Publius Forum

Saturday, September 20, 2008

FDR=Franklin Delano Raines

A friend of mine e-mailed to me this information that was in Wikipedia before it mysteriously disappeared, as most negative things about Obama seem to do. I thought it would be cool to share it with you. NOTHING HAS BEEN CHANGED as to the contents that WAS on Wikipedia.

Jump to: navigation, search.

Franklin Delano Raines (born January 14, 1949 in Seattle, Washington) is the former chairman and chief executive officer of Fannie Mae who served as White House budget director under President Bill Clinton.

The son of a Seattle janitor [1], Raines graduated from Harvard University, Harvard Law School; and Magdalen College, Oxford University as a Rhodes Scholar. Raines was of age during the Vietnam War, but performed no military service. He served in the Carter Administration as associate director for economics and government in the Office of Management and Budget and assistant director of the White House Domestic Policy Staff from 1977 to 1979. Then he joined Lazard Freres and Co., where he worked for 11 years and became a general partner. In 1991 he became Fannie's Mae's Vice Chairman, a post he left in 1996 in order to join the Clinton Administration as the Director of the U.S. Office of Management and Budget, where he served until 1998. In 1999, he returned to Fannie Mae as CEO, "the first black man to head a Fortune 500 company."[1]

On December 21, 2004 Raines accepted what he called "early retirement" [2] from his position as CEO while U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission investigators continued to investigate alleged accounting irregularities. He is accused by The Office of Federal Housing Enterprise Oversight (OFHEO), the regulating body of Fannie Mae, of abetting widespread accounting errors, which included the shifting of losses so senior executives, such as himself, could earn large bonuses [3].

In 2006, the OFHEO announced a suit against Raines in order to recover some or all of the $50 million in payments made to Raines based on the overstated earnings [4] initially estimated to be $9 billion but have been announced as 6.3 billion.[2].

Civil charges were filed against Raines and two other former executives by the OFHEO in which the OFHEO sought $110 million in penalties and $115 million in returned bonuses from the three accused.[5] On April 18, 2008, the government announced a settlement with Raines together with J. Timothy Howard, Fannie's former chief financial officer, and Leanne G. Spencer, Fannie's former controller. The three executives agreed to pay fines totaling about $3 million, which will be paid by Fannie's insurance policies. Raines also agreed to donate the proceeds from the sale of $1.8 million of his Fannie stock and to give up stock options. The stock options however have no value. Raines also gave up an estimated $5.3 million of "other benefits" said to be related to his pension and forgone bonuses.[6]

An editorial in The Wall Street Journal called it a "paltry settlement" which allowed Raines and the other two executives to "keep the bulk of their riches." [7] In 2003 alone, Raines's compensation was over $20 million.[3]

A statement issued by Raines said of the consent order, "is consistent with my acceptance of accountability as the leader of Fannie Mae and with my strong denial of the allegations made against me by OFHEO."[4]

In a settlement with OFHEO and the Securities and Exchange Commission, Fannie paid a record $400 million civil fine. Fannie, which is the largest American financier and guarantor of home mortgages, also agreed to make changes in its corporate culture and accounting procedures and ways of managing risk. [8]

In June 2008 The Wall Street Journal reported that Franklin Raines was one of several public officials who received below market rates loans at Countrywide Financial because the corporation considered the officeholders "FOA's"--"Friends of Angelo" (Countrywide Chief Executive Angelo Mozilo). He received loans for over $3 million while CEO of Fannie Mae. [5]

On July 16, 2008, The Washington Post reported that Franklin Raines had "taken calls from Barack Obama's presidential campaign seeking his advice on mortgage and housing policy matters." [9]. Also, in an editorial in August 27, 2008 titled "Tough Decision Coming", the Washington Post editorial staff claimed that "Two members of Mr. Obama's political circle, James A. Johnson and Franklin D. Raines, are former chief executives of Fannie Mae." [10]

On September 18, 2008 John McCain's Campaign, in an ad critical of Obama, quoted the Washington Post to claim that Franklin Raines advises Barack Obama on economic matters. Both Raines and the Obama Campaign claim that Raines is not an Obama advisor and has never advised Senator Obama. [11].

[edit] Notes
  • ^ Charles Whitaker, Franklin Raines: First Black Head of a Fortune 500 Corporation -- Fannie Mae, Ebony (April 2001)

  • ^ untitled

  • ^ Fannie Mae Liberals

  • ^ Top Financial News

  • ^ Countrywide Friends Got Good Loans

  • [edit] External links

    Hat tip: Rurik - Veteran-American Voices.

    May you walk with the LORD always, and when you cannot take another step, may He carry you the rest of the way until you can walk along side Him again.
    Linkfest Haven, the Blogger's Oasis

    Today I am having a Linkfest party for all my friends - the ones I know and the ones I will come to know. If you have a post you would like to share, why not trackpost it here? All you have to do is add my Permalink somewhere in your article (usually at the bottom), then trackback to it. You don't have trackbacks available? Why not use Wizbang Stand Alone Trackback? Everyone have a nice day.

    Friends who have shared their posts for your reading pleasure:
    1. Blog @ MoreWhat.com - Heather Mills’ Million Dollar Vegan Fest.
    2. D=S VIDEO DUMP - a day at the range with Rush Limbaugh.
    3. Mark My Words - Obama continues his infanticide lies.
    4. Mark My Words - Obama continues his infanticide lies.
    5. Adam's Blog - The $700 Billion Bailout.
    6. Woman Honor Thyself - Poor, Lazy People.
    7. Mark My Words - Anti-Palin campaign is a grassroots effort?
    8. Take Our Country Back - The Federal Bail Out - Thanks But No Thanks.
    9. Leaning Straight Up - Racism Straight Up.
    10. Mark My Words - Obama cockroaches running for cover?
    11. third world county - "Are You Too Stupid to Vote?"
    12. Cao's Blog - TAKE THE POLL!
    13. Woman Honor Thyself - Terror attack in Jerusalem.
    14. Mark My Words - DailyKos erasing history.
    15. Woman Honor Thyself - Sarah Palin Disinvited by “JINO’s”.

    Cross-posted @ Rosemary's News and Ideas. Digg! Digg!

    Friday, September 19, 2008

    Founders' Daily Quote: 19 Sept 08

    "The ordaining of laws in favor of one part of the nation, to the prejudice and oppression of another, is certainly the most erroneous and mistaken policy. An equal dispensation of protection, rights, privileges, and advantages, is what every part is entitled to, and ought to enjoy."

    --Benjamin Franklin (Emblematical Representations, Circa 1774); Reference: The Works of Benjamin Franklin, Sparks, ed. (457)

    This would be a wonderful country to live in if the government you left for us did not have so many holes in it. The corruption of the servants has become so severe that we cannot even talk to them let alone convince them to change their minds. They do not keep the oaths they take to serve as representatives for us.

    Do you remember the Boston Tea Party? Well, they are taxing us way more than that 1%! It is almost 50% for those that produce goods, and the people who do not want to work or make as much money demand that they get to grab some of that money. I am no longer recognizing my beloved country. But thanks for trying...

    Cross-posted @ Rosemary's News and Ideas.

    May you walk with the LORD always, and when you cannot take another step, may He carry you the rest of the way until you can walk along side Him again.

    Friends I have trackposted to so you may read their fabulous posts: Potbelly Stove - Palin should avoid anti-Iran rally, Mark My Words - Obama lies and inflames racial fears.

    Trackback URL. [Right click, 'Copy Shortcut', paste to trackback provider.]

    Thursday, September 18, 2008

    PBS Poll: Do You Think Sarah Is Qualified To Be VP?

    PBS is having an online poll, and they are asking people if they think Gov. Palin is qualified to become Vice President of the US. Right now the votes stand at 45% yes, 54% no. Let's turn this thing around! I've already voted, now it is your turn. Let's push it over the 50% mark, and possibly the 60%! Will you help? It only takes a second, and you do not even have to sign in. Come on! Thanks. (Here is the link: Poll-Vote NOW.)

    May you walk with the LORD always, and when you cannot take another step, may He carry you the rest of the way until you can walk along side Him again.

    Linkfest Haven, the Blogger's Oasis

    Today I am having a Linkfest party for all my friends - the ones I know and the ones I will come to know. If you have a post you would like to share, why not trackpost it here? All you have to do is add my Permalink somewhere in your article (usually at the bottom), then trackback to it. You don't have trackbacks available? Why not use Wizbang Stand Alone Trackback? Everyone have a nice day.

    Friends I have trackbacked to through Linkfest's Open Trackback and others: Blog @ MoreWhat.com: Open Trackback Linkfest Haven Thursday (server downtime delayed), Pirate's Cove: Things That Upset Muslims: DVD’s Highlighting Their Violence.

    Friends who have shared their posts for your reading pleasure:
    1. Right Truth: A Better Country: Why America Was Right To Confront Iraq - a review.
    2. Beagle Scout: How do you solve a problem like Maria?
    3. Take Our Country Back: American Politics and The Whiners On the Left Part.
    4. Blog @ MoreWhat.com: Pelosi’s Tired Old Blame Game.
    5. Mark My Words: Holy Gibson.
    6. Potbelly Stove: Palin should avoid anti-Iran rally.
    7. Mark My Words: Obama lies and inflames racial fears.

    Cross-posted @ Rosemary's News and Ideas. Digg! Digg!

    Founders' Daily Quote: 18 Sept 08

    "The bosom of America is open to receive not only the Opulent and respectable Stranger, but the oppressed and persecuted of all Nations and Religions; whom we shall welcome to a participation of all our rights and privileges, if by decency and propriety of conduct they appear to merit the enjoyment."

    --George Washington (Address to the Members of the Volunteer Association of Ireland, 2 December 1783)

    Reference: George Washington, Address to the Members of the Volunteer Association of Ireland, December 2, 1783.

    I agree. That is why we used to have a policy that if someone broke our moral codes or our laws, they were permanently escorted out of the USA...NEVER to return again. So what do we do now that our politicians are counting more on their votes than those of their constituents?

    Cross-posted @ Rosemary's News and Ideas.

    May you walk with the LORD always, and when you cannot take another step, may He carry you the rest of the way until you can walk along side Him again.

    Trackback URL. [Right click, 'Copy Shortcut', paste to trackback provider.]

    Wednesday, September 17, 2008

    Marines turn command outpost into youth center

    by Lance Cpl. Paul Torres
    Regimental Combat Team 5

    ANAH, Iraq (Sept. 8, 2008) — A virtue of a good guest is to leave things better than you found them. Coalition forces have been working hard since the demilitarization of Command Outpost Ocataw in Anah to refurbish the building back into a building that could be used by the community.

    The stage of the new youth center in Anah, Iraq, is lined with flags of Iraq as members of the community gathered to celebrate the grand opening, Aug. 30, 2008. The center had been previously used as a military outpost by coalition forces.Key leaders gathered Aug. 30 to celebrate the grand opening of the Anah youth center and to officially open its services to the community. “The center is important for the people in Anah,” said Ganem Tawfiq Shakir, the mayor Anah. “It was used by coalition forces in the past, but with the help of embedded Provincial Reconstruction Team and Civil Affairs, it will provide a place to hold many activities for the community.”

    Over two months of work was put into repairing the floors, plumbing, electricity and other repairs to fix the building so that it could be used by the people here.

    “We are right now using the building to celebrate Ramadan, and in the summer, we have plans to use it for sports classes such as boxing and tae kwon do,” said Shakir. “We are also going to use the center for educational classes and the school can use the main room for public speakers to come and teach.”

    The ceremony included speeches from key leaders within the Anah government and coalition forces. “After the mayor cut the ribbon, coalition forces officially handed over [the building] to the community,” said 1st Lt. Daniel M. Thomas, of Santa Barbara, Calif., who is the team leader with Civil Affairs Team 5, Detachment 1, 2nd Battalion, 11th Marine Regiment, Regimental Combat Team 5.

    A group of about 20 to 30 boys attended the grand opening to represent the youth. The center is being supplied with basketballs, footballs, table tennis and billiard tables to give the town children a safe place to spend time and stay out of trouble.

    “The youth center will be a place where kids can go that will have facilities and equipment they wouldn’t otherwise have access to,” said Sgt.Vaughn E. Ball, of Hamer, Idaho, a civil affairs Marine with CA Team 5.

    After the ceremony, the Marines with CA Team 5 handed out soccer balls that had been donated by the Kick for Nick foundation to the children, a foundation started in memory of Army Pfc. Nick Madaras. Madaras was killed, Sept. 3, 2006, in Iraq by an improvised explosive device.

    With the Anah youth center now open and have and a safe place to have fun, the children of Anah have even more reason to be happy.

    The stage of the new youth center in Anah, Iraq, is lined with flags of Iraq as members of the community gathered to celebrate the grand opening, Aug. 30, 2008. The center had been previously used as a military outpost by coalition forces.

    Source: CENTCOM.

    May you walk with the LORD always, and when you cannot take another step, may He carry you the rest of the way until you can walk along side Him again.

    Linkfest Haven, the Blogger's Oasis

    Today I am having a Linkfest party for all my friends - the ones I know and the ones I will come to know. If you have a post you would like to share, why not trackpost it here? All you have to do is add my Permalink somewhere in your article (usually at the bottom), then trackback to it. You don't have trackbacks available? Why not use Wizbang Stand Alone Trackback? Everyone have a nice day.

    Friends I have trackbacked to through Linkfest and others: Conservative Cat - EMAIL Wars: the Terrible Truth About Joe Biden, Beagle Scout - Do-Nothing Pelosi Congress Thinks We are all Idiots, Right Voices - Acorn, Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, Barack Obama’s Finance Chair-Penny Pritzker, All Tied To The Sub-Prime Meltdown, Leaning Straight Up - Obama caught asking Iraq to delay troop pull out, Blog @ MoreWhat.com - Open Trackback Linkfest Haven Thursday (server downtime delayed), Right Truth - A Better Country: Why America Was Right To Confront Iraq - a review, The World According To Carl - BREAKING NEWS: This Blog (The World According To Carl) Is Now FOUR Years Old!, Pirate's Cove - Things That Upset Muslims: DVD’s Highlighting Their Violence.

    Cross-posted @ Rosemary's News and Ideas. Digg! Digg!

    Petraeus pays visit to troops in Anbar

    by Lance Cpl. Joshua Murray
    Regimental Combat Team 5

    CAMP GANNON, Iraq (Sept. 7, 2008) – When the MV-22 Osprey landed, Army Gen. David Petraeus, commanding general, Multi-National Force - Iraq, emerged with a grin on his face, eager to meet with and commend the service members under his charge.

    The Warlords of Task Force 2nd Battalion, 2nd Marines, Regimental Combat Team 5, escorted Petraeus throughout the visit. His first course of action was to tour the nearby point of entry along the Iraqi-Syrian border and witness the progression that has taken place in the area. “This part of al-Anbar province is a much quieter place now,” said Gen. Petraeus. “It's a real privilege to be back out here.”

    Gen. David Petraeus, commanding general, Multi-National Force - Iraq, arrives at Camp Gannon, Iraq, Saturday to visit Iraqi security forces at the point of entry along the Iraqi-Syrian border and speak with American troops at the camp.Upon returning to Camp Gannon, Petraeus joined Marines, Soldiers and Sailors for lunch and a brief meeting. Shortly afterwards, he gathered the troops for a ceremony to recognize those individuals who have served more than 24 months in Iraq or for outstanding actions while serving during Operation Iraqi Freedom. “You should feel very good about what you've been a part of, what you've contributed to,” Petraeus said. “It's an enormous tribute to your skill, your ability, your sheer force of will at certain times along the way and the wonderful work you have done.”

    Lance Cpl. Shane Swartz, a motor transport mechanic with Motor Transport Platoon, 2nd Bn., 2nd Marines, was recognized by Gen. Petraeus for helping to train Iraqi police officers on maintaining and preventing mechanical problems with their vehicles. “The Iraqi police just had a group graduate from a mechanics school and I helped fine tune the skills of 16 Iraqis,” Swartz said modestly. “It’s not something I could have done without the help of my platoon and the guys in maintenance.”

    Swartz, along with other service members, received Petraeus’ personal coin, and he hopes to share the meaning behind the coin with his children one day. “I’ll keep it somewhere safe for now,” Swartz said. “I’ll show it to my kids one day and tell them that hard work pays off. Things you do are appreciated in the long run.”

    The visit concluded with Petraeus addressing the troops before departing Camp Gannon. “I'm real pleased to recognize some of you today,” Petraeus said. “Truth is, every one of you could be recognized. You've shown the enormous intrinsic value of everybody who wears a U.S. Military uniform. Thanks again for all you've done out here.”

    Gen. David Petraeus, commanding general, Multi-National Force - Iraq, arrives at Camp Gannon, Iraq, Saturday to visit Iraqi security forces at the point of entry along the Iraqi-Syrian border and speak with American troops at the camp.

    Source: CENTCOM.

    May you walk with the LORD always, and when you cannot take another step, may He carry you the rest of the way until you can walk along side Him again.

    Linkfest Haven, the Blogger's Oasis

    Today I am having a Linkfest party for all my friends - the ones I know and the ones I will come to know. If you have a post you would like to share, why not trackpost it here? All you have to do is add my Permalink somewhere in your article (usually at the bottom), then trackback to it. You don't have trackbacks available? Why not use Wizbang Stand Alone Trackback? Everyone have a nice day.

    Friends I have trackbacked to through Linkfest and others: walls of the city - irony spelled "alpha tango foxtrot", third world county - The Obamassiah’s New Release: “I Took My Prompter To The Rodeo”, Wolf Pangloss - Happy Constitution Day Open Trackbacks, Mark My Words - Obama - "Constitutional law" expert?, Woman Honor Thyself - Sarah Palin: The 3-Step Plan, Right Truth - THE UNIONS OF SOVIET-STYLE SOCIALIST DEMOCRATS.

    Friends who have shared their posts for your reading pleasure:
    1. Beagle Scout - Do-Nothing Pelosi Congress Thinks We are all Idiots.
    2. Conservative Cat - EMAIL Wars: the Terrible Truth About Joe Biden.

    Cross-posted @ Rosemary's News and Ideas. Digg! Digg!

    Founders' Daily Quote: 17 Sept 08

    "[T]he present Constitution is the standard to which we are to cling. Under its banners, bona fide must we combat our political foes - rejecting all changes but through the channel itself provides for amendments."

    --Alexander Hamilton (letter to James Bayard, April 1802); Reference: Selected Writings and Speeches of Alexander Hamilton, Frisch, ed. (511)

    Let me see if I understand this correctly. There's that amendment for abortions, campaign finance reform (otherwise known as incumbancy security), lack of free speech for conservatives, animal rights, environmentalism rights, homosexual marriage...oh wait a minute. I just looked in my Constitution and none of those rights have been granted or amended! On the contrary, the judiciary system is being used to forge through any legislature that the people reject.

    How do I know the people reject them? Because everytime we have an opportunity to vote on these issues, WE SAY SO. But apparently that does matter, because the American Communist Legal Association (ACLU) comes down on the other side of the law. They are trying to destroy our country from within, and it is our responsibility to have an open resistence against them. After all, is this not what Alex is proposing?

    Source: Patriot Post.
    To Subcribe: Free E-mail: Subcriptibe.

    Cross-posted @ Rosemary's News and Ideas.

    May you walk with the LORD always, and when you cannot take another step, may He carry you the rest of the way until you can walk along side Him again.

    Tuesday, September 16, 2008

    Bermel radio sends information to villages

    by Pfc. Christina Sinders
    CJTF-101

    BAGRAM AIRFIELD, Afghanistan (Sept. 2, 2008) — Clear voices stream over the radio. Prayers are read, music is played, announcements are broadcast and questions are answered. This is the people’s radio, 92 FM. The station was created to provide news, advice and education. Bermel radio broadcasts programs 13 hours a day to local villages throughout the district of Bermel in eastern Paktika province.

    Located at Forward Operating Base Boris, the station provides more than 11 different types of programs that cover nearly every aspect of life for people in the local villages. Programs range from work and agriculture to health and education. There are also women-specific programs and religious-service programs.

    Sarwar and Islamuddin, the Bermel Radio station jockeys, located on Forward Operating Base Boris, Paktika province, broadcast religious services, play music, educational programs and spread news 13 hours a day to the local area.Sarwar, a former agricultural professor at Khowst University, and Islamuddin, an adviser with more than 10 years of agricultural experience and training, run the station and host most of the broadcasts. “We try to do as much as we can for the people here,” Sarwar said. “We even meet with them and teach them as much as we can about agriculture. It’s a big part of life for them and we want to make it better for them.”

    Programs are broadcasted from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily, except on Fridays when the two radio jockeys take a two-hour break for religious prayer and rest. “Most of the area is uneducated,” said Islamuddin. “But if we can give them programs where they hear about history, and we can teach them what we can about how to better their lives, then we are doing great things.”

    The local villagers respond well to the information provided by the station. In the five months they have been broadcasting, they have received more than 7,000 letters. Some praise the station, some offer suggestions, and others ask questions or make a request for another type of program or for other topics to be discussed. Overall, the feedback from the listeners is positive.

    International Security Assistance Forces provide support for Bermel radio as well as nine other radio stations in Paktika province. Broadcast systems, supplies and support are only a few of the things provided to the radio station.

    The station hopes to expand soon. The current system the station is running on is a 50-watt system that has only a 15,000- to 17,000-sq. km. broadcast range. ISAF has expressed plans to help the station upgrade to a newer 500-watt system that will have a broadcast range over 10 times what they have now, closer to a 170,000 sq. km. range.

    For now, the radio station continues to provide the best it can in programs and radio services for the people of the Bermel District.

    Sarwar and Islamuddin, the Bermel Radio station jockeys, located on Forward Operating Base Boris, Paktika province, broadcast religious services, play music, educational programs and spread news 13 hours a day to the local area.

    Source: CENTCOM.

    May you walk with the LORD always, and when you cannot take another step, may He carry you the rest of the way until you can walk along side Him again.

    Cross-posted @ Rosemary's News and Ideas.

    Posts I have linked to: Leaning Straight Up, Cao's Blog, third world county, Wolf Pangloss, and The World According to Carl, thanks to Linkfest Haven Deluxe. Digg! Digg!

    Obama, Please Answer Gianna

    Here is a new video by a woman who survived an attempted abortion. If Barack Obama had his way, she would have had to die.
    If you cannot embed this ad, here is the link at YouTube.

    I do not believe this is what he meant when he decided to murder those other children. I do believe he wanted to protect bad judgement by the SCOTUS which has never been put forward to the good people of these here United States of America. That is why he is having such a difficult time trying to convince himself and defend his position that when a child is born during an abortion and is left to die, this is what should be done. That is a really hard decision for an honest human being. NOT!

    We know full well that this is exactly what Ms. Sanger had planned for all African born babies. If Barack Obama is not bothered by this, then he ought to be!

    I honestly believe he just doesn't want to upset anyone in his voting block. It is a sad shame that babies cannot vote...

    Source(s): Born Alive Truth.org and CNSNews' New Ad Targets Obama’s Failure to Protect Babies Born Alive After Abortions.

    May you walk with the LORD always, and when you cannot take another step, may He carry you the rest of the way until you can walk along side Him again.

    Linkfest Haven, the Blogger's Oasis

    Today I am having a Linkfest party for all my friends - the ones I know and the ones I will come to know. If you have a post you would like to share, why not trackpost it here? All you have to do is add my Permalink somewhere in your article (usually at the bottom), then trackback to it. You don't have trackbacks available? Why not use Wizbang Stand Alone Trackback? Everyone have a nice day.

    Friends I have trackbacked to through Linkfest and others: Mark My Words - Obama, the financial crisis and a pattern, Mark My Words - An abortion survivor, The World According To Carl - John Clark’s Amazing Bio-Dieselmobile (Vegetable Oil To Be Precise), The World According To Carl - Uncle Jay Explains The News — September 15, 2008, The World According To Carl - Coca Cola — The Way It USED To Be (And Should Be Once Again), The World According To Carl - Let ‘Em Do Their Job, Willya?, The World According To Carl - When Dissent ISN’T Patriotic.

    Cross-posted @ Rosemary's News and Ideas. Digg! Digg!

    Founders' Daily Quote: 16 Sept 08

    "The freedom and happiness of man...[are] the sole objects of all legitimate government."

    --Thomas Jefferson (letter to Thaddeus Kosciusko, 1810); Reference: The Writings of Thomas Jefferson, Lipscomb and Bergh, eds., 12:369.

    The American Dream, the American experiment. What an ideal, what a divine resolve. Never before has any country ever endeavoured to aspire to such an eloquant goal, and they never will. Why not? It is unnatural for those who seek heights of great power ever considered sharing that power with those of whom he would have control over. In America, we have control over them. At least in theory...

    Cross-posted @ Rosemary's News and Ideas. Digg! Digg!

    May you walk with the LORD always, and when you cannot take another step, may He carry you the rest of the way until you can walk along side Him again.
    Linkfest Haven, the Blogger's Oasis
    Today I am having a Linkfest party for all my friends - the ones I know and the ones I will come to know. If you have a post you would like to share, why not trackpost it here? All you have to do is add my Permalink somewhere in your article (usually at the bottom), then trackback to it. You don't have trackbacks available? Why not use Wizbang Stand Alone Trackback? Everyone have a nice day.

    Friends I have trackbacked to through Linkfest and others: Take Our Country Back - Hillary Replacing Joe Biden? UPDATED, Right Truth - President Ahmadinejad will face "Wall of Shame" at the UN Headquarters over Child Executions, Wolf Pangloss - Vegetarian Brain Shrinkage, Wolf Pangloss - Bravo! Bravissimo!, Wolf Pangloss - Wile E. Coyote: New York Times reporter, Potbelly Stove - Pakistan: Who is in charge?

    Friends who have shared their posts for your reading pleasure:

    Trackback URL. [Right click, 'Copy Shortcut', paste to trackback provider.]

    Monday, September 15, 2008

    I Am SO Tired

    I went to the eye doctor today, and I was even on time for a change. I found out that my vision is now 200/20, and I need bifocals. I was up late last night and up early this morning, and I'm beat. I do not want glasses. Why not? Because right now I can see, but if I get used to wearing glasses and lose them or break them, I won't be able to see. One tine scratch and I'm screwed. Wonderful.

    I hope everyone has a wonderful day. But for me and mine? We are going to bed. (Well, at least I am! I don't have a 'we'. :( ) Good night.

    Cross-posted @ Rosemary's News and Ideas.

    Founders' Daily Quote: 15 Sept 08

    "Conscience is the most sacred of all property."

    --James Madison (essay on Property, 29 March 1792); Reference: Madison: Writings, Rakove, ed., Library of America (516)

    Now if only we could market this and make it a law that NO ONE has to do anything AGAINST their personal conscience? That way, people who believe life begins at conception would not have to perform abortions or give out RU 482, we would not to adhere the craziness of our federal re-education camps aka schools, and the such. Oh, what a Liberty we would have!

    Source: Patriot Post.
    To subscribe: Patriot Post e-mail subscription.

    Cross-posted @ Rosemary's News and Ideas.

    May you walk with the LORD always, and when you cannot take another step, may He carry you the rest of the way until you can walk along side Him again.

    Sunday, September 14, 2008

    Put Congress On Record: Did The Surge Work?

    Senator Barack Obama (video) continues to deny the surge has worked, even though most Americans recognize the FACT that it has. The same is believed by vice-presidential candidate Senator Joe Biden.

    [I had to remove the video of Joe Biden on Meet the Press, because MSNBC was SCREWING UP my computer. Sorry. If you would like, I can e-mail you the iFrame code. Just leave a comment requesting it. Thanks.]

    This is why Vets For Freedom is making a point of getting everyone in Congress on the record as to whether or not they believe the surge has worked. We deserve to know where our elected officials stand and how they determine foreign policy issues. If they cannot concede to this success, do we really want Sen. Obama to be Commander-in-Chief?

    There is a new video that the Vets For Freedom have made. It is a very good one, and all they are doing is asking Congress to support Senate bill 636. They want to make sure our men and women are given the opportunity to win each battleground area, to be supported, to succeed. In essense, they want the Congress not to change their minds halfway through a war that they've sent REAL LIVE people into harms way. Never again...here is the link: Success is Relevant, Senator.

    If you could please put pressure on our supposed elected officials, here are some suggestions to get you started. Remember, whenever addressing members of the government, BE POLITE no matter how much of an a**hole they are. ;)
    Vets for Freedom has launched our "Truth about the Surge" media and grassroots campaign. The campaign is intended to inform the American public, and key lawmakers, about the undeniable success that our troops have achieved as a result of the surge, and the importance of ensuring victory in Iraq, Afghanistan and the overall Global War on Terrorism.

    In the coming weeks our objectives are twofold:
    Tell your members of Congress to support the surge and our troops by supporting Senate Resolution 636 and creating a similar resolution in the House. We need your help, call your member, write a Letter to the editor and spread the word about the success of the surge and importance of ‘walking the walk’ and showing their support by voting yes for Senate Resolution 636.

    Click Here (.pdf) to view a Dear Colleague letter from Senators Graham and Lieberman for SR 636.

    Telling your friends and neighbors the importance of the surge and missions in Iraq and Afghanistan. The American people have the right to know that we are and with your help will WIN the war in Iraq. The surge has worked and we need you to help spread the word.
    "Truth about the Surge" will only succeed if our members are willing to volunteer their time. But isn't this the least we can do, with our fellow Soldiers, Marines, Airman, and Sailors still serving overseas? We need you to volunteer to write Letters to the Editor, attend events, make phone calls, call into local radio shows, and exploit targets of opportunity. We will be running TV ads in most of these states as well to further spread the message.
    What do you mean, 'What is Sen. Res. 636'? I did not explain it? D'oh! ;)

    Update: Before I give the Senate resolution, let me please implore you to make 10 phone calls. Eight will be to people whom we have a strong sense that we will co-sponsor this bill, and two will be to your own Senators. Here is the toll free number: 1-866-340-9281. Here is what you should ask:
    1. Please be a "co--sponsor" of Senate Resolution 636.
    2. Please do whatever you can to bring the Resolution to the Senate floor for a vote.
    3. Please the courage to vote "yes"--on the record—about the success of the surge.
    Every U.S Senator needs to hear from Iraq & Afghanistan veterans, and those who support them, about the importance of praising our troops for all they have accomplished.

    Here are the names and numbers of the eight people you should contact:
    Susan Collins (R-ME) - 202.224.2523
    John Warner (R-VA) - 202.224.2023
    Judd Gregg (R-NH) - 202.224.3324
    Chuck Hagel (R-NE) - 202.224.4224
    Gordon Smith (R-OR) - 202.224.3753
    Olympia Snowe (R-ME) - 202.224.5344
    Arlen Specter (R-PA) - 202.224.4254
    George Voinovich (R-OH) - 202.224.3353

    Your 2 Senators. Follow this link for a directory of all U.S. Senators.
    Thank you for your help. It is so much appreciated. Now here is the Senate Resolution 636.

    Senate Resolution 636:

    S.RES.636.
    Title: A resolution recognizing the strategic success of the troop surge in Iraq and expressing gratitude to the members of the United States Armed Forces who made that success possible.
    Sponsor: Sen Lieberman, Joseph I. [CT] (introduced 7/31/2008)
    Cosponsors (28)
    Latest Major Action: 7/31/2008 Referred to Senate committee.
    Status: Referred to the Committee on Armed Services.

    TEXT OF THE BILL.

    Recognizing the strategic success of the troop surge in Iraq and expressing gratitude to the members of the United States Armed Forces who made that success possible. (Introduced in Senate)

    SRES 636 IS
    110th CONGRESS

    2d Session

    S. RES. 636

    Recognizing the strategic success of the troop surge in Iraq and expressing gratitude to the members of the United States Armed Forces who made that success possible.

    IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

    July 31, 2008

    Mr. LIEBERMAN (for himself, Mr. GRAHAM, Mr. MCCAIN, Mr. ENZI, Mr. MARTINEZ, Mr. BOND, Mr. WICKER, Mr. CORNYN, Mr. CRAPO, Mr. ALLARD, Mr. THUNE, Mr. BARRASSO, and Mr. INHOFE) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Armed Services
    --------------------------------------------------------------------
    RESOLUTION

    Recognizing the strategic success of the troop surge in Iraq and expressing gratitude to the members of the United States Armed Forces who made that success possible.

    Whereas, by the end of 2006, it had become clear that, despite exceptional efforts and sacrifices on the part of the United States Armed Forces in Iraq, the United States was pursuing a failed strategy in Iraq;

    Whereas, by the end of 2006, large-scale sectarian violence was accelerating throughout Iraq, al Qaeda had established significant safe havens there, militias sponsored by the Government of Iran had seized effective control of large swaths of Iraq, and the Government of Iraq was suffering from political paralysis;

    Whereas, by the end of 2006, insurgents and death squads were killing more than 3,000 civilians in Iraq each month and coalition forces were sustaining more than 1,200 attacks each week;

    Whereas, in December 2006, the Iraq Study Group warned that `the United States is facing one of its most difficult and significant international challenges in decades' in Iraq and that `Iraq is vital to regional and even global stability, and is critical to U.S. interests';

    Whereas, in December 2004, Osama bin Laden said the following of the war in Iraq: `The most important and serious issue today for the whole world is this Third World War. . . . The world's millstone and pillar is Baghdad, the capital of the caliphate.';

    Whereas, on January 10, 2007, in an address to the Nation, President George W. Bush acknowledged that the situation in Iraq was `unacceptable' and announced his intention to put in place a new strategy, subsequently known as `the surge';

    Whereas President Bush nominated and the Senate confirmed General David H. Petraeus as the Commander of Multi-National Forces--Iraq, a position he assumed on February 10, 2007;

    Whereas General Petraeus, upon assuming command, and in partnership with Lieutenant General Raymond Odierno, the Commander of Multi-National Corps--Iraq, and United States Ambassador to Iraq Ryan Crocker, developed a comprehensive civil-military counterinsurgency campaign plan to reverse Iraq's slide into chaos, defeat the enemies of the United States in Iraq, and, in partnership with the Iraqi Security Forces and the Government of Iraq, reestablish security across the country;

    Whereas, under the previous strategy, the overwhelming majority of United States combat forces were concentrated on a small number of large forward operating bases and were not assigned the mission of providing security for the people of Iraq against insurgents, terrorists, and militia fighters, in part because there were insufficient members of the United States Armed Forces in Iraq to do so;

    Whereas, as an integral component of the surge, approximately 5 additional United States Army brigades and 2 United States Marine Corps battalions were deployed to Iraq;

    Whereas, as an integral component of the surge, members of the United States Armed Forces were deployed out of large forward operating bases onto small bases throughout Baghdad and other key population centers, partnering with the Iraqi Security Forces to provide security for the local population against insurgents, terrorists, and militia fighters;

    Whereas additional members of the United States Armed Forces began moving into Iraq in January 2007 and reached full strength in June 2007;

    Whereas, as a consequence of the additional forces needed in Iraq, in April 2007 the United States Army added 3 months to the standard year-long tour for all active duty soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan, and the United States Marine Corps added 3 months to the standard 6-month tour for all active duty Marines in Iraq and Afghanistan;

    Whereas, as an integral component of the surge, members of the United States Armed Forces began simultaneous and successive offensive operations, in partnership with the Iraqi Security Forces, of unprecedented breadth, continuity, and sophistication, striking multiple enemy safe havens and lines of communication at the same time;

    Whereas, as an integral component of the surge, additional members of the United States Armed Forces were deployed to Anbar province to provide essential support to the nascent tribal revolt against al Qaeda in that province;

    Whereas those additional members of the United States Armed Forces played a critical role in the success and spread of anti-Qaeda Sunni tribal groups in Anbar province and subsequently in other regions of Iraq;

    Whereas, since the start of the surge in January 2007, there have been marked and hopeful improvements in almost every political, security, and economic indicator in Iraq;

    Whereas, in 2007, General Petraeus described Iraq as `the central front of al Qaeda's global campaign';

    Whereas, in 2008, as a consequence of the success of the surge, al Qaeda has been dealt what Director of Central Intelligence Michael Hayden assesses as a `near strategic defeat' in Iraq;

    Whereas, as a consequence of the success of the surge, militias backed by the Government of Iran have been routed from major population centers in Iraq and no longer control significant swaths of territory;

    Whereas, as a consequence of the success of the surge, sectarian violence in Iraq has fallen dramatically and has been almost entirely eliminated;

    Whereas, as a consequence of the success of the surge, overall insurgent attacks have fallen by approximately 80 percent since June 2007 and are at their lowest level since March 2004;

    Whereas, as a consequence of the success of the surge, United States casualties in Iraq have dropped dramatically and United States combat deaths in Iraq in July 2008 were lower than in any other month since the beginning of the war;

    Whereas, as a consequence of the success of the surge, the Government of Iraq has made significant strides in advancing sectarian reconciliation and achieving political progress, including the passage of key benchmark legislation;

    Whereas, as a consequence of the success of the surge, the Iraqi Security Forces have improved markedly and approximately 70 percent of Iraqi combat battalions are now leading operations in their areas; and

    Whereas, as a consequence of the success of the surge, General Petraeus concluded in 2008 that conditions on the ground in Iraq could permit the additional brigades and battalions dispatched to Iraq in 2007 as part of the surge to be safely redeployed without replacement, and all such brigades and battalions have been successfully withdrawn without replacement: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the Senate--
    (1) commends and expresses its gratitude to the men and women of the United States Armed Forces for the service, sacrifices, and heroism that made the success of the troop surge in Iraq possible;

    (2) commends and expresses its gratitude to General David H. Petraeus, General Raymond Odierno, and Ambassador Ryan Crocker for the distinguished wartime leadership that made the success of the troop surge in Iraq possible;

    (3) recognizes the success of the troop surge in Iraq and its strategic significance in advancing the vital national interests of the United States in Iraq, the Middle East, and the world, in particular as a strategic victory in a central front of the war on terrorism; and

    (4) recognizes that the hard-won gains achieved as a result of the troop surge in Iraq are significant but not yet permanent and that it is imperative that no action be taken that jeopardizes those gains or dishonors the service and sacrifice of the men and women of the United States Armed Forces who made those gains possible.
    If you still have questions or you would like to join the Vets For Freedom, please visit Vets For Freedom-Join Us. Thank you so much for all that you do to support those who are giving much more than we could ever repay and they ask nothing in return...except maybe a little respect. I do NOT think that is too much to ask. As a matter of fact, I demand it of myself. How about you?

    Cross-posted @ The Talon and Rosemary's News and Ideas. Digg! Digg!

    May you walk with the LORD always, and when you cannot take another step, may He carry you the rest of the way until you can walk along side Him again.
    Linkfest Haven, the Blogger's Oasis
    Today I am having a Linkfest party for all my friends - the ones I know and the ones I will come to know. If you have a post you would like to share, why not trackpost it here? All you have to do is add my Permalink somewhere in your article (usually at the bottom), then trackback to it. You don't have trackbacks available? Why not use Wizbang Stand Alone Trackback? Everyone have a nice day.

    Friends I have trackbacked to through Linkfest and others: Mark My Words - OTA Open Trackback 09/14/08, Shadowscope - Caylee Anthony: Week Nine, Wingless - Quran/Koran: Sura 5:32 - When Killing isn’t Murder, The World According To Carl - The “Lying King” Sarah Palin Parity Voice Over, Right Voices - Obama’s Foreign Donors: The media averts its eyes, Political Byline - Powerful Video and Conservative Cat - Conservative Cat, thanks to Linkfest Haven Deluxe.

    Friends who have shared their posts for your reading pleasure:
    1. Me.
    2. Take Our Country Back - Hillary Replacing Joe Biden? UPDATED.
    Snooper - Back in 1972, George McGovern had for his VP choice one Thomas Eagleton but it was soon discovered that he just might be mentally unstable because he had at one time undergone electro-shock therapy for depression. After McGovern stated that...
    3. Right Truth - President Ahmadinejad will face "Wall of Shame" at the UN Headquarters over Child Executions.
    Thanks to Insights Into Today's Middle East...
    4. Wolf Pangloss - Vegetarian Brain Shrinkage.
    Boy oh boy, isn’t this funny? MELBOURNE: Scientists have discovered that going veggie could be bad for your brain-with those on a meat-free diet six times more likely to suffer brain shrinkage...
    5. Wolf Pangloss - Bravo! Bravissimo!
    Al Qaeda’s ballyhooed plans to release a fancy-pants video on the intertubes on 9/11 came to naught...
    6. Wolf Pangloss - Wile E. Coyote: New York Times reporter.
    Doo-dee-doo-dee-doo… now where did I put that protractor? Ahh, here it is! Let me see… if the hypotenuse the parabola of a pregnant teenager… is inversely proportional to the approval ratings of the religious Right… then if I se...
    7. Potbelly Stove - Pakistan: Who is in charge?
    ISLAMABAD, Pakistan - Pakistan's military has ordered its forces to open fire if U.S. troops launch another air or ground raid...
    8. Mark My Words - Obama, the financial crisis and a pattern.
    I don't think this helps Michelle's kids...
    9. Mark My Words - An abortion survivor.
    Has a message for Barack Obama...
    The World According To Carl - John Clark’s Amazing Bio-Dieselmobile (Vegetable Oil To Be Precise).
    ...one of the very nice things John & Chris did for me in just the first few days we worked together was to teach me several chords on the guitar after I failed miserably to teach myself from a Mel Bay “Teach Yourself Guitar” book...
    The World According To Carl - Uncle Jay Explains The News — September 15, 2008.
    Uncle Jay’s news word for this week is “lipstick.”...
    The World According To Carl - Coca Cola — The Way It USED To Be (And Should Be Once Again).
    Prior to 1985, Coca Cola used sugar in their formula. But in 1985, some major idiot came up with “New Coke” which some more idiots in the Coca Cola company managed to convince higher-up idiots to sell to the public...
    The World According To Carl - Let ‘Em Do Their Job, Willya?
    ...Trackposted to Blog @ MoreWhat.com, Mark My Words, Rosemary’s Thoughts, Right Truth, Shadowscope, DragonLady’s World, Phastidio.net, Cao’s Blog, Leaning Straight Up, Democrat=Socialist, Conservative Cat, Take Our Country Back, Political Byline, third world county, Walls of the City, MacBros’ Reviews, The Pink Flamingo, WingLeSS, Right Voices, and Stageleft. Also, thanks to Linkfest Haven Deluxe...
    The World According To Carl - When Dissent ISN’T Patriotic.
    I do get tired when liberal play the “dissent is patriotic” card but show the content of their dissent to be completely unpatriotic...
    10. walls of the city - irony spelled "alpha tango foxtrot".
    I could not quite decide whether to file this report by the Associated Press as humor or firearm-related: The ATF lost 76 weapons and hundreds of laptops over five years, the Justice Department reported Wednesday, blaming carelessness and sloppy record...
    11. Mark My Words - Obama - "Constitutional law" expert?
    If that's true, Barack Obama seems to not care that he's stepping all over the U.S. Constitution lately. How so? Well there is that little matter called separation of powers. Foreign policy is in the hands of the President, rather than...

    Trackback URL. [Right click, 'Copy Shortcut', paste to trackback provider.]

    Saturday, September 13, 2008

    Bush Announces Iraq Troop Cut

    by Jim Garamone
    American Forces Press Service

    WASHINGTON (Sept. 9, 2008) – The United States will continue to reduce its troop strength in Iraq but will increase its footprint in Afghanistan, President Bush said here Tuesday. The president accepted the recommendations of military leaders to reduce U.S. troop levels in Iraq by 8,000 through January. If security conditions continue to improve in the country, further reductions will be possible, Bush said at the National Defense University.

    Bush also announced plans to deploy a Marine battalion to train Afghan National Army troops in November and to send an Army brigade to Afghanistan in January. Bush said security progress in Iraq is responsible for this reduction. The progress is an outgrowth of the success of the surge, launched Jan. 10, 2007, that fed five U.S. Army brigades, a Marine expeditionary unit and two Marine battalions into Iraq through June 2007. Bush called the reductions the “return on success” strategy. That strategy calls for reducing American combat forces in Iraq as conditions on the ground continue to improve.

    President George W. Bush delivers remarks Tuesday to the National Defense University's Distinguished Lecture Program. The president accepted the recommendations of military leaders to reduce U.S. troop levels in Iraq by 8,000 through January.“The reduced levels of violence in Iraq have now been sustained for several months,” Bush said. “While the progress in Iraq is still fragile and reversible, [Army] Gen. [David H.] Petraeus and Ambassador [Ryan C.] Crocker report that there now appears to be a ‘degree of durability’ to the gains we have made.

    “Over the next several months, we will bring home about 3,400 combat support forces – including aviation personnel, explosive ordnance teams, combat and construction engineers, military police and logistical support forces,” Bush continued. “By November, we will bring home a Marine battalion that is now serving in Anbar province. And in February 2009, another Army combat brigade will come home."

    “This amounts to about 8,000 additional American troops returning home without replacement,” the president said. “And if the progress in Iraq continues to hold, General Petraeus and our military leaders believe additional reductions will be possible in the first half of 2009.”

    An example of the progress occurred last week in Ramadi, when coalition forces turned over control of Anbar province to elected Iraqi leaders. “Iraqi forces are now leading security operations across Anbar, with American troops in an overwatch role,” Bush said. “With this transfer of responsibility, the people of Anbar took charge of their own security and their own destiny. It was a moment of pride for all Iraqis – and a moment of success in the war on terror.”

    In 2006, Anbar was the most dangerous place in Iraq. Al-Qaida terrorists were in control of almost every major population center, and the province was a safe haven allowing the terror group to plan, train, re-fit and finance terror operations in other parts of the country. “A military intelligence report concluded that the province was lost – and Anbar was held up as proof of America’s failure in Iraq,” Bush said.

    But al-Qaida’s campaign of brutality and murder to intimidate the people backfired. The surge brought in 4,000 more Marines that proved the U.S. commitment to Iraq. “Together, local tribes, Iraqi troops and American forces systematically dismantled al-Qaida control across the province,” Bush said. Attacks in the province have dropped by more than 90 percent, and casualties are down dramatically. The government is up and running, and American provincial reconstruction teams are helping local leaders create jobs and economic opportunity, Bush said. “And as security has improved, reconciliation is taking place across the province,” he said. “Today, Anbar is no longer lost to al-Qaida. It has been reclaimed by the Iraqi people.”

    The security progress in Anbar has been mirrored all over Iraq, with Iraqi security forces in the lead. Iraqi soldiers and police have cooperated and launched operations against extremist groups in Basra, Baghdad, Amarah, Mosul and Diyala province. “All of these operations are Iraqi-led, with American forces playing a supporting role,” Bush said.

    Violence in Iraq is down to its lowest point since the spring of 2004, and civilian deaths are down. Sectarian killings are down, suicide bombings are down, and normal life is returning to communities across the country, Bush said. The Iraqi government is making political progress and has passed several major pieces of legislation.

    The progress has allowed the United States to pull out the surge units, reduce tour lengths for Army troops from 15 months to a year and shift forces once slated for duty in Iraq to Afghanistan, the president said.

    The people of Afghanistan will benefit most from the security progress in Iraq, Bush said. The Taliban and its al-Qaida allies have regained strength and are using the tribal areas of Pakistan as safe havens. American troops who were scheduled to deploy to Iraq will deploy to Afghanistan beginning in November. This will make the “quiet surge” of NATO forces into Afghanistan a bit louder, the president said.

    Additional troops have deployed to Afghanistan from the United Kingdom, France, Poland, Bulgaria, Romania, Australia, Germany, Denmark and the Czech Republic. The United States increased its presence in Afghanistan by 3,500. The number of trained Afghan army and police forces has increased from less than 67,000 to nearly 144,000.

    “These troop increases have made a difference, yet huge challenges in Afghanistan remain,” Bush said. “As we learned in Iraq, the best way to restore the confidence of the people is to restore basic security – and that requires more troops.” More American units will deploy to Afghanistan in the coming months, the president said.

    “In November, a Marine battalion that was scheduled to deploy to Iraq will instead deploy to Afghanistan,” Bush said. “It will be followed in January by an Army combat brigade. The mission of these forces will be to work with Afghan forces to provide security for the Afghan people, protect Afghanistan’s infrastructure and democratic institutions and help ensure access to services like education and health care.”

    Even as reinforcements arrive in Afghanistan, the United States and its allies will work to double the size of the Afghan National Army over the next five years, Bush said. “The Taliban and al-Qaida will not be allowed to return to power,” Bush said. “The terrorists will suffer the same fate in Afghanistan that they are now suffering in Iraq. They will be defeated.”

    Terrorists also are operating in Pakistan and must be dealt with, Bush said. “These extremists are increasingly using Pakistan as a base from which to destabilize Afghanistan’s young democracy,” he said. “And in the past year, the Taliban, al-Qaida and other extremist groups operating in these remote regions have stepped up their attacks against the Pakistani government itself, hoping to stop that country’s democratic progress as well.”

    These groups threaten Pakistan’s government, and defeating these terrorist and extremists is also Pakistan’s responsibility, “because every nation has an obligation to govern its own territory and make certain that it does not become a safe haven for terror,” Bush said. The United States and its allies will continue to work with Pakistani officials to defeat the extremists, Bush said.

    Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan are all theaters in the same overall struggle, the president noted. “In all three places, extremists are using violence and terror in an attempt to impose their ideology on whole populations,” Bush said. “And in all three places, America is standing with brave elected leaders, determined reformers, and millions of ordinary citizens who seek a future of liberty, justice and tolerance.”

    Military progress is being made, the president said, but defeating the enemy will require victory in the ideological battle. “We must show the people of the broader Middle East a better alternative to a life of violence and despair, and that alternative is freedom,” he said.

    Much remains to be done, Bush said, and he acknowledged that tough times are ahead. “Yet, we can have confidence in the outcome,” he said. “With faith in the power of freedom, we will transform nations that once harbored our enemies into strong and capable allies in the war on terror [war against jihad]. With faith in the power of freedom, we will prove that the future of the Middle East belongs not to terror, but to liberty. And with faith in the power of freedom, we will leave behind a safer and more peaceful world for our children and grandchildren.”

    President George W. Bush delivers remarks Tuesday to the National Defense University's Distinguished Lecture Program. The president accepted the recommendations of military leaders to reduce U.S. troop levels in Iraq by 8,000 through January.

    Source: CENTCOM.

    May you walk with the LORD always, and when you cannot take another step, may He carry you the rest of the way until you can walk along side Him again.

    Friends I've trackbacked to for your enjoyment: Phastidio.net - Italy in a recession, Confindustria says, Stageleft:. Life on the left side - Idiots, 123beta - I Must Live In A Cave #2, Woman Honor Thyself - Hussein (I’m not a Muslim) Obama: Narcissist and America HateR, 123beta - Artweaver, Woman Honor Thyself - Paul McCartney for P.M. Heh, Right Voices - Obama’s Foreign Donors: The media averts its eyes.

    Cross-posted @ Rosemary's News and Ideas. Digg! Digg!

    Friday, September 12, 2008

    Breaking News: Two Trains Crashed Head-On

    A freight train and a metro-link train crashed into each other head-on coming around a blind curve going toward Ventura County. The freight train was going in the opposite direction. Who was at the switch? This accident occurred in Southern California. Myfoxla.com is streaming this live, but be forewarned. It is live TV, and you may see some things you do not want to see. If you have children, TURN OFF THE TV.

    There are at least 75 firefighters and many Sheriffs attending to this horrible accidents. It occurred around Heatherlee Lane and the 118 freeway. Twenty-three people have been injured, at least 10 are critically injured, and three are confirmed dead. PLEASE do not let you children watch this.

    When the two trains collided, a great big fire broke out. One of the trains was going at least 40-55 miles per hour, and I do not know the speed of the freighter. Damn. They have just confirmed one more death.

    The firefighters were able to put out the fire rather quickly after some difficulty getting to them. The passenger train is was a double-decker, and they do not know how many people to account for. They are using the jaws of life to free some the passengers, and they are using a white sheet to drape the dead. Damn.

    Some people heard this, and they feared it was another attack. I guess we have not moved on from that awful day. Not really. Not in our guts.

    What I would like know is this. WHO THE HELL IS AT THE SWICTH??? Do you not need permission to use a track? What if someone else is using it? WHAT IS HAPPENING WITH THIS STUPID WORLD? And you want me to TRUST the GOVERNMENT with my TRANSPORTATION??? HA! That will be a cold day in hell...

    There are helicopters for those most critically injured, about 7 of them, and there are ambulances for the rest of them. People from the neighborhood are coming to the aid of everyone by bringing water and trying to stay out of the way. It is really the best thing they can do at this time.

    If you are searching for a loved one, you may find them at North Ridge Hospital. The more serious injuries are being taken to Harbor General UCLA.

    NEWS IS CONTINUING...

    Update I: To find a lost loved one, you may use this number FAMILIES ONLY call: 1-800-371-5465. You may not be able to get all the details, but they may be able to direct to someone who can help you. They are talking too fast for me! I hate this.

    Also, some people have been taken to Ronald Reagan UCLA and Providence Holy Cross. They are filling up the hospitals so quickly that I cannot keep track of all of them. I THINK they Northridge Hospital (4 victims, prepared for more) is full, and there are several others. There are also 7 confirmed deaths. I want answers for this. There is NO reasons a passenger train should have to worry about a freight train smashing the whole first car into the second car. That is what happened here. Like I stated, I want answers. Who is responsible for keeping the tracks clear?

    PS. I would also like to know if this what we have to look forward to in case of a terrorist attack? Has anyone else given this a thought? Yes, the firefighters and police officers are doing the best they can, but it is far below the standard I expect to see. One crash and the whole town is shut down? What if there were another accident? What about the looters? What about the rest of the county? (I just happen to be a citizen of this county, so I have a right to know! Oops. This is not my county, but I still need to know. It is very close.)

    Please understand that the information I am giving you is what I am getting as it comes. I am filling in some areas the night progresses. Apparently, there were between 300--450 people, and one man was in the 1999 Glendale train crash. If you see him, get off the train! No, just make sure no other trains are around...

    Update II: There are now saying that 10 have been confirmed dead, but that number may jump to at least 20. Finding survivors underneath dead bodies. Metro was being pulled by freight train? Trioge area is full of injured people, no, it is almost empty. Many people in shock. Injured number may rise to 50 or more.

    Hurrice Ike is still coming, but people have stayed because the idiots have stated it is only a 2, whatever that means. This storm is hundreds of miles wide. GET OUT OF THERE WHILE YOU CAN. Too much death. Too much. Unnecessary.

    Update III: DONATE BLOOD. Red Cross (310) 445-9900.

    A law enforcement has lost his life. Please have a moment of silence for him and all the others. He was on the train.

    Update IV: It has just been confirmed that 24 have died, there are many more bodies still inside the train, there are 40 people in the hospitals listed at critical, and there are many more injured but not critically. There is a video of the Union Pacific train coming toward the train, and I want the name of that person. There is a preliminary cause of the accident. It is engineer error on the behalf of the Metrolink driver. He/she ran a red light, and that caused the accident. This is PRELIMINARY. The NTSB has arrived half an hour ago. (1:50 pm, Sept. 13, 2008.) I shall try to keep you updated as information is reported.

    Oh, there is a school near the accident site, but I cannot remember its name. Some people are there to help the family members find any information that is available. Others are just waiting there. Many people are still waiting to find their family members and loved ones. This is a devasting accident. You do not want to see it if you do not have to. God help us, this does not happen again.

    Please pray for all of these people to find their family members and loved one, for the injured to recover, and for the Peace that this world does not understand, because there is no other comfort except God's.

    Source: My Fox, LA - Metrolink Commuter Train Collides with Freight Train in Chatsworth; Fatalities Reported and Metrolink and freight train collide, 2 confirmed dead.

    May you walk with the LORD always, and when you cannot take another step, may He carry you the rest of the way until you can walk along side Him again.
    Linkfest Haven, the Blogger's Oasis

    Today I am having a Linkfest party for all my friends - the ones I know and the ones I will come to know. If you have a post you would like to share, why not trackpost it here? All you have to do is add my Permalink somewhere in your article (usually at the bottom), then trackback to it. You don't have trackbacks available? Why not use Wizbang Stand Alone Trackback? Everyone have a nice day.

    Friends I have trackbacked to through Linkfest and others: Wingless: Dissecting Obama’s Iraq Plan: II, Beagle Scout: Open Letter to NOAA: Please act now to save lives from future hurricanes, Mark My Words: ABC News wins the Juan Cole award!, Mark My Words: Obama's new politics, Wolf Pangloss: Bully Obama?, Blog @ MoreWhat.com: MSM Political Reporting Smoke Bombs Part 2.

    Cross-posted @ Rosemary's News and Ideas. Digg! Digg!