March 27-29, 2007
Mar 27 08:04 Solution to the Crisis That Wasn't Mar 27 13:41 Pray For Tony Mar 27 14:10 Property Tax 'Relief', DFL Style Mar 28 11:44 Reid, Iran Win, Soldiers Lose Mar 29 03:29 The Real DFL Appears Mar 29 12:14 CAIR Backpedalling? Mar 29 13:43 Joe Lieberman Speaks Out Mar 29 14:07 Joe Repya: A Record Of Leadership Mar 29 15:23 A Letter To Ms. Pelosi
Prior Years: 2006
Solution to the Crisis That Wasn't
Neal Katyal has written an op-ed in the NY Times for the 'Crisis That Wasn't a Crisis'. His solution to this non-crisis? An independent prosecutor. No Thanks!!!
Today, the only way to get to the bottom of the United States attorney scandal, which involved the administration's firing of nearly 10 percent of America's top prosecutors, is to use these rules and appoint a special prosecutor. The nightmare has now come true.Look at Mr. Katyal's premise. He starts off by calling it a scandal, which it isn't. Then he throws in an ominous-sounding phrase "the administration's firing of nearly 10 percent of America's top prosecutors". He knows that they serve at the pleasure of the President. It's more than a little curious that a Clinton administration lawyer would attempt to lecture the Bush administration about ethics. Think of this as the Clintons attempting to turn a non-scandal into a scandal.
It is unclear whether any criminal wrongdoing has occurred in this case. Some administration critics claim obstruction of justice. Others, including Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, insist that no wrong was done. A sense of justice, and commitment to the American process, requires that we credit the explanation of our nation's chief law enforcement officer, but only until an independent investigation concludes its work and agrees. As 500-year-old bedrock legal principle dictates, no one can be a judge in his own cause, not even, of course, an attorney general.
The last thing America needs is another special prosecutor. We just got rid of the disaster that is Patrick Fitzgerald. We don't need another disaster. The fact is that the Clintons want a special prosecutor to look into this in the hopes of dragging Karl Rove before another grand jury. Think of this as another attempt by the NY Times to force their liberal agenda down our throats.
The special counsel regulations are not written with the presumption that someone is guilty, but create a process by which a case is evaluated fairly by a prosecutor. Bringing in a lawyer from outside the government ensures that the prosecutor harbors no desire to please his superiors.That's an explanation that only the most naive would buy. Did Patrick Fitzgerald start with the premise that the Bush administration was innocent? Of course he didn't. We know that he knew that Richard Armitage leaked the Plame information before ever starting his investigation. He knew that no crime had been committed. He started a witch hunt anyway. He started an investigation even though he could've examined all the relevant facts in a week. In fact, he could've told us that no crime had been committed at the end of that week.
We know that instead of doing that, he sought to create a crime.
Mr. Katyal is essentially saying that where there's smoke there's fire. The sad truth is that the only smoke here is the result of all the hot air from the Democrats' political hacks.
Republicans should be ruthless with anyone that tries to turn this into scandal. They should extract their pound of flesh from anyone that tries turning this non-event into a scandal.
Posted Tuesday, March 27, 2007 8:05 AM
No comments.
Pray For Tony
Tony Snow's cancer has spread. Tony is one of the genuinely good guys in Washington, articulate, courteous and feisty, not to mention one of the most knowledgeable men in politics.
That's why I'm asking LFR readers to keep Tony & his family in your prayers.
Posted Tuesday, March 27, 2007 1:41 PM
No comments.
Property Tax 'Relief', DFL Style
We can't afford the House DFL's plan to provide property tax relief. Here's what the DFL does to provide that relief:
Marquart's proposal would cost $543 million, most of which would come from a new, higher income tax rate on couples earning more than $400,000 a year. The new property tax relief money would spend:Listen to that opening statement. In order to provide any property tax relief, the DFL would create a new income tax rate on small businesses. It's a safe bet that alot of those small businesses won't stay in Minnesota. It's a guarantee that this insane-sized tax increase will drive many businesses out of business. House Tax Committee Chair Ann Lenczewski says that everyone would benefit from the House DFL plan. The property tax relief isn't guaranteed, though:
- $223 million to increase refunds.
- $133 million to lower school levies.
- $83 million to increase aids paid to local governments.
- $104 million to fill gaps while the property tax system changes.
However, that relief will not come if money is not available to fund it.In other words, the minute revenues sag, say like during a recession, the relief vanishes. This isn't a tax cut; it's a tax shift. This is worse that robbing Peter to pay Paul. It's more like robbing Peter & Paul & their employees to feed Education Minnesota.
Posted Tuesday, March 27, 2007 2:10 PM
No comments.
Reid, Iran Win, Soldiers Lose
That's what will happen if this vote stands:
Democratic-controlled Senate narrowly signaled support Tuesday for the withdrawal of U.S. combat troops from Iraq by next March, triggering an instant veto threat from the White House in a deepening dispute between Congress and commander in chief.President Bush will veto the legislation. After that, the House and Senate will have to figure out if they truly want to own defeat in Iraq or if they'll be responsible statesmen who care about American foreign policy. At this point, it's anybody's guess which way they'll go.
Republican attempts to scuttle the nonbinding timeline failed, 50-48, largely along party lines.
The vote marked the Senate's most forceful challenge to date of the administration's handling of a war that has claimed the lives of more than 3,200 U.S. troops. It came days after the House approved a binding withdrawal deadline of Sept. 1, 2008, and increased the likelihood of a veto confrontation this spring.
Posted Wednesday, March 28, 2007 11:49 AM
No comments.
The Real DFL Appears
According to this WC Trib article, the DFL is finally showing its true colors:
Income tax increases topping $500 million appear likely to pass the Minnesota Senate by week's end. Democratic-Farmer-Laborite senators want to bump up education funding anywhere between $500 million and $1 billion, and income taxes look like their chosen way to fund the bigger budgets. Decisions could be made today about just how to raise taxes, with the Senate Taxes Committee chairman suggesting they restore personal income taxes to 2001 levels.I predicted that the DFL couldn't resist increasing taxes when Mike Hatch accepted the DFL's gubernatorial nomination:
Hatch gave his task an initial shot in a rambling acceptance speech that punched some of the right buttons. He cast Pawlenty as too stingy with education, responsible for large class sizes and rising college tuition. He tagged him for an inadequate response to soaring health care costs and the emerging biosciences industry. He promised more state investment in those things. Significantly, he said, "we can do this without raising taxes."It isn't difficult to spot the dramatic shift in the DFL's tax policy. Anyone that's literate can tell the difference between the Senate DFL & Mike Hatch. Then again, most Republicans didn't believe Hatch when he made that speech. Which leads me to this point:
The DFL didn't run on increasing taxes. They ran as fiscal moderates. In fact, SOTH Margaret Anderson-Kelliher is quoted by the Strib as saying that:
"We're a fiscally moderate caucus," Kelliher said of the sprawling 85-member majority that now includes significant numbers of moderates from the suburbs, exurbs and rural areas.We can't afford this type of fiscal moderation, Ms. Kelliher.
Posted Thursday, March 29, 2007 3:29 AM
No comments.
CAIR Backpedalling?
Based on this response, I'd answer that CAIR is definitely in full backpedal. We have Dr. Zuhdi Jasser, and Gerry Nolting. We also owe Katherine Kersten a debt of gratitude, too, for her WSJ op-ed. Here's why I think CAIR is in full backpedal mode:
CAIR characterized the Becket Fund's letter as "misleading" and based on false allegations against the imams. In his letter to Becket Fund for Religious Liberty President Kevin J. Hasson, CAIR Executive Director Nihad Awad wrote in part:This is patently false. Omar Shahin, the most vocal of the six imams, lamented the fact that the only reason why they were removed from US Airways Flight 300 is because they were praying in the airport terminal:
"The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) would like to respond to your open letter dated March 23, 2007, regarding Shqeirat et. al. v. US Airways Group, Inc. et. al.
"We trust that the Becket Fund and CAIR share the same objective of upholding the Constitution and preventing violations of religious and civil rights.
"Unfortunately, your letter was misleading and mischaracterized the lawsuit brought against US Airways by the six imams. It appears you believe the false allegations promoted by irresponsible and unaccountable parties on the Internet that the imams and their lawyers intend to target "ordinary citizens" who were simply reporting suspicious activity.
"Mr. Omar Mohammedi, the attorney representing the imams, has repeatedly asserted that this is not the case. The only individuals against whom suit may be raised in this litigation are those who may have knowingly made false reports against the imams with the intent to discriminate against them.
"The imams will not sue any passengers who reported suspicious activity in good faith, even when the 'suspicious' behavior included the imams' constitutionally-protected right to practice their religion without fear or intimidation..."
"They took us off the plane, humiliated us in a very disrespectful way," said Omar Shahin, of Phoenix. The six Muslim scholars were returning from a conference in Minneapolis of the North American Imams Federation, said Shahin, president of the group. Five of them were from the Phoenix-Tempe area, while one was from Bakersfield, Calif., he said. Three of them stood and said their normal evening prayers together on the plane, as 1.7 billion Muslims around the world do every day, Shahin said. He attributed any concerns by passengers or crew to ignorance about Islam. "I never felt bad in my life like that," he said. "I never. Six imams. Six leaders in this country. Six scholars in handcuffs. It's terrible."Here's CAIR's reaction then:
"CAIR will be filing a complaint with relevant authorities in the morning over the treatment of the imams to determine whether the incident was caused by anti-Muslim hysteria by the passengers and/or the airline crew," Hooper said. "Because, unfortunately, this is a growing problem of singling out Muslims or people perceived to be Muslims at airports, and it's one that we've been addressing for some time."CAIR should keep in mind that we won't forget their lamentations about "flying while Muslim." We remember their accusations that the imams were being persecuted for praying in the terminal. If they believe that, then the pilots couldn't have known about it since they were already on the plane. I hope that the defendants' attorneys pursue an aggressive discovery strategy if it gets that far.
Posted Thursday, March 29, 2007 12:14 PM
No comments.
Joe Lieberman Speaks Out
Joe Lieberman has written an op-ed in today's edition of USA Today. Here's Sen. Lieberman's perspective on what's happening in Iraq:
Since taking command, Gen. Petraeus has been true to his word. The result? Sectarian violence is down in Baghdad. The radical cleric Muqtada al-Sadr has fled. The Mahdi Army, which terrorized Baghdad last year, appears to be splintering. And the Iraqi government, its spine stiffened thanks to our renewed support, is taking the critical steps for political reconciliation.In other words, conditions in Iraq are dramatically improving. The Democrats' reaction to that improvement has been predictable:
Amazingly, however, just at the moment things are at last beginning to look up in Iraq, a narrow majority in Congress has decided that it's time to force our military to retreat. Rather than supporting Gen. Petraeus, they are threatening to strip him of the troops he says he needs and sabotage his strategy.I'm thankful that Sen. Lieberman sticks to his beliefs. That's what happens when a man thinks things through instead of shifting because of the polls. It's obvious that Sen. Lieberman doesn't have much in common with his former colleagues anymore. It's equally obvious that that rift exists because Senate Democrats don't believe in victory. If they did, they'd be for giving Gen. Petraeus' plan a chance to work. As I've said before, Democrats political fortunes would plummet if we stabilized Iraq.
This is outrageous.
The deadline for retreat that Congress wants to impose is both arbitrary and inflexible. American troops would be forced to begin withdrawing regardless of conditions in Iraq, regardless of the recommendations of our military commanders, and regardless of what impact a hasty retreat would have on America's security and credibility, in short, regardless of reality.Weren't Democrats whining that President Bush wasn't "listening to the generals" this time last year? Anytime a general said anything negative about Iraq, the Democrats would accuse President Bush of ignoring that general. Now these same self-righteous Democrats aren't ignoring "a" general. They're telling "THE GENERAL" in Baghdad that they know better.
That's the definition of chutzpah. It's proof that Democrats are willing to ignore reality if it suits their needs at the time. I can't say that that's a surprise since some of the Democrats' leadership thinks that al Qa'ida will disappear if we leave:
JACK MURTHA (D), PENNSYLVANIA REPRESENTATIVE: People tend to say, well, if we leave there's going to be chaos. I don't believe that. Seventy-eight percent of the Iraqis say that's not going to happen, 78 percent of the Iraqis say it'll be, we're the ones that are causing this and al Qaeda's going to be,al Qaeda's going to disappear.The only way to stop the Democrats' insanity is to let them know in uncertain terms that they'll be staring at defeat if they insist of unilaterally declaring defeat in Iraq.
Posted Thursday, March 29, 2007 2:08 PM
No comments.
Joe Repya: A Record Of Leadership
Yesterday, Minnesota Republicans got a shot of good news when the Pi-Press let it be known that Col. Joe Repya intended to run against RPM Chairman Ron Carey:
Joe Repya, of Eagan, a former U.S. Army lieutenant colonel who came out of retirement in 2004 to volunteer for duty in Iraq, said Wednesday he will run for chairman of the Minnesota Republican Party this spring.A quick search of Col. Repya's record reveals that he's a leader with a list of accomplishments. Perhaps his most significant accomplishment is his most recent civilian accomplishments:
"I came back from two years of military service in early October to a Republican Party in Minnesota that is probably the most demoralized and factionalized that I've seen in the years I've lived here," Repya said. "It is in dire need of dynamic, exciting new leadership, and I can provide that."
He first appeared on the Minnesota political scene in 2003, when he and his wife, Deb, a St. Paul lawyer, formed a grass-roots organization to produce and distribute 30,000 "Support our troops" lawn signs. Later, he organized a Capitol rally to support the war in Iraq and started making frequent television appearances as a military analyst.Col. Joe is a man with a fire in his belly & a history of achieving whatever he sets his mind to. Col. Joe is a man who understands the value of grassroots activism. Col. Joe is a man who'll work hard to rebuild the GOP team. Col. Joe will credit that team in victory instead of blaming others in defeat. Can we say those things about Ron Carey? I think not.
In 2004, he served as Minnesota co-chairman of Veterans for Bush-Cheney, spoke to veterans groups across the nation on behalf of the president's campaign and led the Pledge of Allegiance to open the Republican National Convention.
That's why it's my opinion that WE CAN'T DO BETTER THAN COL. JOE REPYA!!!
Posted Thursday, March 29, 2007 4:21 PM
Comment 1 by Jack Tuzinski at 30-Mar-07 04:03 PM
Dear Joe Repys,
I spoke on the need to have good video to get messages out to voters in Eagan last month. In todays Pioneer Press March 30. on the front page an article on results using YouTube were given. If you do become the chairman of the GOP then you need to know that our system of quality video vs YouTube is very important. I have given Ron Carey more info. but you may be the one who will need to use it. I will keep you informed. We need to win back MN in the next election. Please contact me so I can keep you up to date.
Jack Tuzinski 651-238-7605
Comment 2 by Dan at 02-Apr-07 01:51 AM
"WE CAN'T DO BETTER THAN COL. JOE REPYA!!!"
That's a pretty strong endorsement. Personally, I don't know that yet, but I'd go so far as to say, "We CAN do better than Ron Carey."
Looking forward to the ensuing debate.
Comment 3 by RALEIGH PLESKO at 16-Apr-07 06:24 AM
This response is unsolicited.
Joe Repya was a classmate of mine at Emerson High school in Gary, Indiana.
He was respected by all who knew him whether student or teacher.
There is nothing but honesty, integrity, commitment and patriotism in Joe Reya!
Minnesota is lucky to have a caring patriotic resident like Joe Repya!
Raleigh Plesko
1966 Emerson graduate
Valparaiso, IN
Comment 4 by Bill Jones at 16-Apr-07 11:25 AM
4-16-07
I'm a Viet vet also.
I like winning as much as Joe.
I hate our country being led into
unnecessary/stupid wars.
I marvel at succeeding generations
forgetting the lessons of the past.
I disliked being called names back
in 2001/2/3 when I publicly questioned the validity of what
our leaders were doing.
I pity the folks that are now bitching about the cost and duration of the military efforts
in Afganistan and Iraq. They sure
were having one hell of a good time
waving flags in 2001/2/3 and eager
to send their young people into
a killing war.
Bill Jones
A Letter To Ms. Pelosi
The House GOP leadership team has essentially sent a letter to Ms. Pelosi, urging her to not recess the House as planned:
Today House Democrats will vote to pass the largest tax increase in American history, raising taxes on middle class families and small businesses - and then they'll vote to leave town for two weeks, without passing a clean war spending bill that funds American troops in harm's way.While this letter was sent to GOP representatives, the message is clear: the House GOP will oppose Pelosi's Democrats a clean getaway if they don't first fund the troops. This puts it all on the Democrats' shoulders. If they leave without funding the troops, Republicans will belittle them in every swing district across the nation. They'll make House Democrats feel like this is the longest two week recess in history.
With astonishing speed, House Democrats have confirmed for the American people that they are exactly who we thought they were when they took over the Capitol three months ago. They're raising taxes on middle class families, and spending billions of dollars on pork-barrel projects the American people don't want. They're providing billions of dollars in funding for projects the American people didn't ask for, while denying precious funds and support to American troops overseas who are putting their lives on the line for our freedom. And now, having accomplished all this, they're going to reward themselves with a two-week vacation.
House Republicans must stand united against this, and we will. We urge you to vote NO on the Democrats' adjournment resolution today. Congress should not leave town without passing a clean war spending bill that gives our troops the full support they need to accomplish their mission and return home safely.
Sincerely,
Rep. John Boehner (R-OH)
Republican Leader
Rep. Roy Blunt (R-MO)
Republican Whip
Rep. Adam Putnam (R-FL)
Conference Chairman
Rep. Eric Cantor (R-VA)
Chief Deputy Whip
In addition to highlighting the Democrats' irresponsibility on national security, the House leadership is also highlighting the Democrats' pro tax increase disposition. In other words, the House GOP leadership have sharpened the debate by giving activists something to fight for. Now it's time that the activists started getting behind these guys by writing letters to the editor, selling the GOP's pro-victory, pro-security agenda to their co-workers, neighbors and friends.
It's also a time to let Ms. Pelosi and her minions know that they'll have hell to pay at the polls in November, 2008 if they don't start getting serious about stabilizing Iraq. It's time that they know we expect them to give Gen. Petraeus' plan a chance to work. Finally, it's time we told them that they can't continue pretending that Gen. Petraeus hasn't devised and implemented a new strategy and that the new strategy isn't working.
We The People demand the truth. We The People demand real leadership based on verifiable facts. We The People demand that 'politics by diatribe' stops this instant.
Posted Thursday, March 29, 2007 4:22 PM
No comments.
