An Assortment

Since the loss of so much material I've been busy trying to recreate some writing I was working on. The last few big stories I was working on are saved but I reckon I've lost maybe a dozen "concepts". The other big one I'd just started was lost too. Annoyingly all the research I'd saved off the Internet wasn't saved either but the story itself was fresh enough in my mind that it's not been too difficult to re-write the 20 or so pages that are gone. The re-write's also turning out better than the original flurry of words too. Some new characters have pushed their way in and the stumbling point in the plot (I got stuck) has been resolved. Hopefully, I'll have more fun writing this version than I would have the original.

All in all, it could be worse.

Anyway, while I'm beavering away there's some kind of economic trouble which seems to have occurred because banks were giving money away to people who couldn't afford to pay it back- and Barack Obama says it's all George Bush's fault. It's all beyond me to be honest but this struck me as being a thoughtful evaluation of the bail-out plan.

Next up is some terrible news- P.J. O'Rourke has announced he is suffering from cancer. He seems hopeful about his chances in this piece, which also tackles his belief in evolution and in God. Religious or not, it seems to me to be some choice food for thought. Here's hoping he pulls through.

Next is another masterwork from Bill Whittle. Entitled Pain, it touches a cord with me. It's something I've had just a tad too much experience of. He describes it exceedingly well.

And the thing I remember about that time and on Friday too, was a sense that when you are in that universe of pain for three or four hours there simply is no other side to it. You can’t remember, and you can’t imagine, what it would feel like not to hurt.

As with the rest of Mr. Whittle's work, you really should read it all.

Lastly, the Queen of Snark guest-blogs at The Munchkin Wrangler's place on the topic of love. It's Tam we're talking about so you know it's going to be very, very good.

I love to score a point off an idiot in a debate that I know makes onlookers chuckle and would make the idiot cry, were he literate enough to realize what I’d just said.

Enjoy and come back soon!

The Great Crash of '08

No, I'm not talking about the economic crisis but the devastating loss of not one, not two, not three but four hard drives. Ouch.

My laptop is up and running again thanks to a new hard drive and my new desktop came a few days ago. Once I had it set up I tested my three IDE drives in an external enclosure. One dead, one mysteriously wiped and one with a knackered Windows installation. How or why I cannot explain. Needless to say, I'm none too keen to use it or the wiped one again.

Anyway, I've dredged up some old DVD back-ups from about a year or two ago and am gradually restoring my system. It's a darned nuisance to put it mildly.

The Perfect Storm

So I suffered a mechanical failure on my laptop hard drive- and lost a lot of work/material. I switched over to my desktop and everything seemed to be working okay there. I went even went online, blogged about the fault and then ordered a replacement hard drive.

Right the next day though, I turned on my PC and - boom! Windows wouldn't start-my 40Gb desktop drive seems to have sabotaged itself. Don't panic, I thought- and I dug out an old 17Gb hard drive (from back in the day when that was a substantial bit of kit) and plugged it into my PC. This was my rescue kit- a copy of Windows XP with nothing else but drivers and my DVD writing software installed.

Boot up Windows and check my 40Gb hard drive- I can access the information on it so just to be safe I copy over some files and folders onto the 17Gb drive. All well and good. I then go to write it to disc. Boom- Windows says it's missing a DLL and can't write. Which is news to me as the very last time I used the drive before it went into safe storage it worked perfectly. So I plug in my thumb drive. Boom- USB won't work. Feeling a tad more stressed I plug in my modem so that I can go online and track down the problem/missing file. Boom- it won't recognise my tried and trusty modem either.

So there's information's there- I just can't transfer it anywhere. I've backed up all I need off the 40Gb drive so I decide to re-install a fresh copy of Windows. Boom- won't get past the part where it installs the files it needs to begin the set up process. Nothing I can do will get XP to run on it.

So, I've lost everything off my laptop- every few hours something else that I should have backed up will pop into my head- and now my desktop machine won't run either. Crippled Windows doesn't really count. I have a tiny portion of info saved but I can't get it off that machine and onto my now-repaired laptop. As well as the 40Gb hard drive I also have a big 320Gb drive where I store everything- all my family photos, music, e-books, all my documents, saved web-pages, everything. I've a nasty feeling that the infernal machine has done something wicked to that too.

Right now I'm trying to set up my laptop again and waiting impatiently for my new desktop machine to arrive. Once it's here I'll at least be able to plug the drives in and see if I can salvage anything.

Who would have thought that a partitioned laptop drive, a desktop drive and a back-up drive could all malfunction in the space of a couple of days? I feel like I should be searching my home for Gremlins.

Anyway, let my tale of data woe be a warning to you. Don't rely on just several hard drive back ups like me. From now on I'm going to throw in some DVD copies and a couple of thumb drives into the mix too.

The Clicking of Doom

For most of this year I've been using a Toshiba laptop as my primary machine, with my vintage PIII desktop relegated to the spare room. The laptop's less than a year old but this evening as I was using it to watch a DVD the hard drive started clicking and the machine locked up. As is always the case it's been a little while since I last backed up my data- and, like a trusting fool, the last few saves were performed by copying info from one half of the partitioned drive to the other. Now both are lost.

I could kick myself but I was preparing for a Windows/software problem not for a nearly new hard drive to up and die on me. I guess I could always try freezing it...

Anyway, I've moved back to the desktop for the time being while I look up a replacement hard drive for the laptop- and a reliable external drive for back-ups. Then I need to figure out a handy way to back up folders, bookmarks, etc on a daily basis.

If you haven't done so already today, back up your data!

Obama's Economics

McCain hits Obama (with what seems to me to be a very effective ad) on one of his advisers, Fannie Mae CEO Franklin Raines. He really needs to keep hammering Obama on the economy if he hopes to get back into the lead in the polls.



The only change Obama will want after seeing this is a change of subject. I think it would be worthwhile for McCain to keep pushing the donations Obama received from Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. That's a lot of money in a short space of time.

Calls For Death

My disgust with Liberals grows. Here are two reasons why-

I, Doug Stanhope, am offering you, Bristol Palin, the sum of 25,000 dollars so that you can abort your child and move out of that draconian home.

I was once in a similar situation where I'd accidentally impregnated a girl and she had to make that same fateful decision that now faces you...We made the right choice and rather than end up bitter rivals in court battles over custody or support, we are great friends who high-five over our decision and have all the free time and disposable income that young mothers never know...You don't want this child, the father certainly doesn't want this child and the world doesn't need another wailing mouth to feed.

I'm revolted by this. Not only can he not comprehend that some people want to keep their children no matter how unexpected they might be, but he revels in his decision to kill his own unborn son or daughter- Hooray, we killed a baby and now we have a little extra money and some free time. That's just monstrous.

And this-

Like many, I am troubled by the implications of Alaska governor and Republican Vice Presidential candidate Sarah Palin's decision to knowingly give birth to a child disabled with Down syndrome. Given that Palin's decision is being celebrated in some quarters, it is crucial to reaffirm the morality of aborting a fetus diagnosed with Down syndrome (or by extension, any unborn fetus)—a freedom that anti-abortion advocates seek to deny.

I should think that when Trig and Bristol's child grow up they will be horrified to learn that much of Liberal America wanted them dead. The vitriol about these two babies- one born, one not yet- is incredible. Has there been the slightest hint from Liberals that this kind of death lust isn't appropriate? If so, I haven't seen it.

The liberal, tolerant, freedom to choose, peace-loving side of the political aisle has really let its mask slip with the unhinged bile they've been spewing about a Down Syndrome baby and a teen pregnancy. There's no tolerance there, no respect for a woman's right to choose (here's a newsflash for you- choice doesn't just mean being able to kill your unborn child), no respect for life, no respect for the beliefs of others. Just hate and a desire to kill babies which don't fit in with how they think a person should live their life. I keep hearing from liberals about how Palin will attack their right to choose- but what I've actually witnesses is a torrent of vile you-should-have-killed-your-baby abuse from them.

If anything, I would hope that this unreasoning desire for death will help the pro-life cause.

The One

The Obama-Biden team have a message for the American voter. First up, Joe-

"All this stuff about how different Barack Obama is, they're not just used to somebody really smart. They're just not used to somebody who's really well educated. They just don't know quite how to handle it. Cause if he's as smart as Barack is he must not be from my neighborhood."

Barack is just too clever for you rubes to handle. What a way to try and convince someone to cast a vote for you!

Next we have Barack himself who was asked what personal flaw he had which might hinder his ability as president-

I don't think ... there's a flaw that would hinder my ability ... to function as president. I think that all of us have things we need to improve.

So, there you have it- Obama is not only smarter than you but he's flawless- and he just oozes humility, doesn't he?

Did someone mention a Greek temple...

Straight Talking

McCain needs to give a lot more speeches like this if he's to stand a chance of winning the election.

Unfit

Unbelievable.

Barack Obama went to Iraq and interfered with the diplomatic efforts of the elected United States government, in a war zone no less, by telling the Iraqis to stop negotiating with the President.

And the media yawns. MAFPAC has an as about the move, branding it (correctly) a disgrace. As Ed at Hot Air points out though, they miss the mark with their main thrust against Obama. He lays the charges out most concisely-0

The problem with what Obama did is twofold. First, Senator Obama has no authority to negotiate on behalf of the executive branch, which has sole authority to conduct foreign policy. Second and most important, Obama attempted to interfere against the interests of the United States. He can ask all the questions he wants, but when Obama started pressing Iraqi officials to stop negotiations with the executive branch — in other words, break one level of diplomatic contact and freeze a military alliance in time of war — that crossed a line and clearly violated the Logan Act. It also makes clear that Obama would do anything to get elected, even harm diplomatic relations between the US and an ally.

Imagine the furore if a Republican politician had done this during campaign season with a Democrat President in power.

Just For Show

So Hillary was supposed to attend an anti-Ahmadinejad event in NY City- that was, until Sarah Palin was tapped to be there too.

Clinton aides were furious. They first learned of the plan to have both Clinton and Palin appear when informed by reporters.

"Her attendance was news to us, and this was never billed to us as a partisan political event," said Clinton spokesman Philippe Reines. "Sen. Clinton will therefore not be attending."

Surely he meant to say that they had no idea it was to be a bi-partisan event? I mean isn't the Democrat nominee running on a ticket of post-partisan co-operation and an America that isn't Red or Blue but just America?

Or maybe Clinton was just paying lip service to Jewish voters and her appearance was nothing more than a political stunt. If she was truly serious about protesting Ahmadinejad, the presence of a Republican politician shouldn't have put her off.

Obama's Shame

Probably the most powerful anti-abortion ad ever made, even though it's aimed squarely at Barack Obama's shameful support of infanticide- leaving babies born alive during an abortion to die. It's astonishing to see the person alive now who was supposed to have been killed. Obama is the only person in the Senate to have voted against legislation like this.

For those who question the details of the neutrality clause (that argument is still being circulated I see) check out the links at the Hot Air piece. The bill Obama voted against did have such language attached- and his campaign has admitted it too.

His attitude to abortion can best be seen in his self-admitted priority if he becomes President-

In 2007, Obama told the Planned Parenthood Action Fund that the Freedom of Choice Act would be the first piece of legislation that he would sign as president. The act would not only codify Roe v. Wade, but wipe out all current federal, state and local restrictions on abortion that pass muster under Roe, including the Hyde Amendment prohibiting federal funding of abortion.

Two For One

Not much time to blog at the moment I'm afraid so here's a quick compilation of posts.

First up, the secretive Obama.

Just to review, the public cannot get access to paperwork related to grants to distributed by then-state-legislator Obama (records from 1997 to 2000 aren't available); his state legislative office records (which he says may have been thrown out); he refuses to release a specific list of law clients, instead giving a list of all of his firm's clients, numbering several hundred each year; he won't release his application to the state bar (where critics wonder if he lied in responding to questions about parking tickets and past drug use); he’s never released any legal or billing records to verify that he only did a few hours of work for a nonprofit tied to convicted donor Rezko; and he's never released any medical records, just a one-page letter from his doctor.

Then there was the effort against Stanley Kurtz for his effort to examine documents relating to the Chicago Annenberg Challenge, where William Ayers hired Obama to be board chairman.

Oh, and Biden has released his earmark requests for one year out of his 36 in the Senate.

Next, Obama's church- Trinity- and the way in which they marked the fifth anniversary of 9/11. A poem was published in the church magazine and it's worth reading the whole thing. Here's a brief sample-

If you want a moment of silence
Then stop the oil pumps
Turn off the engines and the televisions
Sink the cruise ships
Crash the stock markets
Unplug the marquee lights,
Delete the instant messages,
Derail the trains, the light rail transit

If you want a moment of silence,
put a brick through
the window of Taco Bell,
And pay the workers for wages lost
Tear down the liquor stores,
The townhouses, the White Houses,
the jailhouses, the Penthouses and
the Playboys.

Remember when O'Reilly pressed Obama about Wright's outrageous comments in the church Barack attended for 20 years? Obama stated that he never heard the comments that were looped on TV. He never heard those comments. When O'Reilly pushed the fact that the church published Wright's sermons in its magazine, Obama's only response was "what can I tell ya?"

Precisely, what can he tell us about what he heard- and what he exposed his daughters to- at that church?

Pro-Gun Palin

Palin on the Second Amendment-

Do I think that all of that gun violence, though, is caused by people pulling a trigger who would have followed any law anyway? No. You start banning guns and you start taking away guns from people who will use them responsibly and use them ethically. You put more and more laws on guns and you start taking away a Second Amendment right, it's going to be, Charlie, the bad guys who have the guns, not those who are law-abiding citizens.

She also stated unequivocally that she is opposed to the so-called assault weapon ban.

The Camera Lies

If you watched the first Gibson-Palin interview I'd advise also going over to Newsbusters to check out some of the parts of the interview which were edited out. Parts which demonstrate that Palin has a much better grasp of things than ABC is letting on.

It's too long to quote but it's an essential read. Without actually chopping up her sentences I don't think they could have done a more biased editing job to show her in the most unfavourable light possible.

Obama's Women

This is interesting.

...on average, women in McCain's office are paid more than the men in McCain's office -- $1.04 for every dollar a man makes. Men in Obama's office make more than women do; female employees make 83 cents for every dollar made by male employees.

Only one of Obama's five best-paid Senate staffers is a woman. Of McCain's five best-paid Senate staffers, three are women.

Of Obama's top 20 salaried Senate staffers, seven are women. Of McCain's top 20 salaried Senate staffers, 13 are women.

In the great scheme of things it might not matter much but since the Democrats like to play these games when they think they can win, why not bring it up? I mean, Obama talks on the campaign trail about equality of pay for men or women while the women working for him earn less than the men do? You could say he's just paying lip-service to sexual equality.

Ed at Hot Air says it best- As with change, clean politics, and leadership, Obama talks the talk while McCain walks the walk.

Obama's camp argues that there are more women on his campaign staff. No word on how he stacks up there compared to McCain. What did strike me about the list Obama's spokesman delivered was that Michelle Obama is listed as "Senior Advisor".

If there aren't two Michelle Obama's then that would mean that it's entirely appropriate to hold up anything she says or does as being pertinent during this election- including her "proud" moment. She evidently isn't just his wife but a part of his campaign staff. Might explain why the former communications director for Teddy Kennedy and later the DNC itself is now Michelle's chief of staff.

Missing Person

As was noted elsewhere, Michelle Obama neglected to attend the 9/11 event the other day- leaving her husband with John and Cindy McCain. She was noticeable by her absence. Some wondered about it and the Obama camp explained that because it was the first week of the new school year, she had decided to remain home with her two daughters.

Perfectly understandable. However, it seems that there are other priorities- for her- more important than the 9/11 ceremony and her children.

Campaigning for her husband. In two different states.

Newsbusters has the details. Shame the MSM wasn't quite so interested in actually taking a look at her itinery and reporting it to the American voter.

Obama Takes The Low Road

Is this for real? Obama has mocked John McCain for not using email in his latest ad, without even bothering to wonder why- it's because of the severe beatings McCain suffered during his captivity in Vietnam:

McCain gets emotional at the mention of military families needing food stamps or veterans lacking health care. The outrage comes from inside: McCain's severe war injuries prevent him from combing his hair, typing on a keyboard, or tying his shoes. Friends marvel at McCain's encyclopedic knowledge of sports. He's an avid fan - Ted Williams is his hero - but he can't raise his arm above his shoulder to throw a baseball.

So much for Obama's new brand of politics (and wasn't that his sole selling point?). This has surely got to be one of the lowest blows taken during a Presidential campaign.

Only Ones - Alaska Edition

Jim Geraghty reports on one of the more unusual aspects of the Troopergate fuss- that a judge told Palin not to disparage the trooper who threatened to kill her father. One other point really jumped out at me though-

The first warning from the judge came in October 2005. By this point, according to the sister’s petition to the court, her husband had committed “extreme verbal abuse, violent threats, physical intimidation… driven drunk multiple times, threatened her father, and told her to 'put a leash on your sister and family or I'm going to bring them down.'” State police officials deemed her complaint serious enough to require Wooten to give up his department-issued guns, badge, credentials and vehicle during his off-duty time, while her simultaneous domestic violence protective order was in effect.

Let me see if I get this straight- the trooper was considered enough of a threat to his in-laws that he was not allowed to possess his issue weapons off-duty, but they thought it was fine for him to be armed on duty?

Remember

The Rule of Fairness?

A note to those who follow the "teach the Republicans a lesson" and the "no more lesser of two evils" school of thought about the upcoming US election.

While 82% of voters who support McCain believe the justices should rule on what is in the Constitution, just 29% of Barack Obama’s supporters agree. Just 11% of McCain supporters say judges should rule based on the judge’s sense of fairness, while nearly half (49%) of Obama supporters agree.

The accepted opinion seems to be that there might by as many as three seats opening on the Supreme Court during the next Presidency. The decisions made during those four years- which, yes, might teach the Republican Party a lesson for the following election- will impact life in America for decades to come. Seems to me that's a mighty big gamble to take on the Constitution- remember a staggering and mind-boggling 71% of Obama supporters, according to this poll, don't agree that the Supreme Court should base their decisions on the Constitution.

Obama keeps telling his supporters that this is an important election- he's not wrong.

Obama's Accomplishments

Mrs Ahab posts on Barack Obama's legislative record. It's quite an eye-opener.

Note that while he he has proposed quite a bit of legislation almost all of it is not yet out of committee. This list also does not his include the two items he mentions most- the Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act of 2006 and the Cooperative Proliferation Detection, Interdiction Assistance, and Conventional Threat Reduction Act of 2006. These were bills he co-sponsored and both were passed unanimously. What Barack doesn't mention when he talks about the ethics reform bill is that John McCain was one of the co-sponsors.

The actual pieces which have been approved are as follows-

1. To congratulate the Chicago White Sox on winning the 2005 World Series Championship.
2. Recognizing the historical significance of Juneteenth Independence Day and expressing the sense of the Senate that history should be regarded as a means for understanding the past and..
3. Designating July 13, 2006, as `National Summer Learning Day'.
4. Whereas Bishop Gilbert Earl Patterson was born in 1939 to Bishop W.A. and Mrs. Mary Patterson, Sr., in Humboldt, Tennessee;
5. Designating July 12, 2007, as `National Summer Learning Day'.

That's rather a telling record for a would-be president, isn't it?

Pass it around- and make sure to thank Mrs Ahab for the initial work.

Black Ops

Barack Obama has repeatedly said that he wants to pull out of Iraq and focus on Afghanistan which is, he claims, the central front in the war on terrorism.

More than 3,500 insurgents have been "taken off the streets of Baghdad" by the elite British force in a series of audacious "Black Ops" over the past two years.

It is understood that while the majority of the terrorists were captured, several hundred, who were mainly members of the organisation known as "al-Qa'eda in Iraq" have been killed by the SAS.

Actually it's a joint SAS and Delta Force operation.

Using intelligence gleaned from spies and informers, Task Force Black has nearly broken the back of the terrorist network and reduced bombings in Baghdad from about 150 a month to just two.

When is Obama going to be asked how leaving Iraq- and the very real presence of terrorists there, including Al Qaeda- is going to help fighting terrorism?

The SAS-Delta Force operation was part of the surge strategy which has turned the conflict around-

Gen David Petraeus, the head of the US forces in Iraq, who is due to leave his post shortly, has praised the courage of the SAS.

He said: “They have helped immensely in Baghdad … they have done a phenomenal job.”

If Obama had his way those 3,500 terrorists (and this is just in Baghdad remember) would have been free to either wreak havoc on the local populace- or to turn their attention elsewhere.

Smearing Republicans

Darn those Republicans- they failed to fulfil one reporters racist stereotypes!

But actually I say the story here is the dog that didn't bark. One of several wrong predictions I made this week was that the GOP convention would be marred by an endless series of racially-tinged comments from delegates and/or marginal right-wing hangers-on. But that hasn't happened.

But wait, he did hear something-

Passing through a food court area today I did hear a loudmouthed guy noisily holding court on the subject of "Barack Hussein Obama," but that's the worst I've encountered.

Mentioning his real name is somehow racist- doesn't that say more about this guy than the one referring to Obama's given middle name? The whole "Barack redacted Obama" thing seems to me to be incredible nonsense- and when I hear claims that mentioning his actual name is racist or offensive, it just makes me think that the person complaining is the one sees it that way. What have you got against Obama's full name anyway?

I've even been checking out the buttons and shirts on sale by vendors, and they're all very appropriate--no racist Obama dolls, not even any nasty anti-Hillary shirts or buttons (that I've seen). There's a sanitized feeling that makes me think the convention planners were highly attuned to the possibility for trouble and took measures to prevent it.

Yeah, that's got to be it- those Rethuglicans are so inherently racist that the organisers must have used Rovian mind-control to stop them using racist epithets and selling racist Obama dolls. It's all a big right wing plot, see. I mean, what other explanation could there be?

This is what passes for modern journalism apparently.

The McCain Speech

When Palin delivered her convention speech she had the weight of conservatives across America on her shoulders- and she delivered. In one stroke she proved herself to be more than capable in front of the country, tough under pressure and she gave the campaign a big jolt of energy.

I wasn't sure what to expect of McCain's speech but, having just watched it, I've got to say that I liked it- as the campaign has gone on my respect for McCain the man has increased. There are still some big issues on which politically I disagree with him but I respect him.

Now he and Palin need to get out there and talk specifics. Obama promises the world to his supporters but declaring that he'll raise incomes and make college more affordable is nothing more than hooey. What the American voter should be asking is how exactly he hopes to accomplish this? Are more students going to be able to afford college because the cost of going there has fallen or because Obama is going to increase taxes and take that money from your pocket to give to those students? And how, exactly, as President is he going to increase people's incomes? What authority and power does he think he'll have to be able to accomplish that goal? Is he going to reduce the amount the government takes from your wages to do it? If not, how does he square his other lofty proposals with increasing incomes- or does he mean you'll earn more before he takes his cut of your wages?

Anyway, here are the- for me- stand out lines of McCain's speech.

I’m very proud to have introduced our next Vice President to the country. But I can’t wait until I introduce her to Washington. And let me offer an advance warning to the old, big spending, do nothing, me first, country second Washington crowd: change is coming.

Great reaction from this. I would have liked McCain to remind the American voter though that Democrats have been in control of Congress for the past few years- and they're the ones who have sat by while, for instance, gas prices have risen.

My fellow Americans, when I’m President, we’re going to embark on the most ambitious national project in decades. We are going to stop sending $700 billion a year to countries that don’t like us very much.

Now there is a policy that I'm sure a lot of Americans would like to see. Out on the trail why not quote some of the terrorist threats from Palestinians- for example- against American interests and then ask, so why are we sending them millions of dollars?

I’ve been an imperfect servant of my country for many years. But I have been her servant first, last and always. And I’ve never lived a day, in good times or bad, that I didn’t thank God for the privilege.

Surprising to hear a politican admit that he is not perfect. McCain's humility is starkly at odds with Obama's arrogant attitude.

A lot of prisoners had it worse than I did. I’d been mistreated before, but not as badly as others. I always liked to strut a little after I’d been roughed up to show the other guys I was tough enough to take it. But after I turned down their offer, they worked me over harder than they ever had before. For a long time. And they broke me.

I was pretty shocked to hear him admit that- and it struck a cord with me. When I was in the Marines I took a bad fall. I lay on the ground for maybe a minute unable to move my arms or legs- I thought I was paralysed and it was a pretty scary time. Gradually though, the shock wore off and I was able to crawl and stumble off towards a pick up point. It was night, I was on my own and I was in the most all-encompassing pain I'd ever felt- my back was in a bad way and I'd given one arm and leg a bit of a bump too. At one point the pain got to be too much and, after one of many times when I fell over, I just stayed down in the mud. I gave up. I can't have stayed there for long but I felt like my will had snapped. Getting moving again wasn't easy but I managed to pull myself together. It in no way compares to the very real hell he went through- not in any way at all- but I can certainly empathise with him. And I admire the courage he possesses now for being able to admit that in front of millions and the courage he possessed then in being able to keep going. He's tough.

Palin's Speech

Not much time for blogging today but I just had to mention Palin's speech. She did a terrific job not only in introducing herself to America but in also showing her teeth. Sarah Barracuda indeed.

She really delivered. The campaign needs to keep pushing back at the smears coming her way- and to point out that some of them at least are coming from the Obama campaign itself. Is that the change Barack promised?



Hard to pick a favourite line from Palin's speech but it was great to hear the "community organizer" dig at Obama and also the "styrofoam column attack". I was also gladdened to hear her discuss some foreign policy issues in there too- also with the defence of her small town background. Nice too to hear her push her executive experience- the line veto stuff went down well. All in all, a job exceptionally well done.

Bridget and Nikki

I blogged some time ago about the incredible act of kindness performed by Cindy McCain when she rescued two small children from Bangladesh and brought them back to America for medical attention. She and John McCain adopted one of those girls, Bridget, and a friend of McCain's, Wes Gullet, adopted the other child, Nikki. It's a great story and one that Gullet told at the Republican Convention. I urge you all to watch-



This story really isn't about politics but I think it's worth noting that while Obama talks endlessly about requiring others to get involved, to do mandatory community service and so on, the McCains have performed one of the very acts Obama spoke of (lifting a child from poverty in Bangladesh). A Google News sarch for "Bridget McCain" turns up a paltry 475 results, a good deal of them merely mentioning her in passing as attending some event or other.

Do you imagine for a single second that if the Obama's had saved a poverty-stricken child from certain death that the media would have talked about it so little?

Obama's Smears

Wasn't Obama supposed to be above all this- the candidate of hope and change and a new kind of politics?

Yeah, right.

John McCain's campaign said Tuesday that rival Barack Obama's campaign was spreading "smears" about Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin's past political affiliations...

Obama advisers and surrogates have also linked Palin to conservative former presidential candidate Pat Buchanan.

The Miami Herald this week quoted an e-mail from Obama Florida spokesman Mark Bubriski that stated: "Palin was a supporter of Pat Buchanan, a right-winger or as many Jews call him: a Nazi sympathizer."

The Obama campaign sure doesn't let a little thing like the truth get in the way of smearing their opponent. Not that we should be surprised. After all, they're the same people who attacked a journalist conducting a legitimate line of enquiry into Obama's past-

In the next few hours, we have a crucial opportunity to fight one of the most cynical and offensive smears ever launched against Barack.

Tonight, WGN radio is giving right-wing hatchet man Stanley Kurtz a forum to air his baseless, fear-mongering terrorist smears.

Kurtz was actually investigating the working relationship between Obama and terrorist William Ayers, a man Obama himself told the public was just a guy who lived in his neighbourhood. In actual fact, Obama lied about their relationship- Ayers' hosted the event at which Alice Palmer announced she was stepping down from her State Senate seat and then introduced Barack Obama as her successor.

It's interesting to note that on Obama's own Fight the Smears website, he's still misrepresenting their relationship to voters-

it [a TV ad] claims that Ayers somehow “launched” Barack Obama’s career -- an assertion so outlandish that not even Simmons’ fellow discredited Swift Boater Jerome Corsi included it in his smear book.

Technically Ayers himself may not have launched Obama's political career but that's obviously trying to lie to the public at large: Ayers held the event used to launch Obama's career among Chicago's liberal set-

In 1995, State Senator Alice Palmer introduced her chosen successor, Barack Obama, to a few of the district’s influential liberals at the home of two well known figures on the local left: William Ayers and Bernardine Dohrn.

“I can remember being one of a small group of people who came to Bill Ayers’ house to learn that Alice Palmer was stepping down from the senate and running for Congress,” said Dr. Quentin Young, a prominent Chicago physician and advocate for single-payer health care, of the informal gathering at the home of Ayers and his wife, Dohrn. “[Palmer] identified [Obama] as her successor.”

Obama won't come clean about his undeniable link to a terrorist who feels that he didn't bomb America enough and who still won't say that he would never bomb again. Instead he thinks he can talk around the specifics. And why not? The media's patently not interested in harming their candidate of choice.

But he note that he does feel comfortable enough to lie to his own supporters about the true facts of the case.

Straight Talking

A great video of Newt Gingrich from NewsBusters where he is asked about Palin and a resume that is "not something we're familiar seeing with presidential candidates".

To his great credit, Gingrich doesn't let that stand-



Here's the transcript-

It's stronger than Barack Obama's. I don't know why you guys walk around saying this baloney. She has a stronger resume than Obama. She's been a real mayor, he hasn't. She has been a real governor, he hasn't. She's been in charge of the Alaskan National Guard, he hasn't. She was a whistleblower who defeated an incumbent mayor. He has never once shown that kind of courage. She's a whistleblower who turned in the chairman of her own party and got him fined $12,000. I've never seen Obama do one thing like that. She took on the incumbent governor of her own party and beat him, and then she beat a former Democratic governor in the general election. I don't know of a single thing Obama's done except talk and write.

Especially telling is when he confronts the reporter to name one thing Obama's done. Unsurprisingly, he declines.

Given the constant, scurrilous attacks on Palin from the in-the-tank press, Republicans need to get this message on Palin out there as much as possible. As far as I can see the only response Democrats have is that Obama was in Washington for 143 days before he decided he was qualified enough to be President. What, exactly, did he learn or do in those days which trump Palin's resume? What foreign policy experience did he have then which beats her executive experience?

Anyone?

Plumbing The Depths

The press has not demanded Barack Obama's medical records. They haven't demanded his college records. They haven't demanded his Illinois Senate records. They haven't demanded records about his low mortgage rate. They haven't demanded records on his links to corrupt financier Tony Rezko. They haven't demanded transcripts of sermons Rev Wright gave while Obama was in the pews. They haven't demanded a list of his legal clients. They haven't demanded records of his work and links to terrorist Bill Ayers.

Anything I missed?

So many questions about a candidate with one of the most unknown track records in US history.

And yet the McCain campaign is being inundated with demands for DNA samples to prove if Sarah Palin's son Trig is really hers.

In an extraordinary and emotional interview, [McCain campaign manager] Steve Schmidt said his campaign feels "under siege" by wave after wave of news inquiries that have questioned whether Palin is really the mother of a 4-month-old baby, whether her amniotic fluid had been tested and whether she would submit to a DNA test to establish the child's parentage.

Since the announcement on Friday the MSM has been engaged in nothing short of a smear campaign to assassinate the character of Sarah Palin. I would hope that the McCain campaign makes a big deal of these preposterous partisan demands- because I'm sure that the average American voter will be disgusted by it.

Blessing Not A Punishment

One of the things that most disgusts me about Barack Obama- a father of two young girls- is his stance on infanticide. How can someone who has two kids support leaving babies born alive during an abortion to die? I just can't understand it at all.

I was also pretty shocked by his comment that he didn't want his daughters punished by having a baby for making a mistake. How can he look at his children and say something like that? A baby might be totally unexpected, something of a hardship and make your life take a different path- but please, a punishment?

Bristol Palin must be feeling terrible at the way the media is shamelessly exploiting her situation for their own political gain but I believe she deserves credit for taking responsibility for her actions. This image sums up the startling difference between the two campaigns-

Media Bias

Sheer anti-Republican, foaming at the mouth bias or a sign that Palin has them scared?

The Kossified MSM has completely lost its marbles.

The Washington Post rushes out with a story that GOP Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin “slashed” funding for teen moms.

Can you guess the "slight" problem with this hit piece?

“Covenant House’s IRS Form 990 (link) shows the funds that Paul Kane describes as “slashed” was over a threefold increase from the government funds they received from all sources in 2006 (FY2006 ending 12/31/06).”

I thought the US media was bad during the Bush-Kerry election cycle but this is outrageous.

Titch

A few weeks ago one of my cats gave birth to a litter of four kittens. After about a week she seemed to just give up on them and since then I've been hand rearing them. Three of the kittens have grown well and are sturdy balls of fluff now. The last one though was always the smallest. Hence, he became known as Titch. He had a few close calls- I came home once and found him sleeping on the tiled floor a distance from bed, nearly dead from hypothermia. He spent an afternoon and evening in front of the fire and then that night wrapped up well in a box beside my bed. I had to lie with one hand hanging over the edge of the bed into the box to get him to sleep.

The past week I noticed that he was almost half the size of the other kittens in the litter. They were coming on in leaps and bounds and he just didn't seem to be getting any bigger at all. I had a real soft spot for him and he was usually bottle fed first and then I'd spent a little time with him making sure that he gave himself a bit of a lick to clean up. An adorable black and white cat, he had a kind of exaggerated Siamese look to his face, partly I suppose because of his low weight. I used to set him up on the bench and then I'd stick my tongue out and lick. He'd watch for a moment or two and then begin to lick himself clean.

Last night as I fed the litter, the other three having just begun to eat solids and lap their milk from a dish, Titch refused his feed. He tried to each some of the cat food but he wouldn't take any milk. Same story this morning- he just wouldn't accept anything. And he didn't even get up out of bed when I came into the room.

As the day went on Titch went down-hill fast. I tried to feed him but he wouldn't take it- not even accepting water. I held him close for about an hour to make sure he was warm but his body temperature seemed to be fine- he managed a few weak purs and that was it. His eyes looked a little unfocused and he just wanted to sleep. Come the afternoon, he tried to stand and his back legs just gave way.

I brought him into the living room and set him up near the fire to keep him warm. I lay down on the floor next to him and he struggled over to rest his head on my hand as he went to sleep. A while later I tried again to feed him. He looked to be in a pretty bad way- not just sleeping but sprawled on the floor. He took a few drops of milk, swallowing okay, and then suddenly it was all over. He just seemed to stop breathing. I lifted him up to listen for a heartbeat and he gave a faint little chirruping sound and then passed away. He was only four and a half weeks old.

I'm going to miss him.

Obama And Gun Control

I've noticed a number of hits from my Site Meter on the topic of Obama and his stance on gun control. As if there's any real doubt where one of the most liberal Senators in Congress, and a Chicago pol to boot, stands. Having said that, the hits are still coming so it would seem that some votrers at least are unsure of what Obama's real views on this issue are.

In brief, if you're a gun owner- even a hunter- Barack Obama is not your friend. And he's most certainly not the person you want in the White House, particularly with a Democrat majority in Congress.

Yet, despite all the Democratic claims to the contrary, Mr. Obama is undoubtedly the most anti-gun candidate ever nominated by a major party for president.

Mr. Obama has a long history of supporting city gun bans. The Associated Press described his 2004 vote on a gun control bill: "He also opposed letting people use a self-defense argument if charged with violating local handgun bans by using weapons in their homes. The bill was a reaction to a Chicago-area man who, after shooting an intruder, was charged with a handgun violation."

John Lott has all the details if you need further proof. If you are a gun owner or simply an advocate of the Constitution, it would seem that the time to enlighten your fellow Americans about where Obama really stands is now.

The Mayor Flip

Obama's pretty keen to dismiss Sarah Palin's experience as mayor but NRO's Media Blog points out that he was for mayors, before he was against them.

You see, back in those days, we weren't just focused on changing federal policies in Washington. And we weren't just focused on changing state policies in Springfield. No, we were focused on the place we knew could actually do the most, the fastest, to make a difference in our community — and that was the Mayor's Office.

It was the Mayor's Office we turned to when we wanted to open a job training center to put people back to work. It was the Mayor's Office we turned to when we wanted to make sure city housing was safe to live in. And it's the Mayors Office that Americans across this country rely on every day.

Now there's a sound-bite for a McCain campaign ad!

Obama used to think that mayors are important to the nation. But that was before he found himself facing off against a former mayor.

Funny how Obama and his followers suddenly seem to think that experience is so important- they do remember that he's running against John McCain, don't they?

Losing Argument

I guess this is what passes for Obama's enlightened era of "new politics"- Anderson Cooper asks Barack a simple question:

AC: Some Republican critics say, you don’t have the experience to handle a situation like this [Hurricane Gustav]. They’ve in fact said that Governor Palin has more executive experience as mayor of a small town and as governor of a big state like Alaska. What’s your response?

BO: Well, you know, my understanding is that, uh, Governor Palin’s town of Wasilly [sic] has, uh, 50 employees, uh, uh, we’ve got 2500, uh, in this campaign. I think their budget is maybe $12 million a year. Uh, uh, we have a budget of about three times that just for the month. Uh, so I think that, uh, our ability to manage large systems, uh, and to, uh, execute, uh, I think has been made clear over the last couple of years. Uh, and certainly, in terms of, uh, the legislation that I’ve passed just dealing with this issue post-Katrina, uh, of how we handle emergency management. The fact that, uh, many of my recommendations were adopted and are being put in place, uh, as we speak indicates to extent to which we can provide the kinds of support and good service that the American people expect.

Funny how painful it is to read Obama's eloquent speech, isn't it?

Anyway, note how Obama equates running a campaign with executive experience- a political campaign is just like the most powerful nation on Earth. Right? Wonder how his campaign manager- the man actually in charge of those staff and that budget- feels about Obama stealing co-opting his experience?

In short, by Obama's own terms Palin is significantly more experienced than he is. Read the link for more. If you can stand the uhs then watch the exchange here-

Attacking Democracy

Gateway Pundit has the details on leftist attacks on the Republican Convention.

Protesters harassed two state delegations in St. Paul to attend the Republican National Convention Monday. Someone threw a rock through the window as delegates from Alabama rode their bus to the Xcel Energy Center, where RNC events took place. And masked protesters confronted and harassed the Connecticut delegation — several of them were spat upon, roughed up and doused with a mixture of water and bleach.

Violent intimidation of their political opponents.

As the Connecticut delegation was getting off a bus near the Xcel Center, a group of protesters broke free from authorities and attacked the delegates.

Connecticut delegate Rob Simmons told FOX 9 that a group of protesters came toward his delegation and tried to rip the credentials off their necks and sprayed them with a toxic substance.

An 80 year old delegate was hospitalised. There's more-

Washington State's delegation was also attacked today when Leftists threw cement bags and sandbags from the overpass onto the busses traveling down the interstate.

So much for their supposed love of the democratic way and freedom of speech. Gateway Pundit has more coverage- make sure to check it out.

Touchy Subject?

I'm fast becoming addicted to The Corner and The Campaign Spot.

Sarah Palin's husband, Todd, was arrested for DUI back in back in 1986.

It occurred about seven years after Obama's last use of cocaine, to the best of our knowledge, and five years after his last use of marijuana.

I believe the correct term is, touché!

Can you imagine such a comment being made on the "fair and impartial" national TV services? Or how about this one-

For perspective, back in 1986, Barack Obama’s 22-year relationship with Jeremiah Wright was just beginning.

Potted History

Something of a companion piece to go with my last post. In response to a claim that Obama had been put through the wringer by the press for the past four years-

Really? Did I miss the 60 Minutes report on Obama's relationship with unrepentant terrorist Bill Ayers? The New York Times investigation into the deals Obama made with convicted felon Tony Rezko? The Dateline look at ACORN and what "community organizers" really do?

Dick Cheney has been put through the journalistic wringer. For Barack Obama it's been more like a journalistic shampoo, facial and massage.

The current argument that Palin is too inexperienced to be Vice President seems to be that everything she's ever done cannot possibly compare to the brilliance of Barack Obama's relentless pursuit of power campaign for President.

I must have missed the memo explaining that taking part in a popularity contest based on nebulous goals and outlandish promises of success, with nothing to indicate any capability of delivering on any of them, while aided and abetted by a willing media equated the ability to run the most powerful nation on Earth.

But there you go- winning the Democrat Primary is apparently better training for the White House than governing a whole State.

In A Nutshell

From a comment at Hot Air about Sarah Palin and her vetting process-

The fact that the Left has already slammed their bus into the Palin wall means no matter what turns up, she’s a major net positive unless it turn out she was mentored by a radical racist communist who was forced to leave the mainland, attended a racist church for 20 years or launched her career in the home of an unrepentant terrorist who’s group killed police officers, I wouldn’t worry too much about it.

Isn't it astonishing that the Democrats are hyping a man who did all these things as their candidate for President? All that and no executive experience and darned little experience accomplishing anything as Senator.

Seriously- what's that all about?

One past point- it's been a few days since Palin was announced and the media is in a frenzy trying to dig up some dirt on her.

Did they do anything like that with Obama?