerry’s youthful bravery and derring-do: a “war hero” from a war they despised at the time, the real heros of which they were too busy spitting on at airports to give them the kind of plaudits they’re only too happy to shower Kerry with now. Apparently, they don’t see a contradiction there. I suppose if Kerry had returned home with his shoulders squared and his head held high rather than shamefacedly contrite and eager to dump on his “band of brothers” in front of Congressional committees they wouldn’t be so eager to bring it up these days. But then, that’s just another thing they need to keep under wraps.

The Dems can hide, but not forever. The chase ends in November but along the way there will be many signposts that indicate the coming victory. I doubt very much if the Dems. have enough poster paint left on their palette to make a mark.

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Fisking the Democrats – Waffles Edition

Well that was fun – for the diehard Bush hater – for the rest of us normal citizens it was a damm snooze inducing bore. Tap that alarm button…… damm he’s still speechifying. Minuteman, better known as Sen. Kerry dorned for nearly an hour before they “cued the balloons,” and the Fleet Center erupted in the predictable Bush hating euphoria.

So how did Kerry do in his shinning moment? Pure vanilla, sweet but no color. Not all together surprising, that’s the nature of acceptence speeches. But something was missing. He started the speech in 1966 and jumped into some magical Democratic time machine and landed in the present. Almost totally missed [except two short paragraphs]were his 19 years of Senate work presence. Also not surprising considering his miserable work record as a Senator. Strange after stating many times how, “I will stand by my record,” except when running from it I suppose.

There were two taglines that will resonate thru the news cycle My name is John Kerry and I am reporting for duty” and “Help is on the way.” The help line tweaked my memory. 24 hours ago Edwards tagline was “Hope is on the way.” Similar but very different in meaning. Did somebody change from hope, an ambiguious term, to help a more substantive positive word. Could be coincidence, or a subtile flip-flop in tone.

As for the rest, lets go thru the main points.

We have it in our power to change the world again. But only if we’re true to our ideals – and that starts by telling the truth to the American people. That is my first pledge to you tonight. As President, I will restore trust and credibility to the White House.

I ask you to judge me by my record……:

It only took 14 paragraphs to drag out the “Bush lied” meme, and we’ll let your record speak for it self in the link above.

I will be a commander in chief who will never mislead us into war. I will have a Vice President who will not conduct secret meetings with polluters to rewrite our environmental laws. I will have a Secretary of Defense who will listen to the best advice of our military leaders. And I will appoint an Attorney General who actually upholds the Constitution of the United States.

Another “Bush lied,” and a few misdirections. What Kerry calls “secret” meetings are common policy meetings, hardly secret, and protected by executive privilige, somthing all the conspiracy theorists wanted to break thru.The implyed ignored military advice may be Gen. Shinseki who publicly stated the need for more troops in Iraq. Something I would agree with. I suspect if Ashcroft had torn up the Consitiution and thown it into the Potomic he would have been hogtied by Congress and tossed in behind it by now. It hasn’t happend, and won’t. Chalk that statement up to use of a little Joe Wilson “literary flair.”

We’re told that outsourcing jobs is good for America. We’re told that new jobs that pay $9,000 less than the jobs that have been lost is the best we can do. They say this is the best economy we’ve ever had. And they say that anyone who thinks otherwise is a pessimist. Well, here is our answer: There is nothing more pessimistic than saying America can’t do better.

Ahh the old outsourcing bugboo, this has been a Kerry staple for over a year, get off of it, it’s just bullshit, in fact the corporate taxes you blame Bush for pre-date him by decades. It also seems you believe outsourcing is bad for America, but you have allowed your campaign to use foreign nationals to volunteer and work for your election. Your either a duplicitious bastard, or such an incompetant administrator you have no clue your staff has undercut your stated policies. Or both. Not a good trait for a future president.

To be fair, here is a good business deal you made, although of fairly recent vintage. When Teresa allows her “manchild” to invest some of her condiment cash you snapped up a whole butt load of Made in America stocks to the tune of $18 million to $32 million, all under Teresa’s name. In true flip-flop fashion this purchase was preceeded by a sell off of approx, $16 million in international holdings. Afraid of appearences John?

“$9,000 less than the jobs that have been lost.” This is the flop side of a previous “flip.” This line used to read under the Bush watch America has lost 3 million jobs [then 2 mil, then 1 mil, then oops 9K less in pay], that was before the economy started to boom. In any case it’s debatable and borders on being a flatout nonsense.

Now I know there are those who criticize me for seeing complexities – and I do – because some issues just aren’t all that simple. Saying there are weapons of mass destruction in Iraq doesn’t make it so. Saying we can fight a war on the cheap doesn’t make it so. And proclaiming mission accomplished certainly doesn’t make it so.

We get pretty critical about your mysterious “foreign leaders” that support you as well.

I defended this country as a young man and I will defend it as President. Let there be no mistake: I will never hesitate to use force when it is required. Any attack will be met with a swift and certain response. I will never give any nation or international institution a veto over our national security. And I will build a stronger American military.

And the money quote is right there, “Any attack will be met with a swift and certain response.” The mantra Kerry has lived by his entire public life. Reactive, not proactive. A reactive stance explains why you have proposed adding 100,000 first responders to the ranks of firefighters and emergency medical personnel nationwide. You feel the need to suck up to their unions first of all, but the need is there as well to respond after we get hit again, “Any attack will be met with a swift and certain response.”

When faced with the Vietnam war you didn’t jump on the first plane and drop into Da Nang and say, “My name is John Kerry and I am reporting for duty.” There is every indication he attempted to defer his service for a year, to study in Paris, after completing his degree course at Yale.

For four years, we’ve heard a lot of talk about values. But values spoken without actions taken are just slogans. Values are not just words. They’re what we live by. They’re about the causes we champion and the people we fight for. And it is time for those who talk about family values to start valuing families.

You opened this pandoras box John so lets stir it around a little. Just who has been on the receiving end of your value system John? Here is a partial list.

Michael Moore of 9/11 dungmentary infamy. One of the most inflammatory, Bush hating, America hating, noxious lying bastards on the face of the planet. When given the chance to denounce his film you brushed it off. You gave him credentials for the convention and there he was proudly sitting in a Fleet Center skybox next to Jimmy “wussy” Carter for all the world to see. Values John?

Joe (“literary Flair”)Wilson. Provided the impetous behind the majority of the Bush haters ‘Bush lied” meme. Throughly discredited by both the 9/11 commission report and the British government’s Lord Butler report. At first Kerry staff didn’t comment on the affair, then claimed Wilson was an “unpaid advisor.” Even now after having been proven to be nothing more than a book hawking partisan hack, word surfaces the campaign still has connections. “July 29, 2004 — DEMOCRAT John Kerry’s campaign yesterday gave a ringing endorsement to Bush-bashing Ambassador Joe Wilson — even though a bipartisan Senate committee just found so many holes in his story that even his own wife won’t back it up.”

“[Kerryites] yesterday hailed Wilson’s “integrity” and said he’s still very much a part of the team that Kerry hopes will make him commander in chief.

Kerry foreign policy adviser Susan Rice is quoted as saying: “Joe Wilson has served for many months as an informal adviser to the Kerry campaign and continues to do so,” Bush is a liar in your eyes and you think nothing of associating yourself with someone who has created hate and division in the country. Prior to the convention he was cut loose, post convention he is “very much a part of the team.”

Values John, what about those values we keep hearing about? You may have them but when will they be put into practice?

Markos Moulitsas Zúniga Editor of left-wing blog The Daily Kos. He became extremely radioactive after an abhorant screed about four American contractors murdered, mutilated, and left to hang from a bridge in Iraq. Calling them mercenaries (but never recalling it was Clinton that began the use of contractors in Kosovo) and thus deserveing of his “screw ’em remark. During the wide-spread condemnation that followed (both from the Blogosphere and traditional media) Kerry staff pulled a link to Kos from the Kerry campaign web page to avoid the controversy. Yet where is Kos today? Front and center as a credentialed “blogger” in Boston. Why is that? Could it be because what once was disassociated from the campaign (while the spotlight was on) is now embraced (after the media moved on and the light was dimmed) due to the $400,000 in campaign cash Zúniga’s site has raised for the Democrats? Where are the “values” you speak of?

Al Sharpton. I’ll defer to Conrad on slamming Al to the turf because frankly I’m too lazy to chase down all the links. “[Al Sharpton has] incited murder against “white interlopers”; fabricated charges of rape mutilation and abduction, that he knew were false, against a prosecuting attorney; committed persistent perjury in a judicial proceeding; deliberately obstructed an investigation in order to prolong a hoax for his own aggrandizement; shared stages with and defended the outrageously anti-Semitic Khalid Abdul Muhammad; participated in publicly disclosing the name of an innocent (and unlike Tawana Brawley, real) rape victim and labelled her a “whore”; incited further violence by blacks against Jews — among other things blaming Jews to the oppression of blacks under South African apartheid — in the wake of the murder of rabbinical student Yankel Rosenbaum by a black Crown Heights mob; and set fire to his own offices (twice) to avoid producing financial disclosures to election officials.

Okay, to be perfectly fair about that last bit, I can’t actually prove that, when Sharpton’s offices caught fire immediately before the start of both his US Senate and presidential campaigns (destroying financial records each time), that it was anything other than a very fortunate coincidence for the man who once claimed, under oath, that he didn’t actually own anything at all, not even the clothes on his back but rather only had “access” to them)”.

End of Conrads rant, and a fine one it was. Here are a couple of notes of my own on the good Reverand. Rev. Sharpton consistently attacked (post 9/11) NYC mayor Giuliani and did everything in his power to sabotage NYC’s crime fighting efforts. With your approval John this dispecable waste pile was given a primetime television slot to speak before the convention, and a worldwide audience to the shame of you and the Democratic party. Again, where’s the beef values John?

Values my aching ass, you or your party wouldn’t know a value if it slapped you on your collective bare hinny’s with a tennis racket. And you have the audacity to wrap yourselves in religion with invocations and benedictions from a Greek Orthodox archbishop, a Muslim imam (who reportedly has ties to Islamic extremists), a rabbi, black preachers, a progressive Catholic priest and a few female pastors as well.

With that amount of religious coverage no matter which way you go, heaven or hell, you certainly have access to all the correct routes to take. But that is you John, cover all bases, straddle the fence, and flip-flop.

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Greasing the Slippery Slope With WD-40

I always knew Josh Marshall was riding the crest of the slippery slope like Eddie Aikau rode the big waves at North Beach. But Jesus H. Christ riding a ferris wheel in hell! He has crested the wave and been dashed on the rocks with this lunacy. See if you agree, this is his comment upon learning of the capture of Ahmed Khalfan Ghailani by Pakistani forces on Sunday. He attempts to spin the Bush hid him till the proper moment crap.

I’m not going to be able to watch the television coverage of this throughout the day. But many of you will. So I’d be very, very curious to hear whether when, oh say, CNN goes on about how this al Qaida guy has been hauled in they will mention at all, or with any consistency, that one of the most respected political magazines in the United States reported just weeks ago on the pressure the administration has been placing on the Pakistanis to serve up an al Qaida bad guy on this day. Will they make the obvious connection?

Or will they just ignore it?

This is just the latest, but perhaps the most blatant, example of how this administration has placed politics and, really, political dirty tricks above national security itself, and along the way persisted in defining political deviance down until tactics we used to associate with banana republics start to seem commonplace here.

And while we’re at it, this is yet another example of how truly important it is that we democratize the Middle East. Because once we have, some of them will be able to come back here and redemocratize us.

Still pedaling the “save the capture til the Convention” meme. Cheap moronic partisan hack! I defy someone to tell me Josh hasn’t crested that slippery slope and isn’t laying dead with all the rest of the mullusks, clams and other assorted stinking fish.

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Update on Saddams Health

And still not “caring a dog squat in the woods”

As previously reported Saddam’s shysters made the claim he had suffered a “mild stroke” and felt his life was in danger. Well there has been a new diagnosis. Stephen relays word the alleged malady has migrated southward:

Seven months after being taken prisoner, former Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein suffers from a chronic prostate infection but has rebuffed suggestions that a biopsy be performed to rule out cancer, Iraq’s human rights minister said Thursday.

Tests show that, despite the prostate problem, the 67-year-old deposed dictator is otherwise in good health and has even shed some extra weight while in U.S. detention, Human Rights Minister Bakhtiar Amin told Al-Jazeera television.

He said X-ray and blood tests came back negative for cancer, but officials wanted to take a biopsy to be safe.

So it appears the bottomline on Saddam is, he started with a possible brain related illness [stroke] that morphs into something concerning the rectal area. [prostate infection]. Does anyone else see a conection here? Or is it just me?

Head……Anus, Head…Anus, Head-Anus.

I thought so…. but we all knew that. Except the French, Russians and Germans.

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What’s Wrong in the Middle East? – A lot and More

“Arab Nations seek to slow push for sanctions against Sudan.”

KHARTOUM, Sudan — Egypt and the Arab League tried to put the brakes on a campaign for sanctions against Sudan yesterday as the Sudanese government blamed rebels in the western region of Darfur for the humanitarian crisis there.

What’s wrong?

They have zero common sense, and even less decency to help their fellow Arabs as evidenced by the 1991 Gulf War. The few that assisted then only did so out of fear that rogue bastard Saddam would roll his tanks thru their own tents next. They hung out a “gone fishing” sign in the effort to remove Saddam, and after his removal have resisted aiding the new Iraqi Government, some backtracked on previous promises to the fledgling government. Jordan’s King Abdullah II went so far as to advise Iraq’s neighbors to stay out because it may “improperly influence Iraqi society.” Influenced how? Could the answer be the cold grip of fear around your heart is caused by a threat by your own people? If they see even a small amount of freedom in Iraq your own citizens will toss you into the desert to live with the camel spiders, devoid of your limos, and billions of dollars in US aid.

Best estimates claim 30,000 dead in Darfur alone, never mind the rest of the country, at the hands of Arab militias known as the Janjaweed in the last 18 months. Yet Foreign Minister Aboul Gheit of Egypt stresses “the importance of giving the element of time to the Sudanese government to carry out what it has taken upon itself in the way of commitments.” So just how much time is needed? Enough to allow the Arab Militias to assume control of the rest of the country? And you and your fellow Arab League members will have another dues paying member to your sweet tea drinking club.

I’m not smart enough, or possess the powers of clairvoyance, to know the real answer. One thing I feel sure of. As you and your bunch of twisted turbin wearing friends sit on your ass and do nothing and block others that would, just four days ago you were screeming for help yourselves. Monday you were begging, beseeching, the US and UN to rush to the Arab Leagues aid in protecting the Al Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem.

Turn about is fair play. Let me stress the “importence of giving the element of time” to this issue and give the US and UN time to carry out what is needed to be done.

Meanwhile sit back and dream of your forthcoming, and very much undeserved, 72 vestal virgins.

Upon further review, here is a portion of , “alot and MORE.” Via Jessica:

“Border patrol agents from the Willcox station encountered a large group of suspected illegal border crossers, estimated to be around 158, just east of the Sanders Ranch near the foothills of the Chiricauha Mountains. 71 suspected illegal aliens were apprehended; among them were 53 males of middle-eastern descent. According to a Border Patrol field agent, the men were suspected to be Iranian or possibly Syrian nationals.”

“alot and MORE” = Turbin wearing [although disguised by their sombreros] Islamofacists headed our way!

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An Unholy Alliance for Florida

Just who are these people, the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR)?

It turns out they will be monitoring the Presidential election in November. At the request of U.S. Rep. Corrine Brown. As you may remember she has become paranoid maniacal unhinged concerned about the Florida debacle of 2000 and fears a repeat. Acting on that perception she previously asked the UN to monitor the election. The UN quickly acted, [yes that’s an oxymoron] and told her to enter the nearest bathroom and filibuster herself til she disappeared.

Well, it didn’t work, she’s still around [damm the bad luck] and the ODIHR has agreed to monitor the US elections. And in what comes as the least surprising association of the century she has teamed up with Michael Moore, aka Fat man in a liars suit.

“I am coming to Florida,” the director of Fahrenheit 9/11, [more commonly known as “shit on celluliod”] promised Florida’s delegation to the Democratic National Convention in Boston. “Together we will guarantee to every Floridian that their vote will be counted this year.”

“I will have my cameras. We will put a huge spotlight on them. They will not get away with it this time.”

***

“We have an army of lawyers who will be poll watchers throughout the state,” he said. “The second anyone tries to prevent a voter from voting, we will go down to the courthouse, we will get the judge immediately and we will stop it at that moment.”

And we all know that film doesn’t lie don’t we Michael? Don’t we? Michael?…….Chirp!

First thing you have to ask yourself is, will Moore go to Florida? Or will he display his gelatinous spine as he did for the promised Crawford, Texas screening of his dungmentary. The second question reverts back to my lead.

Just who is the ODIHR? Turns out the US has been a signatory to this illustrious body since 25 June 1973. One of their mandates listed on their “What does the ODIHR do” page (pdf file) states among other things:

Promotes democratic election processes through the in-depth observation of national and local elections and conducts election assistance projects that enhance meaningful participatory democracy.

Provides practical support in consolidating democratic institutions and uses long-term programmes and targeted projects to strengthen civil society and democratic governance practices; programme activities are divided into two primary areas: longer-term, multi-year, institutional and capacity-building programmes; and shorter-term, high-impact projects.

So what do you think? In a 228 year old democracy will these people provide any benefit?

And just where does the Godfather of election observers, Jimmy Carter fit into this? Shouldn’t he be part of this site seeing party? Shouldn’t he round up his band of merry monitors and make the trek to Florida. Hell why waste the trip, he could also construct a few humble abodes for the gators in the Everglades.

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Fisking the Democrats – the Cornucopia Edition

Frankly it’s getting more than a little tiresome pumping out this fiskfest for the convention. I should save some keyboard punching for the main event when Waffles makes his appearence Thursday night. In that light, here is a roundup of what others are saying about some of the luminaries that have spoken at the convention.

Captain Ed of Captain’s Quarters notes, “Al Sharpton Fires Them Up,” then the convention hall is enveloped in a cloud of aerosol Nodoze by Sen. Bob Graham.

I noted former president Carter’s speech previously in “round one”, but this interesting take on the subject by B. Preston is worth the read.

James who blogs from Outside the Beltway notes the John Edwards speech seemed to be written for another time, the 1980’s. Wonder if John has access to Mr. Peabody’s Wayback Machine?

Dale Franks also takes on the Edwards Fluff

Wind Rider does Al Sharpton along with Conrad from out Hong Kong way, [say along with me: “blow it out your ass, you fucking hypocrite.”]

Jim’s lovely wife discovers the “ugly truth” while she fisks the Ketchup Queen. “If thats his wife…man, that guy needs a kick in the ass for BAD TASTE in women (besides for all the other shit)!”

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If This is True, Who Would Give a Dog Squat in the Woods

Saddam’s Shysters claim he has suffered a stroke and is dying.

SADDAM HUSSEIN has suffered a minor stroke, his lawyers claimed today.

And they said the former Iraqi dictator could die before he stands trial.

The multi-national legal team is still waiting for permission to see Saddam, but said they had information from the Red Cross that his health had deteriorated.

Earlier this month, Saddam appeared in an Iraqi courtroom, when he was read seven charges against him that may lead to a formal indictment for war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide.

Jordanian lawyer Mohammed al-Rashdan has written to Salem Chalebi, head of the Iraqi prosecuting authorities, on behalf of the defence team, demanding access to their client. He said: “Our information is he’s in very poor heath. We understand our client has had a brain scan to discover how badly he has been affected by the stroke. We believe he could die because of his health problems.”

Mr al-Rashdan said the lawyers’ attempts to see Saddam had so far been blocked. And he speculated Saddam’s health could get much worse if a trial was not held soon. “We believe any trial could be months, if not years, away,” he said.

Well cry me a Amazon sized river!

You can almost hear Saddam’s shyster calling out: “Hey dealer… give me one card, I’m trying to draw to an inside sympathy straight.”

That “brain scan” reference has my mind spinning, maybe in the wrong direction, but spinning non-the-less. The thought congers up baseball’s Dizzy Dean who famously said after getting plunked in the head, “The doctors x-rayed my head and found nothing.”

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Fisking the Democrats – Obamarama Edition

The long awaited, and much exalted Barack Obama made his official enterance into national political limelight as the next “Great Black Hope”. One line of his speech stands in my mind, and symbolizes what has become a bellweather of the Democratic Party.

“That we can participate in the political process without fear of retribution, and that our votes will he counted — or at least, most of the time.”

With that small sentence you lost me and tossed any relevance of your speech may have had into a circular shitcan.

The “party of hope,” is the tagline used by many to describe the current Democratic Party incarnation. Yet with Obama summoning up the “Bush stole the election” prevarication it gives a very real indication of where the party is, firmly anchored in the past.

To tell the truth the press releases coming out of Boston proclaiming you as the next Democratic “Black Messiah” may be just a bit overblown. The fact is after seven years in the state legislature some are supporting you only “grudgingly,” and one prominent black legislator even exclaimed, “anybody but Obama.” I wonder why that is?

UPDATE: Thanks to Charles here is more on “Obama Whama Slama.” Can you say early release of sex offenders? Yes, so can Obama. And here is a Robert Novak piece on why the Dems. “have hatched wagon to this rising star.”

This post parked Outside the Beltway in the Beltway Traffic Jam

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