Month: June 2009

On Iran: I have changed my mind, Let them deal with it

When the situation erupted in Iran, I like many other Americans, who root for true freedom and democracy, began to rally behind the people protesting the election in Iran.  That is until today.  Yes, that is correct; I have changed my mind about the events in Iran.  I figure if I am going to be a Paleo-Conservative; I should try acting and thinking like one.

My feeling on the uprising in Iran is this; the protests are pointless and waste of time, human lives, and a needless destruction of Iran.  Why?  Because of the following, Iran is not, and has not been since 1979, a true free Country.  It is an Islamic Republic; it operates under Islamic rule or Sharia law.  In other words, Religion is the main factor in the creation of that country’s laws.  The Iranian people must abide by those laws, or they can face imprisonment or worse death.

This entire uprising in Iran is not just about Ahmadinejad against Mousavi or at least it should not be.  These people want to be free, unshackled from the chains of Islamic rule.  However, the cold sobering fact of the reality is that the Iranian people will most likely not succeed in freeing themselves from the Islamic regime.  Their grip is just too strong on that Nation and the truth of reality is that nothing in that Country will change. Even if Mousavi is placed into power the Islamic authorities, which really run that Country will still be in power.

I have noticed that some of my Neo-Conservative counterparts have been goading the President of the United States for not taking a more vocal stance against the Iranian Government and by proxy, the Islamic leaders of that Country.  In case that sounds a bit familiar, these people are the same people played cheerleader to President Bush’s decision to go into Iraq.  Hence my reasoning for disliking the Neo-Conservative wing of the Republican Party; Not because of some idiotic Hatred of the Jews; but because of the Wilsonian, warmongering stance of those types of Conservatives.

As a Paleo-Conservative, my feelings about Iran are this that the United States of America should stay out of the affairs of the Iranian Government.  If the Iranian people want to overthrow that Government, let them do it.  If the Iranian people want to topple that Islamic regime, let them do it.  The less the United States becomes involved in that situation, the better.  The same kind of meddling with the affairs of other Governments has gotten us into other situations in the past.  The list is quite long — Korea, Vietnam, Both Iraq Wars, World War I, and so on.

If I ever had a chance to have an audience with the President of the United States, I would simply tell him what to do with Iran as well as North Korea, and that is stay out of that situation.  If the United Nations wants to send Japan and South Korea, as well as a few other Countries in to topple that leader, let them do so.  However, please, do not involve our Country.  The same should be done with Iran.  The United States should not be pursuing an agenda of interventionalism in that region at all.

It is because of our interventionalist foreign policy of the past; that the September 11, 2001 attacks occurred in New York City.  We just cannot afford to make that same mistake twice.  God Help us if we do.

Sad News: Hanna Garman has died

This comes via Michelle Malkin.

A little angel has left the sundry bounds of this world to take her rightful place among the angels.  Hanna Garman has lost her battle with cancer. Her Father posted this message on Hanna’s CaringBridge:

Tonight at 5:45 Hannah went home to be with Jesus. She was surrounded by family & passed peacefully. Right now I’m pretty exhausted. It’s been a long day. Please pray for the family & me over this tough time.
Darin

hanna

May she forever rest in the peace of God.

Fly on little wing…

Rest in peace dear lady. You’ve earned it.

ABC News plays pitchman for President Obama's Healthcare program

While I find some of the objections to the Healthcare plan by the right to be a bit silly. This one bugs me:

ABC TURNS PROGRAMMING OVER TO OBAMA; NEWS TO BE ANCHORED FROM INSIDE WHITE HOUSE

Tue Jun 16 2009 08:45:10 ET

On the night of June 24, the media and government become one, when ABC turns its programming over to President Obama and White House officials to push government run health care — a move that has ignited an ethical firestorm!

Highlights on the agenda:

ABCNEWS anchor Charlie Gibson will deliver WORLD NEWS from the Blue Room of the White House.

The network plans a primetime special — ‘Prescription for America’ — originating from the East Room, exclude opposing voices on the debate.

The Director of Communications at the White House Office of Health Reform is Linda Douglass, who worked as a reporter for ABC News from 1998-2006.

Late Monday night, Republican National Committee Chief of Staff Ken McKay fired off a complaint to the head of ABCNEWS:

via DRUDGE REPORT: ABC TURNS PROGRAMMING OVER TO OBAMA 2009®.

Of course and rightfully so, the RNC is not amused:

Dear Mr. Westin:

As the national debate on health care reform intensifies, I am deeply concerned and disappointed with ABC’s astonishing decision to exclude opposing voices on this critical issue on June 24, 2009. Next Wednesday, ABC News will air a primetime health care reform “town hall” at the White House with President Barack Obama. In addition, according to an ABC News report, GOOD MORNING AMERICA, WORLD NEWS, NIGHTLINE and ABC’s web news “will all feature special programming on the president’s health care agenda.” This does not include the promotion, over the next 9 days, the president’s health care agenda will receive on ABC News programming.

Today, the Republican National Committee requested an opportunity to add our Party’s views to those of the President’s to ensure that all sides of the health care reform debate are presented. Our request was rejected. I believe that the President should have the ability to speak directly to the America people. However, I find it outrageous that ABC would prohibit our Party’s opposing thoughts and ideas from this national debate, which affects millions of ABC viewers.

In the absence of opposition, I am concerned this event will become a glorified infomercial to promote the Democrat agenda. If that is the case, this primetime infomercial should be paid for out of the DNC coffers. President Obama does not hold a monopoly on health care reform ideas or on free airtime. The President has stated time and time again that he wants a bipartisan debate. Therefore, the Republican Party should be included in this primetime event, or the DNC should pay for your airtime.

Respectfully,
Ken McKay
Republican National Committee
Chief of Staff

Well, ABC was having none of that; they responded:

June 16, 2009

Mr. Ken McKay
Chief of Staff
Republican National Committee
310 First Street SE
Washington, D.C. 20003

Dear Mr. McKay:

I am in receipt of your letter of June 15, 2009 and wanted to respond to a number of false premises you raise regarding our ongoing and upcoming coverage of health care.

I hope we can all agree that a robust debate of health care issues and potential policies is in order.

To that end, ABC News announced plans to broadcast a primetime hour from the White House devoted to exploring and probing the President’s position and the giving voice to questions and criticisms of that position. We hope that any American concerned about health care will find our efforts to be informative, fair and civil.

Second, ABC News prides itself on covering all sides of important issues and asking direct questions of all newsmakers — of all political persuasions — even when others have taken a more partisan approach and even in the face of criticism from extremes on both ends of the political spectrum. ABC News is looking for the most thoughtful and diverse voices on this issue. ABC News alone will select those who will be in the audience asking questions of the president. Like any programs we broadcast, ABC News will have complete editorial control. To suggest otherwise is quite unfair to both our journalists and our audience.

Third, there already has been extensive coverage of the upcoming health care debates, on ABC and elsewhere, and there will be much, much more. Indeed, we’ve already had many critics of the President’s health care proposals on the air – and that’s before a real plan has even been put before the country.

In the end, no one watching, listening to, or reading ABC News will lack for an understanding of all sides of these important questions.

Thank you for your interest.

Kerry Smith
SVP, ABC News

We are getting closer and closer to European socialism and closer to State-run media by the day. What’s next? Death squads for the those who oppose?

Sure looks like it.

Others on the case: Weekly Standard, Riehl World View, TVNewser, Doug Ross, Michelle Malkin, , Brutally Honest, Hot Air, The Other McCain, The Sundries Shack, ,  Macsmind,  Blue Crab Boulevard, , Flopping Aces, Patterico’s Pontifications, Right Wing Nut House, Townhall.com, Right Wing News, and This ain’t Hell …

From the "can't keep in his pants" dept: Sen. John Ensign has an affair

Man, as if the Republicans did not need any other problems right now… now this:

Nevada Republican Sen. John Ensign has told colleagues that he plans to admit an extramarital affair, a senior Republican official tells POLITICO.

Political insiders in the Senate and in Nevada told POLITICO that Ensign began an affair with a staffer several months after he separated from his wife. When Ensign reconciled with his wife, the sources said, he gave the aide a severance package and parted ways.

Sometime later, a Nevada source said, Ensign met with the husband of the woman involved and had what this source described as a positive encounter. Sources said that the man subsequently asked Ensign for a substantial sum of money – at which point Ensign decided to make the affair public.

Ensign’s office did not return calls for comment, but the senator told the Associated Press Tuesday: “I deeply regret and am very sorry for my actions.”

Ensign’s staff said he would be making a statement about a “personal matter” at 3:30 p.m. local time in Las Vegas.

Ensign informed fellow Nevadan Harry Reid, the Senate majority leader, about his situation earlier today.

“I don’t know the details. I talked with him today,” Reid told POLITICO. “Of course, he’s my friend. This is a private, family matter. I just hope that Darlene and he work things out.”

Reid said he didn’t offer any advice on how to handle the situation. “I didn’t give him any advice. I just told him he’s my friend. I’m pulling for him. Anything I can do to help, let me know.”

Ensign, a born again Christian, is chairman of the GOP Policy Committee, making him the highest ranking Republican Senator in Nevada’s history. He has three children.

This means the charges of GOP having NO CREDIBILITY on family values should begin, in oh, a 1/2 hour or so.
Which is absolutely true. The Liberal left will come down on this and the chorus of the liberals will say how this points out how hyporcritical Christianity and Social Conservatism is; and to an extent, I agree with that. But on a broader scale I disagree, but you cannot judge a whole movement, by the actions of one.
Carpenter also said:
Wait, didn’t mean to glamorize this. This is bad/sad/dumb. We need more women in Congress. They don’t cheat on wives (har, kidding) spouses.
At which point, I was in the middle of taking a drink from my water bottle and almost spit it all over my laptop’s screen. Hey Amanda; tell that to my now-former youth pastor from the 1980’s, who’s wife of 15 years decided that she did not love him anymore and divorced him. All because of a back injury and he could not “perform” in the sack any longer. It is; as the old saying goes, if she’s not getting it from you, she will get it from someone else. So, nice try. But that is such stupidity and shows that you have not been married long at all. Wait till hubby man there starts having the usual trouble men start having around 40 or so… We’ll see who’s all “Polly Pure Bright” then.
Update: Statement from Ensign and his Wife:

“I came home to Nevada to come forward and explain to the citizens of our state something that I was involved in about a year ago. Last year I had an affair. I violated the vows of my marriage. It is the worst thing I have ever done in my life. If there was ever anything in my life that I could take back, this would be it.

“I take full responsibility for my actions.

“I know that I have deeply hurt and disappointed my wife Darlene, my children, my family, my friends, my staff and others who believed in me. To all of them, especially my wife, I am deeply sorry. I am truly blessed to have a wife who has forgiven me. We sought counseling last year and have built a stronger marriage — stronger than ever.

“I will not mention any names but the woman who I was involved with and her husband were close friends and both of them worked for me. Our families were close. That closeness put me into situations which led to my inappropriate behavior. We caused deep pain to both families and for that I am sorry.

“I am committed to my service in the United States Senate and my work on behalf of the people of NV.

“Thank you.”

[…]

His wife, Darlene, is issuing this statement: “Since we found out last year we have worked through the situation and we have come to a reconciliation. This has been difficult on both families. With the help of our family and close friends our marriage has become stronger. I love my husband.”


Quote of the Day

What then, in the words of Lenin, is to be done? Why should anything be done at all? Paleocons of all stripes need to realize that there is much to be learned from one another—something all the more important in that we are run today by a set of people who have their own utopian agenda, quite as irrelevant to the needs and wishes of most of the country as anything anyone could dream up. Both generations must understand that each has a reason for being as they are. Young paleos ought to see that men like Pat look back to a past that was not merely, in many ways, better than the present; it was also tangible, real, as opposed to theoretical. Old paleos must understand that—as the new Chief of State proves—we are not going back. What are needed are thinkers and men of action who will use the best of the past and the present to play an effective role in the fight for the shape of the future.

Video: Something to make you think

This an excellent video: (Via True Conservatives on Facebook)

More G.O.P. Stupidity….

Our asses are going to be kicked harshly in 2010 and 2012 and this is why:

Newscoma posted details of a racist email sent from Sherri Goforth, legislative aid for Sen. Diane Black R-Gallatin. The email depicts the Presidents of the United States with President Barack Obama as a pair of eyes in a black background.

More G.O.P Stupidity

I spoke with Sherri Goforth minutes ago to confirm she sent this email. She confirmed she had sent it and also said she had received a letter of reprimand from her superiors but said she will stay on the job.

When I asked her if she understood the controversial nature of the photo, Goforth would only say she felt very bad about accidentally sending it to the wrong list. When I gave her a second chance to address the controversial nature of the email, she again repeated that she only felt bad about sending it to the wrong list of people.

“I went on the wrong email and I inadvertently hit the wrong button,” Goforth told NIT. “I’m very sick about it, and it’s one of those things I can’t change or take back.”

via Sen Diane Black’s R-Gallatin legislative aid circulates racist email « Nashville Is Talking.

There are people calling for this aid’s firing; and rightly so. This sort of nonsense has no place within the Republican Party. Do I think it is funny? No, I do not. I have had people send me that very e-mail and they’ve gotten a stern warning never to send me that sort of nonsense ever again.

As I said about the other little incident, if the G.O.P. gets it’s tail kicked in the 2010 and 2012 elections; it will because of nonsense like this here. You do not think that the Democrats will try and use this sort stuff against the Republicans in 2012? Do not kid yourselves, they will.

Some people just seriously need to get over the fact that we have a black President. Do not misunderstand me here; I am not a fan of President Obama’s socialism at all, but I find these little incidents to absolutely sickening. Because the Republican Party is, in fact, the party the freed the slaves, in order to preserve the union. But yet, we have idiots within that party that still hold on to the old ideas about the Minorities, including blacks in this Country.

To all African-Americans that might happen to read this Blog. I want you to know; we are not all like that. May this be noted of one time, in my career as a blogger; that I actually side with the Identity Politics crowd, this idiot needs to be fired and right away!

Site Numbers

Total counter state:

Hits: 178429
Hosts: 99854
Visitors: 120515
Sessions: 133916

From the begining of the month:

Hits: 4511
Hosts: 3104
Visitors: 3484
Sessions: 3790
New Visitors: 1958

Last week:

Hits: 2564
Hosts: 1962
Visitors: 2104
Sessions: 2197
New Visitors: 1091

Not bad for a rookie. 😉

The Iran Situation Part III

Looks like this situation is a bit worse than we thought. The American Freedomist Blog Reports:

The Freedomist has learned from our sources that what is happening in Iran may indeed be the beginnings of a COUP attempt within the ruling Mullah elites themselves and that Khameni’s allegiance to Ahmadinejad is causing a good number of them to consider REMOVING the Supreme Leader himself!

This possible revolution is NOT directed at Ahmadinejad, it is directed at THE SUPREME LEADER! US News is off base and inaccurate, the People are demanding an END to the rule of the Mulllahs, they want Democracy and seem willing to FIGHT!

Local sources are reporting via Twitter and opposition websites violence that is being resisted actively by young people who are IN THE THOUSANDS on roof tops singing the old Iranian national anthem, some are reporting from inside buildings that Hezbollah troops, NOT the Iranian police, are conducting clearing operations using civilian vehicles to plow into protestors and randomly shoot anyone on the street.

It is becoming more apparent that elements of the ruling class and the police and military are not deemed to be reliable, hence the use of foreign Hezbollah fighters to help enforce the edicts of the regime.

[…]

Meanwhile, we have at least three reports from different sources that Rafsanjani called for an emergency meeting of the Majles Khobregan, the Assembly of Experts which could result in an open rift between himself and the present Supreme Leader. Rafsanjani is questioning the certification of the election, according to these reports.

I do believe that this situation is going to a bit more hairier before it gets any better.

Update: Seen on Twitter, a retweet of a retweet….:

RT @ProgrssvWitness: RT @Radlein: Hey, Ahmadinejad, Khamenei? Congratulations. As of now, you ARE the Shah. #iran #iranelections

Update #2: Michael J. Totten does another one of his great dispatches from Iran. One it this gem pops up:

According to our private phone conversations with people in Tehran, hundreds of parents have gathered by a police station in Yousef Abad, now known as Seyyed Jamal Aldin Asad Abadi, with their hands raised to the sky saying “Obama, please help us, they are killing our young children.”

Oh boy…. This should quite interesting.

Consider this a somewhat live Blog, update to come as new info arrives.