Archive for January 21st, 2008
Michael Yon headed back to Iraq
January 21st, 2008
In todays email from Michael Yon:
Greetings:
I am preparing to head back to Iraq at the end of this week.
We’ve added a lot of new material to the site in the past week, including updates on units I’ve embedded with and stories published during 2007, and links to news items, like a profile in the New York Times.
If you haven’t been to the website recently, we have added new archive pages that can be accessed here.
News that my book, Moment of Truth in Iraq (which will be published in April 2008) is now available for special advance purchase has prompted renewed interest in my first book Danger Close, and we’ve republished the first chapter of that book here.
Also, at the suggestion of readers, my Dragon Skin body armor is up for auction on E-Bay. You can read why here, and follow the bidding here.
As always, reader support is greatly appreciated, especially as I organize and assemble the gear needed for this next embed. Without the generosity of readers, this mission could not go forward. And during this election year when important decisions will be made on Iraq, front line news will be critical for identifying political truth-tellers.
Thank you,
V/r
Michael
If you have not checked out Michael’s site lately, it is chock full of terrific reads.
Posted in 
Rasmussen: Republicans Gaining Popularity in Congress
January 21st, 2008
You know how we feel about polls here. They’re just a snapshot of a period in time. Even though Rasmussen has a great record his poll is also just a snapshot in time.
In polls taken recently these are his conclusions:
The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey found that, if the Congressional Election were held today, 43% of American voters say they would vote for the Democrat in their district and 38% would opt for the Republican. That’s the closest Republicans have been on this measure since losing control of Congress in Election 2006. It’s also the first time in six months that the Democrat’s advantage has been in single digits. A month ago, the Democrats enjoyed a ten-point edge over the GOP….
…It remains to be seen whether this survey reflects lasting change or is merely a statistical aberration. However, it is worth noting that Republicans have also recently reduced the gap in partisan identification. This may be partly due to increased confidence in the War on Terror and the situation in Iraq.
Among unaffiliated voters, Democrats attract 32%, Republicans 26%. A month ago, Democrats enjoyed a 41% to 21% margin among voters not affiliated with either major political party.
Just 13% of Americans currently give Congress good or excellent marks for their legislative efforts. That’s just a single point above the lowest rating of 2007 (see monthly results since Election 2006).
Congress accomplished almost nothing of significance during the last session, and expecting them to accomplish much during an election year is expecting too much from a good Congress, much less one with the record of the Pelosi/Reid Congress.
We still have 10 months before the elections and anything could happen to move this one way or the other.
On the other hand, this could be the perfect example of getting rid of the other rascals but keeping our rascals in office.
The war took up so much fruitless time in the last Congress that people actually lost faith in their government.
We don’t hear too many candidates running against the war anymore since the surge has taken hold and has been successful thus far.
General Odeniero expects all 18 provinces in Iraq to be self-sufficient as far as police and military being able to take over by the end of this year. That’s quite an accomplishment if it happens.
Let’s see if these polls translate to Republican gains in November.
Super Bowl bound
January 21st, 2008
What is America Looking For In Our Next Commander in Chief?
January 21st, 2008
I missed this piece by Dr. Sowell which was published at Townhall on Friday.
This was among one of the most powerful arguments I have read as of yet as to why the GOP must find their way through this muddled mess we are experiencing to find a candidate for President around whom we can coalesce.
What is wrong with this year’s candidates?
The short answer is that most of the Republicans are questionable and all three leading Democrats are dangerous.
The only real conservative candidate is former Senator Fred Thompson but his low vote totals in all the Republican primaries thus far make him a one-man endangered species.
If he doesn’t get some serious voter support in South Carolina, it is hard to see how he can become a viable candidate. And, if he drops out, it is hard to see who conservative Republican voters will support — either in the primaries or in the general election in November.
That raises the very serious possibility — and the very dangerous possibility — that Hillary Clinton will become President of the United States if conservative Republicans stay home on election day.
While Barack Obama and John Edwards have been irresponsible demagogues, the Clintons have a record of lawless and ruthless corruption that goes back not only to their White House days in the 1990s but even back to their time in the governors’ mansion in Arkansas.
Nor is this simply a matter of domestic politics. It was Bill Clinton who ignored the advice of military and intelligence officials when he gave China the technology that can be used to enable their nuclear missiles to hit American cities.
Also, this post authored by Tom Panion at American Thinker drives home a very important point as we look toward electing our next Commander in Chief:
Everyone looks for Solomon, but we need David
The election coverage I see in the mainstream media seems to be covering the search for the next Solomon. Solomon was wise. He was a charmer. He grew his nation’s wealth by expanding his borders and trading with other nations…and raising taxes. Why, he practically snapped his fingers and tributes, both monetary and otherwise, poured in to the coffers.
Neighboring nations and those to the south and west and east of his kingdom were literally in awe of this man. At the time of his reign, his was the most prosperous nation on earth.
And he didn’t have to lift a sword to accomplish any of this!
His weapon of choice was the motivational speech and the king’s decree. Yeah, Solomon could really knock ‘em dead.
But how did he get there? Why was everyone so anxious to deal with the man from Jerusalem? How could one man wield such power without sending out an army like Alexander and other conquerors?
Solomon had a mighty predecessor in his father, David.
David was the warrior. He was the one who secured the borders. David was the ‘man after God’s own heart’. He never forgot where his strength came from and where his enemies were…and they were all around him.
Both Solomon and David had faults. David acknowledged his sins publicly and got right with God. Then he governed with quiet strength and humility. He also used his army to thwart attackers and kept them ready.
Read more.
Obama to take on Former President Clinton
January 21st, 2008
The buzz today will surely be Barack Obama taking on the former President of the United States.
Sen. Barack Obama says he’s ready to confront former President Bill Clinton, calling his advocacy on behalf of his wife’s presidential campaign, “troubling.”
In an exclusive interview with ABC News’ Robin Roberts to air Monday on “Good Morning America,” Obama, D-Ill., directly engages Bill Clinton on a series of issues.
Will this tactic work? In all honesty, I would love to see it set the Clinton’s back on their heels, but they are ruthless, determined individuals who have never allowed anyone or anything to get in the way of their perceived entitlement to power.
The GOP will be faced with the same dilemma should the Clinton’s be the Democratic nominee. And yes, I say Clinton’s. Why else would a former President inject himself into a campaign to the extent Bill has? What other President can you point to who has gone to the lengths he has to promote not only a candidate but his wife?
Barack is right, he needs to stay on the attack. He will do the electorate a tremendous favor if he can prevent another co-presidency. Then perhaps we will never again be subjected to this:
Did we all pay attention in Nevada? Barack receives the endorsement of a powerful union, well let’s just run to the courts. Better yet, when the outcome of the caucus was still in doubt a
former President runs to the press with this story:
Today when my daughter and I were wandering through the hotel, and all these culinary workers were mobbing us telling us they didn’t care what the union told them to do, they were gonna caucus for Hillary.
There was a representative of the organization following along behind us going up to everybody who said that, saying ‘if you’re not gonna vote for our guy were gonna give you a schedule tomorrow so you can’t be there.’ So, is this the new politics? I haven’t seen anything like that in America in 35 years. So I will say it again – they think they’re better than you.
to which the union responded:
“This is ludicrous,” Culinary Workers political director Pilar Weiss told Politico. She said the union is “aware that some workers aren’t going to vote our way” and doesn’t engage in intimidation.
“The fact that they lost a lawsuit aimed at suppressing workers’ votes, and that now they’re trying to hold on to these baseless claims is ridiculous,” she said.
Funny, now that Hillary took home the prize from Nevada, this has become a non-story. Would the press ignor such behavior from the GOP? I think not. That is neither here nor there though.
Volumes have been written on the past indiscretions of the Clinton’s. Is it possible Obama will be the one to finally put this chapter in our history to rest?
If I were a betting person I would not put my money on the challenger but I would do so hoping I would lose.
