America is safer because of a “justified mistake”

A new WashPost poll shows that Bush’s numbers have slumped and “a majority of Americans believe President Bush either lied or deliberately exaggerated evidence that Iraq possessed weapons of mass destruction in order to justify war.” But here’s a key graf:

While 21 percent said they believe that Bush lied about the threat posed by Iraq, a larger number -- 31 percent -- thought he exaggerated but did not lie. Indeed, six in 10 Americans believed, as Bush did, that Iraq had such weapons.

I think we can dismiss much of that 21% as the Democratic wing that wouldn’t vote for Bush if Osama Bin Laden was captured tomorrow. It’s understandable (although not necessarily forgivable) that Bush over-perceived the threat in Iraq, but to think he deliberately lied is simply slander. As Jonathan Rauch noted in the Atlantic: “The War in Iraq was the Right Mistake to Make,” everybody thought they saw a gun:

A policeman shoots a robber who has killed in the past and who brandishes what seems to be a gun. The gun turns out to be a cellphone. The policeman expects a thorough investigation (and ought to cooperate). In the end, if he is exonerated, it is not because he made no mistake but because his mistake was justified. Reasonable people, facing uncertainty, would have thought they saw a gun.

George W. Bush and the CIA thought they saw a gun. So did French President Jacques Chirac, who last February warned of Iraq's "probable possession of weapons of mass destruction." So did Democratic presidential candidate Howard Dean, a former Vermont governor, who last February said, "My personal belief is that Saddam may well possess anthrax and chemical weapons. That being the case, he must be disarmed."

If reasonable people thought Saddam possessed forbidden weapons, that was because Saddam sought to give the impression that he possessed them. He may have believed he possessed them. (His fearful and corrupt scientists, Kay hypothesized, may have been running a sham weapons program.) For four years after the 1991 Persian Gulf War, Iraq successfully hid its chemical weapons program. When a defector blew the whistle, weapons inspectors were stunned at the extent of Saddam's deception. The Iraqis responded not by coming clean but by redoubling their efforts to obstruct and intimidate—for example, interfering with inspectors' helicopter flights and, at one point, firing a grenade into their headquarters. No one could have failed to conclude that Saddam was hiding the truth.

And what is the end result of, as Rauch puts it, the “justified mistake?” As Charles Krauthammer notes in “The Other Shoe,” we haven’t had another terrorist attack in America, minor or major:

Add to that a forward strategy of attacking not only the terrorists but the states that support them. Maybe al Qaeda does lack the capacity for even simple terrorism on U.S. soil. If so, it speaks well for an administration that, immediately after Sept. 11, designed and carried out a radically new strategy, both offensive and defensive, to fight the war on terror.

It’s impossible to measure the abstract of a free Iraq versus 500+ dead American soldiers. I’d like to think they died to prevent another 9/11, another U.S.S. Cole, another Khobar Towers. I’d also like to think the world is a safer place without Saddam Hussein, Libya giving up their weapons, Syria on the ropes, and Al-Qaeda on the run.

Speaking of non-denials: "Journalist Alex was in Kenya last night refusing to comment." Say no more!

The non-denial: I didn't see Imus this morning, but according to the posters on Free Republic, John Kerry was asked about the Drudge Report and he responded: "There's nothing to report."

Update: Matt saw the "undenial" also. Here's Betsy's take: she's not happy with Imus.

Gentlemen, start your search engines: "Alex Polier"

From the UK Sun:

PRESIDENTIAL hopeful John Kerry was branded a “sleazeball” last night by the parents of a young woman he allegedly tried to woo.

Alex Polier, 24, was named as the woman at the centre of a scandal that threatens to damage Democrat Kerry’s bid for the White House.

Not a lot on Google, but the hits all list "Associated Press writer" which fits the description.

The Wild Card

Election Projection notes: "If she [Teresa Heinz] decides to make a fuss, Kerry will probably implode as Wesley Clark predicted. If she swallows her pride and opts to go along, Kerry can still pull this off."

I don't think anyone, including Teresa, knows what she'll do. If she sticks by past statements, she'll be bolting tomorrow. But I'm sure she's being heavily sedated right about now and various Kerry staffers are urgently whispering: "You can be the First Lady if you just shut up."

What a sad statement on the Democrats and the feminist movement.

Survivor All Stars: Very briefly, how much of a bitch is Alicia? Jenna M. decided to drop out of the game to be with her dying mother and all Alicia can say is "I never would have come to play this game...blah blah blah" Finally, Kathy had to cut her off. Appalling.

The Watchblog called it a week ago! – “Rumor has it that John Kerry (D) is going to be outed by Time Magazine next week for having an affair with a 20 year old woman who remains unknown. The affair supposedly took place intermittently right up to Kerry's Fall 2002 announcement of candidacy.”

Counterintuitive conspiracy theory: Half the blogosphere is blaming Karl Rove and the other half is blaming Chris Lehane. How about this: Kerry knew this allegation would surface and he leaked the story now that he’s the presumptive nominee. The Democrats would have to decide whether to stick with their guy (which could be bad) or shift support to another candidate (which could be worse).

My feeling is that if there’s a kernel of truth to this story, it will be the end of Kerry. Crazy Teresa would divorce him in a second, enforce her pre-nup, and demand that wad of cash back from the mortgaged townhouse. The Democrats, who never really warmed up to Kerry, would flee from the ghost of Clinton into Edwards’ waiting arms.

From the Corner: Teresa on adultery

Her views on marital fidelity: "I don't think I could have coped so well" with a mate's philandering as Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) has. "I used to say to my husband, my late husband, 'If you ever get something I'll maim you. Not kill you, just maim you.' And we'd laugh, laugh, laugh." Heinz adds that she has never had any reason to suspect either of her husbands. "Not for one day, because what I expect of them, they have a right to expect of me. Maybe I'm into 18-year-olds." At which Heinz's campaign handler, former political journalist Chris Black, cautioned bleakly: "That was a joke."

Good one!

Instapundit: “My one fearless prediction: "JFK" jokes will abound.”

The conspiracy theorists will be attacking Karl Rove any minute now, taking note that this bombshell came just days after Kerry pretty much captured the nomination.

I’ll be keeping a sharp eye out for the Democrats who condemned the disclosure of Dubya’s drunk driving arrest a couple of days before the 2000 election.

Look what happens when I go to lunch

First, on the drive back to work, I heard Rush Limbaugh say that Bill Clinton had called John Edwards urging him to “stay in the race” but no further context was provided. I came back, checked my Sitemeter. Hmmm…a couple of hits from Ryne McClaren. Let’s see what he’s got.

This is what he’s got: CAMPAIGN DRAMA ROCKS DEMOCRATS: KERRY FIGHTS OFF MEDIA PROBE OF RECENT ALLEGED INFIDELITY, RIVALS PREDICT RUIN

And then, reflexively, a Rick Springfield song parody started playing in my brain:

“I wish that she was Kerry’s girl
Where can I find a woman like that?”

Didn’t I say yesterday that Kerry was toast? Advantage: Viking Pundit!

Extra: The headline at “John Kerry for President? You must be kidding” is “Maybe this blog won’t last as long as we thought” Ha-ha!

Undeniably true quote of the day: “A vote for Kerry is, in effect, a vote for Kennedy, as well as the East-coast elitism that has never successfully governed the country…or understood the world as other than a very contentious faculty meeting that can be calmed with the judicious application of soothing words and the distribution of small perks.”

Dubious quote of the day: "You can't talk about Vietnam every day until November"

John Kerry’s shifting stands

An absolute must read by Jeff Jacoby in today’s Boston Globe: “In the 2004 presidential field, there is a candidate for nearly every point of view. His name is John Kerry.”

Reviewing the bidding, then, Kerry's position is that he voted against a war he was really for and voted for a war he was really against. But the war he was really for he never said he was for at the time. Except when he was writing to voters to say that he was. And that he wasn't.

As noted here repeatedly, the Democrats have picked John Kerry because he’s tall and doesn’t scream at campaign rallies. Jacoby notes: “Massachusetts residents have known this about their junior senator for a long time. Now the rest of the country is going to find out.”

Massachusetts debates gay marriage

There was lots of heated debate last night but no real progress during the Constitutional debate on gay marriage in the Massachusetts legislature. Outside the chambers, some expurgated words were exchanged:

Then the name-calling began. A black teenager in the church group yelled an antigay slur at the man. The man returned fire with a racial slur. "How do you like it?" the man said, as the boy retreated to the back of the group, shocked.

Oof! Never bring a knife to a gun fight.

Angry Dean re-emerges

From the Boston Globe: “Upset at Iowa ads, Dean questions Kerry’s electability” – it looks like Dean is taking the gloves off because disgraced New Jersey senator Robert Torricelli gave cash to a group than ran anti-Dean ads in Iowa:

The website "PoliticsNJ.com" first reported that Torricelli, who abandoned his reelection bid five weeks before the 2002 election amid a fund-raising controversy, donated $50,000 in November from his leftover Senate campaign account to Americans for Jobs & Healthcare. The group ran more than $500,000 in ads against Dean this winter. One ad questioned Dean's foreign policy credentials while displaying an image of terrorist Osama bin Laden.

The Kerry campaign responds: “We don’t know nothin’ about nothin’”

Have I mentioned lately that I *heart* Terry McAuliffe?

John Hood in the National Review in “The Democrats’ Dixie Lullaby”

Why was it a good thing to wind down the Democrats' national Bush-bashing infomercial/party early for this? And why should party leaders be pleased with a process that, once the voting actually started in Iowa, took a scant few weeks to pick an unexciting, blue-blood left-wing senator from Massachusetts as their standard-bearer?

(Hat tip to Dodd)

Speaking of the Dems: Josh at BushBlog notes that they’ve been having trouble raising soft money. Terry McAuliffe replies: “But look at my office at the brand new DNC headquarters! That’s real teak there!”

Kerry is toast! Let’s move on to Edwards

Only a couple of hours after John Kerry pretty much sewed up the Democratic nomination, there’s a chorus of “How the hell did that happen?”

Here’s WashPost Editor Robert Kaiser in a Q&A session:

Washington, D.C.: "How did this race end so quickly? I haven't made my decision yet, but I feel like its already been made for me. Is there any hope they we will have any true choices come Super Tuesday?"

Robert G. Kaiser : "A great many people share this view. Blame the Democratic National Chairman, Terry McAuliffe, whose idea this schedule apparently was. As David Broder said in a chat here this week, it's a ridiculous schedule, which works against any real competition after the first three weeks or so. A miracle could happen, but it nearly would take a miracle now to head off Kerry. That's the fault of the schedule. It's also Kerry's accomplishment, of course."

Kerry’s “accomplishment” could be a disaster for the Democrats because the compressed primary schedule has short-circuited the normal decision process. Here's Andrew Sullivan:

I infer that most Dem voters so far have been conned into voting for the idea of Kerry, not the reality. And the idea is that he is more electable. And that has become almost self-fulfilling.

William Saletan crunches the poll numbers and pretty much confirms it: Democrats were duped into voting for Kerry not because they agreed with him on issues, but because they thought they could win.

John Kerry has won 12 of the 14 primaries and caucuses held so far. And why has Kerry won these contests? Not because voters agree with him on the issues. The reason, according to exit polls, is that voters think he's the candidate most likely to beat President Bush. There's just one problem: The same polls suggest this may not be true.

D'oh! And there are other problems that the Donks didn’t have time to consider (or suppressed). Matt Welch:

Other than all that, this Kerry avalanche strikes me as pretty bad news for the Democrats. Competition creates interest; interested attention on Democrats creates pressure on Bush, and Kerry is about as inspiring as a bag of kelp.

And here’s Terpsboy on Kerry’s unexamined record:

More to the point, there are so many examples like this, of Kerry’s manipulative inconsistencies, that the guy is DOA, but doesn’t know it yet.

A sentiment joined by Mickey Kaus:

This year, I'm constantly struck by the number of otherwise informed Democrats who are totally unaware of basic Kerry vulnerabilites--who are surprised, for example, to learn that he threw someone else's medals over a wall in his famous anti-Vietnam protest. ... When Clinton's early Gennifer Flowers troubles didn't stop him, he was inoculated on the womanizing issue for the remainder of the campaign. Kerry is so not inoculated. The antiseptic primary has left the Democrats not knowing whether their likely nominee has a healthy immune system or none at all.

Which brings us full circle: the shortened primary season forced the Democrats to pick a candidate quickly and, as a result, they’ve blindly grabbed at the first one who appears Presidential. If they had taken the time for a more reasoned analysis, the Donks might have chosen Edwards (who, according to Saletan, could have been a real contender):

How well has Kerry done among these voters [independents who decide elections]? In absolute terms, well enough. But in relative terms, the numbers show a disconcerting pattern. By and large, the closer you move to the center and center-right of the electorate, where the presidential race will probably be decided, the worse Kerry does. The opposite is true of Edwards.

We’ve already disposed of Dean and Clark: let’s move on to attacking Edwards. If the Democrats come to their senses in time, we’re ahead of the game with opposition research. If we’re wrong, we’re “stuck” with 50-cent gas tax, soft of defense, no-show Senator Kerry. “Bring it on”? You bet.

Nearing Bin Laden?

From Time magazine:

A knowledgeable U.S. intelligence official tells TIME that a recent spike in intelligence has given government officials greater reason for hope than at any time since bin Laden escaped U.S. clutches in Tora Bora at the end of 2001. "There are some channels that are very active," this official says, declining to give details for fear they might "dry up." He adds, "There are a lot of people very confident that they have him narrowed to a certain sector."

Hope this isn't more bad intel.

Things Democrats can say, but Republicans can’t

Page 206 of John Kerry’s testimony to the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, April 22, 1971 (warning: link is very slow to load – 3MB)

Senator Symington: “It isn’t quite that open in this country [the purchase of drugs]; do you think?”
Mr. Kerry: “It depends on where you are” [applause]
Senator Symington: “We are talking about heroin, not pot or LSD.”
Mr. Kerry: “I understand that, but if you walk up 116th Street in Harlem I am sure somebody can help you out pretty fast. [laughter]

Ha ha ha!!!

Wednesdays are for W

Look at the picture and quote below. Now, volunteer or donate to President Bush’s re-election campaign. It’s not complicated: you can have a president who does what’s best for America no matter what, or you can have one that subjugates authority to the United Nations. When you’re done, visit some of the other bloggers in the “Wictory Wednesday” blogroll.

Hangin’ with Hanoi Jane


“I’d like to see our troops dispersed through the world only at the directive of the United Nations.” – John Kerry, 1970.

Viking Pundit: 10% cutting edge

Albums I have on the Village Voice Pazz and Jop Top 40:

#2 – The White Stripes “Elephant”
#3 – Fountains of Wayne “Welcome Interstate Mangers”
#18 – Belle and Sebastian “Dear Catastrophe Waitress”
#21 – Warren Zevon “The Wind”

I keep hearing a good buzz about the New Pornographers “Electric Version” (#7) – I’ll have to add it to my Amazon list.

Pazz and Jop top singles of 2003 here.

Via Fox News: Dean attacks Kerry on Torricelli aid

William Safire on the Zarqawi document: “… a message that demolishes the repeated claim of Bush critics that there was never a "clear link" between Saddam and Osama bin Laden.” We’ll see.

The continuing humor of the NY Times Corrections page

The On the Road column in Business Day yesterday discussed the recent incident in which an airline pilot made a public address announcement evangelizing for Christianity. The column's opening sentence, discussing the probable unease among some passengers, imagined a situation in which an announcement from the cockpit was a shouted "Allahu akbar!" The column said that while the phrase translates "God is great," it is also "known as a terrorist battle cry."

The actual plane incident did not involve Islam. And the depiction of a central creed of the world's 1.3 billion Muslims as an emblem of terrorism was unwarranted. It should not have appeared.

Don’t they have any editors over there? Daniel Okrent, call your office!

Kerry: all shouting, no answers

Well, it looks like the fat lady has sung: Kerry will be the Democrats nominee. Which, much as I loathe him, is OK with me because I’m sure he’ll lose to Bush. The anchorless Democrats have picked a candidate solely because of his “electability” and Kerry is enjoying the popularity of a blank slate since nobody knows what he stands for.

Example: tonight in a victory speech Kerry was waving the bloody shirt of American military action in Iraq and swearing that he will never send an American soldier into action because of dependence on foreign oil. [I’m doing this from memory but that was the gist.] Kerry monotoned that he had a plan to reduce American dependence on foreign oil so this would never happen again.

Fine. I went to Kerry’s web site and clicked on the link reading “Reducing our dependence on foreign oil.” After some generalized statements, here’s Kerry’s plan:

We can, however, develop and deploy clean energy technologies that will make us more efficient and allow us to capitalize on domestic and renewable sources of energy. John Kerry’s plan for a renewable energy trust fund to invest in the development of renewable energy will reduce our oil dependence by more than 2 million barrels of oil a day – about the same amount we import from the Persian Gulf.

That’s the answer: we’re going to invent our way out of the problem. And what’s this nonsense about “renewable energy will reduce our oil dependence?” Nearly half the petroleum we use is refined and used for gasoline (the remainder is used in petrochemicals and heating oil). What “renewable” energy sources will replace the internal combustion engine? Also, we’ve been developing renewable energy (solar, wind) since the first oil crunch in 1973 and non-hydroelectric renewables still account for less than 1% of all energy generation in America.

For all its (perceived) faults, at least the Bush plan to inconvenience some caribou and open up ANWR is a genuine step in the right direction. As a minimum, it’s an honest answer. Kerry’s plan is pure fantasy, based on the hope that scientists will find a way to save us from the grips of OPEC. And if the scientists and engineers fail, then what will we do?

As I’ve said many times before: these are times that require clarity. On this issue and many others, John Kerry has chosen the path of moral ambiguity and vapid grandstanding.

The Three of Diamonds captured in Iraq

Official Centcom press release:

CAPTURE OF NUMBER 48

BAGHDAD, Iraq - Combined Joint Task Force -7 announces the capture of Muhsin Khadr al-Khafaji, Black List number 48 on the "top 55" Iraqi most wanted.

Is our children learning?

Via Joanne Jacobs comes this story from an Oregon school: children were separated into groups to eat either a full meal at a prepared table or a small bowl of rice on the floor. This little lesson in political correctness concluded when the “rich” countries shared their food with the “poor” countries – and everybody got lasagna.

It would have been so much more realistic if a warlord came jumping out of a closet and seized the food in transit from the “rich” kids to the “poor” kids.

On a related note: a group called the Diploma Project has concluded that a high school diploma is nearly useless in the real world.

The report charges that employers and postsecondary institutions "all but ignore the diploma, knowing that it often serves as little more than a certificate of attendance," because "what it takes to earn one is disconnected from what it takes for graduates to compete successfully beyond high school."

Dumb, yet full of self-esteem!

Drip drip drip….even more special interests for Kerry

From ABC News: “Kerry Funds Raise Questions”

Kerry makes a point of arguing that he has never taken any money from political action committees, or PACs.
- - - - -
But all together, [Predictive Networks' CEO, Devin] Hosea "bundled" more than $100,000 for Kerry. Bundling is the process through which an individual — usually a lobbyist or company CEO — collects many lawful individual campaign contributions and bundles them together, giving them en masse to a campaign for maximum impact.

"It's one thing to say you don't take PAC money, but again, when you accept bundled money, it is in a sense the same interest that's behind it — and often it's in much larger amounts," Noble said. "PAC money is limited to $5,000. The bundler can bundle together $100,000 to $200,000." So Kerry's claim to be free of special interest ties because PAC funds are verboten from his campaign "is symbolic more than it is practical," according to [Center for Responsible Politics’ Larry] Noble.

How soon before "buyer’s remorse" hits the Democrats?

David Brooks has a great piece today on what he wishes Bush had said during the “Meet the Press” interview.

Another Bush “scandal” goes pffffft

From the Boston Globe this morning: “Bush credited for Guard drills”

President Bush received credit for attending Air National Guard drills in the fall of 1972 and spring of 1973 -- a period when his commanders have said he did not appear for duty at bases in Montgomery, Ala., and Houston -- according to two new documents obtained by the Globe.

While driving home yesterday, I heard an interview with John Kerry on NPR and he was asked about his allegations about Bush’s service. Kerry completely backed off and said something like “this is not what my campaign is about.” Hmmmm….advance knowledge of the Globe article, or was the baseless allegation hurting his campaign?

Tim Blair says it best: “Al Gore is out of his tiny robot mind.”
Matthew Hoy: “This gets filed under: "If a Republican said it about a Democrat, it'd be hate speech."

Charity begins at the imported motorcycle shop

Bitter notes that in 1993 John Kerry gave a grand total of $135 to charity, but leaves out this important detail:

In 1993, for instance, living on a senator's salary of about $100,000, he managed to give a total of $135 to charity.
Yet that same year, he was somehow able to scrape together $8,600 for a brand-new, imported Italian motorcycle, a Ducati Paso 907 IE.

You can argue about whether or how much a public figure should give to charity, but my take is this: John Kerry doesn’t believe in religion. No man – even if he doesn’t physically attend services – would give such a pittance to his church. Oh, I’m sure Kerry writes some big checks to the Catholic Church now, but “Character is doing what's right when nobody's looking.”

November 2004 Wild Cards

Ipse Dixit points the way to this Election Projection list of 21 reasons why Bush will win in November. Some are dubious (#16: Governor Schwarzenegger?) but quite a few are encouraging for the GOP (I especially liked #10: “Florida is much more Republican now”). Dodd then adds this one:

With only one exception since the presidency of Theodore Roosevelt, no one has been elected president who took more than 14 years to climb from his first major elective office to election as either president or vice president.

That’s good trivia, along the lines of “An incumbent who runs for re-election in a year ending in a 4 never loses.” Allow me to throw in some “wild cards” that would tip the balance even further to Bush (but change nothing if they don’t happen):

1.) Osama Bin Laden is caught or killed
2.) Dean runs on the Green ticket
3.) Nader runs on any ticket
4.) Teresa Heinz says or does something crazy
5.) Al Sharpton gives a racially-polarizing speech at the Democratic Convention
6.) A significant stockpile of WMDs are found in Iraq
7.) Rudy Giuliani replaces Dick Cheney in the VP slot

I'm sure there are more, but that's all I can think of for now. Of course, #1 would be a dark day at the DNC.

How to handle the Vietnam issue: this reader on the Corner is on to something.

There’s a belated but fresh Toast-O-Meter updated on PoliBlog. Check out the excellent linkage.

Will the Green Monster defeat another Boston player?

From the American Spectator Prowler:

Former Vermont Gov. Howie Dean and his advisers are looking into options that would allow him to run for president on the Green Party ticket should he fail in his bid to wrench the Democratic nomination away from Sen. John Kerry.

How great would that be? Maybe we can get all three (Kerry-Dean-Nader) running!

Another trial for GOB? Disney bans Segways. (That was a gratuitous "Arrested Development" reference, by the way).

There's a rumor going around that Moby (the "musician") is a dog humper. While I personally don't believe he's a dog humper it certainly possible that he is, in fact, a dog humper.

This moment of clarity brought to you by the Cracker Barrel Philosopher who, by the way, is not a miserable failure.

Happy 2nd Blog-birthday to Pejman!

The bitterness and the bile of the Democrats

From Slate: “Al Gore thinks it’s 1976 all over again”

"We have seen an administration which in my view more closely resembles the Nixon-Agnew administration than any other previous administration," he said. "There's a reason I say that. I don't offer that as simply a casual slur." The crowd laughed. "I'm not above a casual slur," Gore added, in a "mind you" tone, to more laughter. "But I'm biased, I didn't vote for the guy." A man calls out, "Neither did America!" To which Gore responds, "Well, there is that."

Here, in a snapshot, is why the Democrats will continue their streak and lose again in 2004: they’re the party of anger. As a result, they’ve coalesced around a candidate entirely because of his “electability” (see here and here); now they need to convince America to be as angry as Al Gore. No policies required: it’s just “Anybody But Bush” until November. Here’s Real Clear Politics on Gore’s speech:

The Democratic party looks increasingly like a junkie strung out on Bush-hating drugs. They have no vision for the future, are unable to articulate any serious policy alternatives, and now live only for the next high, which usually comes in the form of slanderous, ad hominem attacks on the President like the one Al Gore delivered last night.

The Democrats got nothin’. Here’s the home page for the Democratic National Committee: it’s entirely dominated by criticism of Bush’s policies with no alternatives presented, no positive vision in sight.

In 2002, Terry McAuliffe (God bless him!) guaranteed that Governor Jeb Bush would be defeated for re-election because of lingering anger over the Florida recount. Jeb won by double digits (13%). The Democrats should take heed of this lesson if they think they’re going to ride anger to a win in 2004.

Extra: Mark Kilmer has more on Gore.

Understatement of the day: "Kerry has never been shy about discussing Vietnam."

Meanwhile, Opinion Journal notes "Kerry's Medals Strategy" of trying to innoculate himself on national security by citing his service in Vietnam:

We rather doubt this gambit will work, and it shouldn't. A candidate's service history is one window on his character, but far more important is his judgment on the major security issues of his time. In Mr. Kerry's case, he has taken the dovish side of nearly every foreign policy debate since he entered public life.

Is it me, or isn't there a subtle undercurrent in Kerry's dialogue that unless you've been to the Big Muddy, you're less than a man? It certainly helps to explain his statement last week that serving in the National Guard was equivalent to running to Canada.

Family: the most special special interest

From today's NY Post Page Six:

February 9, 2004 -- ON Wednesday, we reported that John Kerry's younger brother, Cameron, is such a longtime loyal supporter of his brother's political career that he was arrested in 1973, while Kerry was running for Congress, for breaking into a political opponent's headquarters. Apparently loyalty abounds among the Kerry siblings. During the Clinton/Gore administration, says a source, the senator procured a political patronage job for his sister, Peggy Kerry. When George W. Bush took office, Kerry "frantically finagled" for Peggy to be given a civil service title so that she could stay employed. She now works in the public affairs office of the U.S. Mission to the United Nations and actively supports her brother's bid for the presidency in her time off — she could be seen standing behind him on television as he swept the New Hampshire primary. In other words, she defends Bush's foreign policy by day and campaigns against it by night. And isn't this the same John Kerry who's vowed to "end the era of special interests"?

Wow...a whole Kerry article that didn't mention Vietnam. Oops!

Kerry Vote Watch

Short week in the Senate: only two floor votes taken last week. No matter, Kerry wasn’t there anyway. That's my Senator: earning every dollar of salary.

Votes cast this session: 0
Voting percentage: 0/8 = 0%
Days worked in the Senate: 0

President Bush on “Meet the Press”

I had taped the Tim Russert interview and finally watched it tonight. The pundits on the Corner are pretty down on Dubya, but I wholeheartedly and respectfully disagree with their assessment. Everybody knows that Bush is no Churchill and his halting style of speech can be…what?...exasperating? But he clearly stated that based on the intelligence available, Saddam Hussein was a threat. After 9/11, can we allow pan-Arab nutjobs like him to continue thumbing his nose at America and the world? No.

Bill Clinton explained away the Democrats’ midterm losses in 2002 as: “When people are uncertain, they’d rather have someone who’s strong and wrong than right and weak.” I submit that the election of 2004 will be based on whether Bush was “strong and wrong” to go into Iraq and whether it makes America safer to depose Saddam Hussein. On the other side will be the Democrats who – and let’s be honest here – would have left Hussein in power to do God knows what, hoping HOPING against all of history, that he wouldn’t do anything to harm America.

James Lileks is right: who do you think Al-Qaeda is rooting for in this election? The guy who stood up against the Taliban, the Husseins, and the Qadaffis? Or the party who criticized the defense of America through the democratization of the Middle East at every turn? In his own garbled way today, Bush made his case and more than ever, I’ll fight for his re-election.

Hollywood to the South: Vote for a Democrat you dumb hicks! (Bill Maher rant is here).

How’s this for a straightforward blog name: “John Kerry for President? You must be joking”

Patio Pundit on the mystery of Kerry’s appeal: “What is it that Dems are voting for? Kerry's health plan? His tax plan? His nuanced foreign policy? Nope. They think that he can beat Bush. That's it. I just find that surreal.”

Although I advertise Viking Pundit (me!) as "The only Conservative in Western Massachusetts" I notice that Yahoo classifies my blog as "the justified anger of the only Conservative in Western Massachusetts." Well, that's OK, I guess. (Hat tip to Power Line).

It was 40 years ago today - The Beatles come to America

Religion of Peace update - Via DGCI comes this Little Green Footballs post on the martyr-worship of the 9/11 hijackers. Sick.

The “I know you are, but what am I” defense

What do you do when your voting record is more liberal than Ted Kennedy’s? Answer: “Kerry says White House is engaged in extremism”

Do you ever get the impression that when political consultant Bob Shrum meets with a candidate, he winks mischievously and says “I’ve crafted a strategy just for you.” Then he reaches into his near-empty desk and pulls out the only tactic in there: the “people versus the powerful” shtick. It looks like Kerry’s following the Shrum boilerplate now.

The ghost of Robert Torricelli?

David Brooks on “Kerry’s Special Friends”

Oh, he sometimes pretends that he doesn't care about our special interests. He puts on that callous populist facade. But deep down he cares. Maybe he cares too much. When he's out on the stump saying otherwise, he's just being a big old phony.

Many examples are cited where Kerry “helped out a constituent” (even Chinese colonels who are friends of Johnny Chung) and then – by sheer coincidence! – received thousands of dollars. Isn’t that special?

Bonus: Zonitics notes that the Kerry campaign has brought the Torch on board to raise money. Politics - bedfellows - you get the picture.

Taking a break from politics

I gotta write about something else. So here goes: I love "Joan of Arcadia" on CBS. There's something so spiritual (and not sappy like "Touched by an Angel") about a teenager trying to fulfill a series of "missions" dictated by an all-knowing God. See my Blogcritics review of "Joan of Arcadia" - just posted!

Super extra-bonus TV moment: Last night, I was letting the dog out very late and - while she did her "business" - I turned on some late show with Carson Daly. And there were the guys from "American Chopper"! Sweet. They had the 9/11 bike, the POW-MIA bike, and the "Black Widow" bike. An unexpected treat, like finding $10 in your coat pocket.

Here's a Vietnam vet deeply unimpressed with John Kerry's tour of duty. (Hat tip to a faithful reader).

John Kerry on the threat of Iraq

Here’s a transcript of Kerry, along with John McCain, on “This Week” – found on Free Republic (no link provided but I found at least a portion here so it looks genuine). Here are some select quotes from the Senator:

“If indeed he [Saddam Hussein] is as significant a threat, as you heard him characterized by the president, the secretary of state, the secretary of defense -- can threaten London, threaten the peace of the Middle East, that he is really a war criminal who is already at war with the civilized world -- then we have to be prepared to go the full distance, which is to do everything possible to disrupt his regime and to encourage the forces of democracy.”

“After you've hit him, is he still in power, capable of building weapons again? Every bit of intelligence John and I have says within various periods of time, he can rebuild both chemical and biological. And every indication is, because of his deception and duplicity in the past, he will seek to do that. So we will not eliminate the problem for ourselves or for the rest of the world with a bombing attack.”

“There's no guarantee ever in life. But there is one guarantee. If we do nothing, I promise you we will face this issue one way or the other again in the Gulf or with respect to Israel or in some form. And I think it is absolutely vital for us to recognize the enormous principle with respect to proliferation and the challenge that this represents in the long term for our country.”

Holy cow! I had no idea that John Kerry was so gung-ho to march into Baghdad and depose Saddam Hussein. Plus, he really seemed to understand the dangers of weapon proliferation in the Middle East. His support for the President in facing down Hussein is admirable.

The punchline (all together now!): the President was Clinton and these statements were made in 1998. Psyche!

Gettin' better

Not stellar, but heading in the right direction: "Jobless Rate falls to 5.6%"

The nation's unemployment rate dropped to 5.6 percent in January to the lowest level in more than two years as companies added just 112,000 new jobs -- fewer than expected but enough to keep alive hope for a turnaround in the struggling job market.

A summer burst of hiring would be just swell.

He’s a fighter, not a Senator!

Actually, he’s not much of either. By way of Betsy’s Page comes this FactCheck review of Kerry’s career which states: “He says he "led the fight" on several fronts, but few bills bear his name.”

Betsy sums it up best:

Factcheck notes all the time that Kerry says "I led the fight to....." and then refers to some bill that he supposedly led the fight to pass a good bill or block an evil Republican bill. It turns out that he had little if nothing to do with any of these fights.

Anything else, Betsy?

He's a blowhard.

Oh my.

Another appellate court nominee who won’t get a vote

William Myers has been nominated for the ultra-liberal 9th Circuit (California). Dianne Feinstein has made up her mind. Why bother with hearings? Let’s just cut to the filibuster.

Breaking news: Carlie Brucia’s body found in Florida. Poor girl.

Prude Kerry
(To the tune of “Proud Mary” by Credence Clearwater Revival)

Left a good job in the Senate
Workin’ every month for about a day
And I never missed from doing a favor
Then taking some cash from the AIG

Big Dig’s excavatin’
Prude Kerry keeps on takin’
Diggin’ diggin’ under Charles River

Cleaned out lobbyists in D.C.
Pumped a lot of hands up in Charlestown
But I never saw the good side of a kickback
‘Til I saw the Big Dig start boring down

Big Dig keeps on wreckin’
Prude Kerry keeps collectin’
Diggin’ diggin’ under Charles River
Diggin’ diggin’ under Charles River

If you come down to the Senate
Bet you’re gonna find a friend you can keep
But you need to worry, if you got no money
“Fighting special interests” don’t come cheap

Big Dig’s excavatin’
Prude Kerry keeps on rakin’
Diggin’ diggin’ under Charles River
Diggin’ diggin’ under Charles River

(Apologies to John Fogerty)

I just spend my life living in a rock and roll fantasy – It’s the “Ultimate Rock CD” party over at A Small Victory. Cool, daddy-O.

Run Ralph Run! Ralph Nader is “itching to run again.”

This is a Janet Jackson free zone

Apparently, I’ve made a huge mistake by not talking about Janet Jackson’s boob. Although I try to stay a-breast of current events and the tit-for-tat of blogger punditry, I just didn’t see any point of talking about Janet Jackson. Plus, I think it’s hypocritical to try to boost traffic by writing about Janet Jackson, or Britney Spears, or Paris Hilton. Or any other kind of sexy sex topics. Especially Janet Jackson.

Lileks wishes you a Happy Screedy Thursday

Today in the Bleat, Lileks rains fire on Patrick Stewart and John Kerry, whom he describes as “a sopping-wet asbestos poncho.” Key excerpt:

I’m waiting for an ad that simply puts the matter plainly: who do you think Al Qaeda wants to win the election? Who do you think will make Syria relax? Who do you think Hezbollah worries about more? Who would Iran want to deal with when it comes to its nuclear program – Cowboy Bush or “Send in the bribed French inspectors” Kerry? Which candidate would our enemies prefer?

O the shrieking that would result should such an ad run. You can’t even ask those questions, even though they’re the most relevant questions of the election.

Emphasis in original. Read the whole thing, as they say.

But wait...there's more!

Via Page Six comes "Kerry Clan's Own Watergate"

During Kerry's 1972 bid for Congress, his younger brother, Cameron Kerry, was arrested for "breaking into . . . the headquarters of a Kerry opponent," the New York Times reported on Sept. 19 of that year. Kerry's headquarters were in the same building in Lowell, Mass.

There's a cancer on this candidacy.

Washington Whispers: "Democratic presidential Wes Clark would make the "Be prepared" Boy Scouts of America proud. Insiders tell our Suzi Parker that he wasn't so sure he'd win Tuesday's Oklahoma primary. So he was given two speeches: One, the victory address he delivered, the other an exit speech. His victory was so small–just 1,220 of 296,169 votes–that he better keep that exit speech close by."

Meanwhile, Political Wire reports that Clark's campaign is nearly broke.

The Boston Globe weighs in on Kerry's AIG connection: "Critics question candidate's links to project's insurer"

The Big Dig sinkhole claims another victim

John Kerry: You got a lot of ‘splainin’ to do!

A Senate colleague was trying to close a loophole that allowed a major insurer to divert millions of federal dollars from the nation's most expensive construction project. John Kerry stepped in and blocked the legislation.

Over the next two years, the insurer, American International Group, paid Kerry's way on a trip to Vermont and donated at least $30,000 to a tax-exempt group Kerry used to set up his presidential campaign. Company executives donated $18,000 to his Senate and presidential campaigns.

Were the two connected? Kerry says not.

Oh no no no no no no no no! Well….yes.

BTW, people in Western Massachusetts HATE the Big Dig because after it sucked up all the federal funds available, the Commonwealth started using state highway funds to cover the substantial cost overruns. Essentially, the rest of Massachusetts had to pay for this boondoggle.

Word on the street is: the Freepers at Free Republic are saying that President Bush will be appearing on "Meet the Press" this Sunday.

Doppelganger - Weird, somebody has started a Movable Type version of Viking Pundit. I'm not sure if I should be flattered or what (an eagle-eyed reader found this)

The Soufflé Candidacy

All day long I’ve been trying to find a particular Dilbert cartoon. It’s an older one but if I remember correctly, Dilbert is introduced to a new boss with impeccable credentials: he has an MBA from “Harfurd” University and (as the pointy-haired boss notes) “we think his hair will turn executive white!”

Such is the thin reed of a résumé that the Democrats are depending to propel John Kerry into the White House. It’s an astonishing march of lemmings each making the cry of “electability” before taking the plunge. Robert Moran in the National Review details why Kerry has the aura of “electability”:

He fought in Vietnam and is occasionally hugged by veterans.
He looks like a president.
He is a Democrat.
He is more "electable" than Howard Dean.
He is angry with George W. Bush.

And his hair is a Presidential salt-and-pepper. But, whatever you do, don’t walk heavily around Kerry’s record since Vietnam. There’s almost no legislation bearing Kerry’s name and his votes in the Senate reveal that he’s a proxy for Ted Kennedy. For all his blather about “fighting” for Americans, Kerry has done precious little in the Senate to support his self-inflated image.

Campaigns are about differences. The differences will be stark and polarizing, and these differences are more likely to pull Kerry's undefined vote support down than they are to impact President Bush. After all, the voters know who the President is, but they know very little about Kerry.

They know, um, that he’s tall. After that, the deluge.

Wednesdays are for W

I miss Joe Lieberman already. Say what you will, as a minimum Joe understood that we’re living in a post-9/11 world and that the war on terrorism demands facing down evil wherever it may breed. He was unapologetic in his support for the war in Iraq, which most likely cost him any chance of the nomination, but at least he stood his ground.

Unlike certain other candidates who contorted, equivocated, and justified their positions depending on the polls that day. But I digress....

Take a couple of moments to support President Bush by volunteering or donating to his re-election campaign. Then visit all the other bloggers who support “Wictory Wednesday.” Thanks.

Whither Europe?

Robert Samuelson has a great article in the WashPost today on “The European Predicament” which is that burdensome taxes and regulations are suffocating industry. As a result, the European governments cannot meet the commitments of the welfare state:

In the past year, American-European relations have fixated on Iraq. Europe's loathing of the war distracted attention from its own failures. Its economic model could once be defended as a justifiable political choice. People could select their flavor of prosperity. America's flavor -- more competition and insecurity -- wasn't for everyone. Europe could pick less anxiety and more vacations. It could sacrifice some economic growth for a bigger welfare state (more jobless benefits, universal health care). This argument no longer works.

Why not? Well, the economy is so enfeebled by high taxes and restrictive regulations that it can't pay for all the benefits.

There’s a lesson for America here also: “The predicament faced by Europeans -- one shared to some degree by all advanced nations, including the United States -- is this: Unless they take modestly unpopular steps today, they will be faced with hugely unpopular consequences tomorrow.” IMO, repealing the $400B $530B prescription drug benefit would be a good place to start.

P.J. O’Rourke at Dartmouth: “"Kerry voted to threaten Iraq with force, but he thought that actually using force is wrong," O'Rourke said. "The technical political term for this is, of course, 'bull----.'" (Hat tip to Tim Blair)

The NY Times shows great concern for the Democrats

The paranoia detectors started clanging this morning when I read this opening graf from the Times’ lead editorial “Keep the Primaries Going.”

Now that John Kerry has scored such a strong showing in yesterday's primaries, party leaders are going to become less than subtle in their hints that everyone else call it a day. But a few more weeks of campaigning for the nomination would give Senator Kerry useful preparation for the rigors of the race against George Bush. And Democrats will be able to watch his progress far more comfortably if they know there are still other options available.

My sense is that the Times has less concern about the issues or the democratic process than preparing their candidate for the battle royale in November.

“Elaine!!!”

Real Clear Politics has conjured up the best visual today in “Marrying Kerry”: a young John Edwards screaming a la “The Graduate” as the Democrats enter into a loveless marriage with "insurance salesman" John Kerry.

Chris Rock: "I was kind of sad when we caught Saddam Hussein. It was kind of like Wile E. Coyote catching Road Runner. Acme finally made something that worked."

Overheard on NPR this morning: "I'm not terribly fond of him, but he's the best we have." - an Arizona Democrat on Kerry

Zell Miller was right

I don't have time for a full analysis here (too tired from shoveling snow!) but it's obvious that Kerry has had a great night. But he lost South Carolina by double digits and it's looking like he'll come in third place in Oklahoma. What's it all about, Alfie?

Point "A": As John Edwards noted, no President has won the White House without capturing five Southern states.
Point "B": The South doesn't appear to have warmed to Kerry.
Point "C": His "I don't need the South" quip probably didn't help
and
Point "D": If Tennessee's Al Gore couldn't garner a single Southern state in 2000, what possible chance does Kerry have in 2004?

And with that - good night!

I had no idea, part II – Now that it’s been established that doughnuts are not diet food, Dodd has other startling discoveries. Heh.

I had no idea - John Cole states: “I hereby assert that Joshua Micah Marshall buggers young children. I have no documentation that he has done otherwise, although a lot of people claim he does not, I want to see the paperwork. Until he comes up with paperwork that he does not, in fact, bugger small tykes, the charges stand.”

Now that I think about it, I’ve never seen any proof that Terry McAuliffe doesn’t steal silverware every time he goes to the Olive Garden. Bastard.

Then: The terrorist threat is exaggerated
Now: Military tests confirm ricin in Senate offices

Oxblog demonstrates once again that the United Nations is useless. Corresponding story in the WashPost: "U.N. dissolves panel monitoring Al Qaeda"

Howard Dean still has a lot of money left, but Bush dwarfs all the Donks.

Gray Davis found work!

The American Prowler on Senator Splunge: “But despite all the fanfare and the seeming coronation as the Democratic Party's nominee, Kerry isn't very well liked.”

A Little More to the Right on the Dubya AWOL story: “So why does the Hypocritical Left hang on tenaciously to this Bush urban legend? Because liberals don't care if it's true or not - as long as it's damaging.”

The Truth about Massachusetts

Why, it’s paradise! There are gleaming white trucks that play happy music all the time and on warm summer evenings they hand out ice cream. That’s the assessment of one-time Baystater, now inside-the-Beltway columnist E.J. Dionne in today’s WashPost who is clearly lost in some nostalgic time warp:

My blue-collar hometown of Fall River, Mass., was solidly Democratic, but as conservative in its values as you could imagine -- family, church, neighborhood, hard work and patriotism were the drill. I'm grateful I grew up in such a pro-family environment. That's why the parody of Massachusetts as an exotic, left-wing place infuriates me.

Here in Western Massachusetts, I often hear the lesbians in Northampton making the same complaints on their way to Mass a flag burning.

This is about more than John Kerry, who can defend himself. It's about how certain forms of cheap bigotry don't even get challenged. The right wing's attack on Massachusetts is a sign of intellectual laziness. It's easier to parody a people and a place than to defend a set of ideas.

This past Sunday, DNC chair Terry McAwful took pains to show off his spiffy “ABB” pin, standing for “Anyone but Bush.” Meanwhile, the Democrats are in the throes of choosing a candidate based entirely on that person’s “electability” with nary a thought for ideology. The Democrats have no issues to bring to the table other than “not Bush” and yet somehow they’re the party of intellectual vitality. Please.

The gloves come off

Really it was inevitable. The candidate who frames every issue through the prism of Vietnam has decided to question the military record of President Bush. Memo to John Kerry: taking advice from Terry McAuliffe is the certain path to doom.

But if Dubya’s record in the Air National Guard is open for analysis, surely we can talk about John Kerry’s mental condition of post-traumatic stress syndrome. Here’s Teresa Heinz in June 2002 on her husband’s cold-sweat nightmares:

When Kerry is asked about the nightmares that haunted his sleep for years after he returned from Vietnam, he shrugs. "I don't think I've had a nightmare in a long time," he says. But then Heinz begins to mimic Kerry having a Vietnam nightmare.

"Down! Down, down!" she yells, patting her hands down on her auburn hair.

After 9/11, the “training” videos for Al-Qaeda surfaced with a smug Osama Bin Laden noting the lessons of Somalia and Bosnia: if you hit the Americans hard enough they will run away. Do we want to risk another president so battle fatigued by his life-defining experience, that he’s unwilling to strike back at our enemies for fear of creating another Vietnam? Would a President Kerry [shudder] have backed away from a war with the Taliban in Afghanistan? Would he ask for permission from France?

Now I’m starting to have nightmares.

Hey, what can you do?

Duke Forrest (speaking about Frank Burns): “Everytime a patient dies on him, he says it’s ‘God’s Will’ or somebody else’s fault.” – “M*A*S*H”

Saudi Hajj Minister Iyad Madani after 251 pilgrims were trampled to death during a "stoning" ritual in Mecca: "All precautions were taken to prevent such an incident, but this is God's will."

Return of the Kerry Vote Watch

It’s a new session of the 108th Congress so it’s time to see how my Senator represented the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Or not.

There were six floor votes in the Senate over the past two weeks including a vote on H.R. 3108, the Pension Stability Act which passed 86-9-5. Kerry was one of the five Senators “not voting.” Which shouldn’t be surprising since he hasn’t shown up for a vote since the Senate re-convened on January 20th.

Votes cast this session: 0
Voting percentage: 0/6 = 0%
Days worked in the Senate: 0

Best Superbowl commercials

#5 – The referee who gets screamed at (Budweiser)
#4 – Jenkins the Alien says “Use Fed Ex.”
#1-3 (tie): The AOL spots with the guys from American Chopper. They probably didn’t click if you haven’t seen the show (right, Wind Rider?) but I laughed my ass off.

Missed anything? IFilm has all the Superbowl ads here. So if you just can’t get enough of Mike Ditka talking about erectile dysfunction, check it out.

“Greatest Super Bowl Ever”? Football critic Ben Domenech disagrees and gives his top 5 list.

Howard Dean: Crazy like a fox?

The conventional wisdom is that Howard Dean’s campaign is irrelevant and his shift to the February 7th primary states such as Michigan and Wisconsin is a desperate “Hail Mary” gambit. But maybe Dean is giving the Democratic field some space (temporal and geographic) to see if a Kerry backlash sends his adoring fans back into Howard’s arms. Think of it as “Dated Dean, Married Kerry, became disenchanted, looked up Dean’s number again.”

There’s clearly signs that Kerry is getting the Dean-type scrutiny now – see Howard Kurtz’s “Is Kerry next?” – and a mini-backlash is building. In the expectations game, Kerry’s momentum could be slowed if he loses Oklahoma to Clark and South Carolina to Edwards. If the second-guessing reaches a crescendo, Governor Dean may garner a second look.

I’m not saying it’s likely: just possible. Keep up the pressure, Mickey!

Extra - Via Duck Season, David Brooks says that “electability” trumps all: “Now Kerry is riding this great wave of electability, and he has a huge seething army of fanatical Kerry supporters who will follow him to the death, unless, of course, he stumbles — in which case they will abandon him faster than you can say "electability."”

Champs again!

Boston Globe: “Meanwhile, what's left for Brady? John Kerry's running mate? First man on Mars? Starting pitcher for the Red Sox when they finally win a World Series? The 26-year-old golden child becomes the youngest two-time Super Bowl-winning quarterback and one of only four players to win the MVP Award twice. He completed 32 of 48 passes for 354 yards and three touchdowns. He is 6-0 lifetime in playoff games.”

Also from the Globe: “Perhaps the best Super Bowl ever played” Sure, why not?

Superbowl picks

Me: New England 30 – Carolina 13
Jonah Goldberg: Cats 23 – Pats 13
Andrew Stuttaford: Brooklyn Dodgers 3 – Los Angeles Knicks 2

Brit Andrew adds: “At last I’ve got the hang of American football.”

Every word he says is a lie including “and” and “the”: DNC chair Terry McAuliffe was on “This Week” this morning and barely a sentence passed his lips that wasn’t a flat-out bastardization of the truth. ABC doesn’t provide transcripts (if somebody finds one – please forward it to me) but from jobs, to “questioning the patriotism” of Democrats, to his impartiality towards Howard Dean, he was full of dung. Several times, he noted that the Donks intended on raising the spurious “Dubya was AWOL” argument once again. Well, go ahead, Terry – it worked so well for you in 2000.

Review the so-called controversy behind President Bush’s Air Reserve service at Hobbs Online or the mirror site at Terpsboy (which seemed to load much quicker for me).

Saddam is talking

From ABC News: "Saddam said useful in U.S. interrogation"

American officials have received useful information from direct interrogation of Saddam Hussein, a senior military official said Sunday.

The official would not say what the information was, but he said it allowed interrogators to confirm some suspicions and reject other information. Speaking to reporters on condition of anonymity, the official said both documents and the results of questioning of Saddam have allowed the military to hunt for some people involved in attacks on U.S. troops.

The Atlantic had an excellent article about interrogation and how it (at least the non-violent kind) involves wearing down a subject with time. Hopefully, this is the beginning of much more information.

Well, that was fun....

I must had tried to add one too many sites to my blogroll because it scrolled off half of my Blogger code in the main template. Thank heaven I had an older saved template (although it took me a couple of minutes to delicately remove the old YACCS code). Let this be a lesson: if you're still on Blogspot, backup your templates on MS Word.