I have decided to start a new website  JB's Corner. For a while, I will still post from time to time here. But it will not be regular posting. Go on over to my new site and check it out.

It seems there is an Iranian plan to launch a summer offensive in Iraq:

Iran is secretly forging ties with al-Qaida elements and Sunni Arab militias in Iraq in preparation for a summer showdown with coalition forces intended to tip a wavering US Congress into voting for full military withdrawal, US officials say.

"Iran is fighting a proxy war in Iraq and it's a very dangerous course for them to be following. They are already committing daily acts of war against US and British forces," a senior US official in Baghdad warned. "They [Iran] are behind a lot of high-profile attacks meant to undermine US will and British will, such as the rocket attacks on Basra palace and the Green Zone [in Baghdad]. The attacks are directed by the Revolutionary Guard who are connected right to the top [of the Iranian government]."The official said US commanders were bracing for a nationwide, Iranian-orchestrated summer offensive, linking al-Qaida and Sunni insurgents to Tehran's Shia militia allies, that Iran hoped would trigger a political mutiny in Washington and a US retreat. "We expect that al-Qaida and Iran will both attempt to increase the propaganda and increase the violence prior to Petraeus's report in September [when the US commander General David Petraeus will report to Congress on President George Bush's controversial, six-month security "surge" of 30,000 troop reinforcements]," the official said.

How long are we going to let Iran attack us without returning the favor? I hope it comes before they develop a nuclear weapon.

I have not been very happy with the GOP for a while now. When Bush won in 2000 I was excited. I waited and waited over the next several years for the conservatives to begin turning this country around. I agree with Bush on the War, on tax cuts, as well as other topics. How the GOP cannot see they lost the last elections  due to the fact they are spending way too much money. This Immigration bill is going to hurt them even more. I will not vote for any candidate that supports this bill. I am not alone:



Anti-Itdiotarian Rottweiler:

My only regret is that I can’t withhold my vote from McSwine, because he wasn’t ever going to get it anyway. But as far as the rest of the RINO ratweasels endorsing this sellout of America and conservative principles goes, you can go pound sand too. And that goes for the entire GOP if this travesty of a Bill passes in any shape, form or fashion.


Ace of Spades:

Write, call, and fax your Congressmen and Senators -- especially Republican ones -- and let them know you will never vote for them or their party again should the immigration bill actually pass.

And let them know that you don't particularly trust them on national security, spending, or taxes either, so they won't wrongly believe those trump cards will still win the hand for them. Let them know if this isn't scuttled -- if the border isn't secured first, verifiably, before any amnesty legislation passes -- you will no longer vote for, volunteer for, or donate to any Republican candidate for any office ever again.

Confederate Yankee:

There is no "if, then" here. There are no longer any conditionals left. I'm simple done with today's iteration of the "Grand Old Party." This amnesty bill was merely the straw that broke the camel's back.

I've just downloaded and printed my North Carolina Voter Registration Application/Update form.

There are many others but you get the picture.

The news coming out about the Senate GOP going along with this bill saddens me. I am truly at a loss for words. So, I'll see what a few other bloggers are saying:



John Hawkins:

Next week, I'd suggest you make sure to pack an umbrella because you're going to be hearing from a lot of Republican Senators who are going to be peeing all over your leg and trying to tell you that it's raining.

Bull Dog Pundit:



Well, this is really no surprise. President Bush, and many GOP Senators have granted amnesty - no matter what Arlen Specter or anyone else tells you - to millions of lawbreakers who entered the country illegally.

This is an utter and complete disgrace. Have any of these pro-amnesty politicians ever once considered the economic cost of making over 10 million people eligible for Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, Food Stamps, WIC, and all of the welfare programs we have.


Follow the links at these sites.

More fighting in Gaza:


Israel bombed a Hamas headquarters in the heart of Gaza City on Thursday as rival Palestinian factions clashed again in the unruly territory wracked by days of deadly internecine bloodshed.

An Israeli aircraft fired at the headquarters of a Hamas paramilitary force, killing one person, wounding 30 others and destroying the two-storey building after Israel vowed to hit militants firing rockets from the territory.

Israel's actions threatened to further exacerbate tensions in Gaza, riven by five days of gunbattles and reprisal attacks between rival Fatah and Hamas fighters that has stoked fears of a civil war and driven the coalition cabinet to the brink of collapse.






Update: It seems the reason for these attacks were not covered very well by the MSM:

CBNNews.com - JERUSALEM, Israel - Palestinian terrorists in Gaza launched at least 11 Kassam rockets at the besieged Israeli city of Sderot Thursday, hitting a high school and a greenhouse in another Israeli community in the western Negev. Scores of rockets have fallen in the area this week, forcing thousands of residents to seek shelter elsewhere.

Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has promised a "harsh and severe" response to the rocket attacks, which could include the renewal of targeted assassinations of terrorist groups in Gaza or eventually even a military reinvasion of the Gaza Strip.

Two rockets hit the high school in the Shaar HaNegev Regional Council as students met in fortified classrooms to take their matriculation exams in mathematics.

The Kassams damaged an unfortified section of the building and lightly injured two people. Several others suffered shock.

Alon Shuster, head of the Shaar HaNegev Regional Council, said students were instructed to remain in the fortified rooms.

"Only students who had to take their matriculation exams came to school today, and they were place in fortified classrooms," said Shuster.

 

 The Senate Republicans are about ready to fold. Hugh Hewitt has the talking points from the GOP.

Here is his opinion of these talking points:


 Four pages of crap


After reading them I have no reason to disagree.

In a move to get something, anything passed the Speaker has threatened to change House rules that have stood since 1822:



After losing a string of embarrassing votes on the House floor because of procedural maneuvering, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi has decided to change the current House Rules to completely shut down the floor to the minority.



Those Democrats, just when you think they could not sink lower.


Update: Republicans are " shutting down the house":



House Republicans are shutting down the floor, because the Democrats are threatening to change a rule and deny Republicans any opportunity to offer a motion to recommit on the "paygo" provisions of their legislation. That’s a lot of wonky talk; bottom line - the Democrats are preventing their Members from having to vote on the tax increases that they are trying to impose on the American People.

UPDATE: Rep. Westmoreland just moved for a recorded quorum call, then a motion that the committee will rise. Expect to see more of these…

I always have liked Mr. Bolton. He is not afraid to speak the truth:

Iran should be attacked before it develops nuclear weapons, America's former ambassador to the United Nations said yesterday.

John Bolton, who still has close links to the Bush administration, told The Daily Telegraph that the European Union had to "get more serious" about Iran and recognize that its diplomatic attempts to halt Iran's enrichment programme had failed.

Iran has "clearly mastered the enrichment technology now...they're not stopping, they're making progress and our time is limited", he said. Economic sanctions "with pain" had to be the next step, followed by attempting to overthrow the theocratic regime and, ultimately, military action to destroy nuclear sites.

Mr Bolton's stark warning appeared to be borne out yesterday by leaks about an inspection by the UN's International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) of Iran's main nuclear installation at Natanz on Sunday.

The experts found that Iran's scientists were operating 1,312 centrifuges, the machines used to enrich uranium. If Iran can install 3,000, it will need about one year to produce enough weapons grade uranium for one nuclear bomb.



Read the article. In my opinion it is the most pressing issue of our future. Iran is not going away. They are not slowing down. The time to act is now.

From James Inhofe's blog. Posted by Mark Morano:



Scientists Reverse Belief in Man-made Global Warming - Now Skeptics

Growing Number of Scientists Convert to Skeptics After Reviewing New Research

Following the U.S. Senate's vote today on a global warming measure (see today's AP article: Senate Defeats Climate Change Measure,) it is an opportune time to examine the recent and quite remarkable momentum shift taking place in climate science. Many former believers in catastrophic man-made global warming have recently reversed themselves and are now climate skeptics.  The names included below are just a sampling of the prominent scientists who have spoken out recently to oppose former Vice President Al Gore, the United Nations, and the media driven “consensus” on man-made global warming. 

The list below is just the tip of the iceberg.  A more detailed and comprehensive sampling of scientists who have only recently spoken out against climate hysteria will be forthcoming in a soon to be released U.S. Senate report. Please stay tuned to this website, as this new government report is set to redefine the current climate debate.

A sample of the scientists on the list:



Geophysicist Dr. Claude Allegre, a top geophysicist and French Socialist who has authored more than 100 scientific articles and written 11 books and received numerous scientific awards including the Goldschmidt Medal from the Geochemical Society of the United States, converted from climate alarmist to skeptic in 2006.

Geologist Bruno Wiskel of the University of Alberta recently reversed his view of man-made climate change and instead became a global warming skeptic.

Astrophysicist Dr. Nir Shaviv, one of Israel's top young award winning scientists, recanted his belief that manmade emissions were driving climate change.

Mathematician & engineer Dr. David Evans, who did carbon accounting for the Australian Government, recently detailed his conversion to a skeptic.

Climate researcher Dr. Tad Murty, former Senior Research Scientist for Fisheries and Oceans in Canada, also reversed himself from believer in man-made climate change to a skeptic.

Botanist Dr. David Bellamy, a famed UK environmental campaigner, former lecturer at Durham University and host of a popular UK TV series on wildlife, recently converted into a skeptic after reviewing the science and now calls global warming fears "poppycock."

Climate scientist Dr. Chris de Freitas of The University of Auckland, N.Z., also converted from a believer in man-made global warming to a skeptic.

Meteorologist Dr. Reid Bryson, the founding chairman of the Department of Meteorology at University of Wisconsin (now the Department of Oceanic and Atmospheric Sciences, was pivotal in promoting the coming ice age scare of the 1970’s ( See Time Magazine’s 1974 article “Another Ice Age” citing Bryson: & see Newsweek’s 1975 article “The Cooling World” citing Bryson) has now converted into a leading global warming skeptic.

Global warming author and economist Hans H.J. Labohm started out as a man-made global warming believer but he later switched his view after conducting climate research. 



A few more are listed at the link.

 Is this torture?

WASHINGTON —  An accused enemy combatant held at Guantanamo Bay told a military hearing he was physically as well as mentally tortured there by having to read a newsletter full of 'crap,' being forced to use unscented deodorant and shampoo and having to play sports with a ball that would not bounce.

Majid Khan of Pakistan denied any connection to Al Qaeda and said he was tortured and his family hounded by U.S. authorities, according to a redacted transcript released Tuesday by the Pentagon.

Khan told an April 15 hearing called to determine whether he was rightly classified as an "enemy combatant" that he also had his baby pictures taken from him, that cleaners left marks on his cell walls and that detainees have no DVD players or other entertainment.


Read it all. This guy was a dirtbag.

Via Red State.

Great stuff.

The answer to this is - all the way. They will stop at nothing short of destroying Israel and the US. We can hope they change. We can pray they change. We can stick our head in the sand and pretend they have changed. We know they have not, nor will they change.

There is a good post on the subject at Atlas Shrugs.

Read all the links at her post.

A few that caught my eye:

Iran closer on Nuclear effort.
Is Iran's Nuclear Program unstoppable? 

Byron York at the corner has a post up show the results of a new Gallop poll:



In a new Gallup poll, just 29 percent of those surveyed say they approve of the way Congress is handling its job, versus 64 percent who disapprove. 



The 29 percent approval rating is four points below President Bush's 33 percent approval rating in the new poll.



I am glad to see the people give the "ethical"  Democrats what they deserve. 

I have read a lot of comments about Fred being rusty, or unimpressive. I think he has a grasp on what he needs to do. I have been waiting a long time for someone I can vote for because I think they "get it" so to say. I think he does. He still has plenty of time to deliver the "star" performance a lot of people expect. Personally, I enjoy a candidate that gives a modest speech about the way he feels about the issues. We have too many candidates trying not to discuss the way they feel about the issues. Fred is not afraid to do this:

One thing about folks knowing you are going to speak at the Council for National Policy, you get lots of advice as to what to say. A lot of good advice. Good talking points. In fact enough for several speeches. Also, some of your friends, knowing that you are thinking about running for President, urge you to give a rousing campaign speech

Hopefully there will be an opportunity to do all of those things but tonight instead of all of that, I want to talk a little about what should be the origin of all those talking points. This would be the principles on which they are based — first principles. The principles you have been defending since 1981.

For Americans, these are found in the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence. They include a recognition of God and the fact there are certain rights that come from Him and not the government. They are based upon a respect for the wisdom of the ages, and a belief that human beings are prone to err; that too much power must never rest in too few hands. The result is a system of checks and balances and a separation of powers that flow from our guiding documents and from the rule of law.




All this of course, reminds us of what Washington has become and why more good people are not coming into public service. Add to that the bitter divisiveness on Capitol Hill with regard to all things large and small, and you can almost see Americans throwing up their hands. They’ve got to be wondering, how are today’s leaders going to lead us with regard to all these difficult issues if they can’t even agree on fundamentals — things that are supposed to bind us together.

Some of you may think that this is not a very optimistic outlook. I’m reminded of something my Daddy used to say: A man who walks around smiling all the time can’t possibly know what’s going on. However, I am optimistic. I think we all are. But as Americans, our optimism comes not from an analysis of how things are, but from our belief that we can change what we see for the better.

We have road maps — at least two of them in fact — the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution — to guide us. How can we look at the world without thinking about inalienable rights, and doing everything necessary to protect our country? How can we think of fiscal policy or even health-care policy without remembering the limitations appropriately placed upon government and the importance of individual freedom?

This is a message that needs to be delivered. The people in this room have been delivering it for a long time. We must rededicate ourselves to this commitment and to the magnificent legacy we have been given. And I am honored to join you in this effort. Thank you.


Read the whole article here.

Run, Fred, Run.

Sayet describes how liberals think:

What I discovered is that the Modern Liberal looks back on 50,000 years, 100,000 years of human civilization, and knows only one thing for sure: that none of the ideas that mankind has come up with--none of the religions, none of the philos­ophies, none of the ideologies, none of the forms of government--have succeeded in creating a world devoid of war, poverty, crime, and injustice. So they're convinced that since all of these ideas of man have proved to be wrong, the real cause of war, pov­erty, crime, and injustice must be found--can only be found--in the attempt to be right.

If nobody ever thought they were right, what would we disagree about? If we didn't disagree, surely we wouldn't fight. If we didn't fight, of course we wouldn't go to war. Without war, there would be no poverty; without poverty, there would be no crime; without crime, there would be no injustice. It's a utopian vision, and all that's required to usher in this utopia is the rejection of all fact, reason, evi­dence, logic, truth, morality, and decency--all the tools that you and I use in our attempts to be better people, to make the world more right by trying to be right, by siding with right, by recognizing what is right and moving toward it.

EVAN SAYET: I call myself a 9/13 Republican. I grew up a liberal New York Jew; you don't get much more liberal than that--although it was lower-case "l," not what's considered Liberal today. I graduated from high school knowing only one thing about politics: that Democrats are good and Republicans are evil.

I tell a story. It's not a true story, but it helps crys­tallize my thinking that brought me to become a conservative. I say: Imagine being in a restaurant with an old friend, and you're catching up, and suddenly he blurts out, "I hate my wife." You chuckle to yourself because he says it every time you're together, and you know he doesn't hate his wife; they've been together for 35 years. He loves his daughters, and they're just like her. No, he doesn't hate his wife.

So you're having dinner, and you look out the window and spot his wife, and she's being beaten up right outside the restaurant. You grab your friend and say, "Come on, let's help her. Let's help your wife," and he says, "Nah, I'm sure she deserves it." At that moment, it dawns on you: He really does hate his wife.

That's what 9/11 was to me. For years and years I'd hear my friends from the Left say how evil and horrible and racist and imperialistic and oppressive America is, and I'd chuckle to myself and think, "Oh, they always say that; they love America." Then on 9/11, we were beaten up, and when I grabbed them by the collar, and I said, "Come on, let's help her. Let's help America," and they said, "Nah, she deserves it."

At that moment, I realized: They really do hate America. And that began me on what's now a five-plus-year quest to try to understand the mindset. How could you possibly live in the freest nation in the history of the world and see only oppression? How could you live in the least imperialist power in human history and see us as the ultimate in imperi­alism? How could you live in the least bigoted nation in human history and, as Joe Biden said, "see racism lurking in every dark shadow"?



Please, read the entire article, here. Its a little long, but well worth it.