Ret. Gen. At It Again

Retired Army General Wesley Clark is at it again. This time it's again one of his very own: John McCain.

Recently, Clark, an Obama adviser, came down critically on Senator McCain's record of service stating,

"I don't think riding in a fighter plane and getting shot down is a qualification to be president."

and,

"McCain's service as a prisoner made him 'a hero'."

First, I must say that if serving this country by putting your life on the line doesn't qualify you to be president, then there's no f***** way that serving in the Senate for barely a year and making a speech at the DNC several years back makes you qualified. What the hell planet is Clark living on?

Moreover, pejoratively labeling McCain 'a hero' for the character he showed during his years in a Viet Cong prisoner of war camp make me sick. To give you an idea of what McCain went through for his country, here's a brief history.

In March 1968 (OBAMA WAS 7 AT THE TIME), McCain was put into solitary confinement where he would remain for two year.

In mid-1968, McCain's father was named commander of all U.S. forces in the Vietnam theater, and McCain was offered early release. The North Vietnamese wanted to appear merciful for propaganda purposes, and also wanted to show other POWs that elites like McCain were willing to be treated preferentially. McCain turned down the offer of repatriation; he would only accept the offer if every man taken in before him was released as well.

In August of 1968, a program of severe torture began on McCain. McCain was subjected to repeated beatings and rope bindings, at the same time as he was suffering from dysentery (Obama was still playing on the playground and had not yet begun his cocaine addiction). His injuries left him permanently incapable of raising his arms above his head. He subsequently received two to three beatings per week because of his continued refusal to sign additional statements.

Now I'm not sure what the hell kind of character Obama has shown. To date, he's been friends with convicted terrorists, political machines, went to a church that preached white-hate, and is willing to do anything or bend and break any of his values for political gain.

General Clark, WTF, sir??

McCain v Obama 1972

Pelosi Strikes Again

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2008/06/fairness_doctrine_limits_free.html

Obama: Washington Politician

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0608/11384.html

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2008/06/the_evermalleable_mr_obama.html

Guns

Well, it's about time. Finally the Supreme Court ruled on the Second Amendment and the ownership of guns. Quoted from a New York Times article, Justices Rule for Individual Gun Rights,

"Justice Anthony Scalia, writing for the majority in the landmark 5-to-4 decision, said the Constitution does not allow “the absolute prohibition of handguns held and used for self-defense in the home.” In so declaring, the majority found that a gun-control law in the nation’s capital went too far by making it nearly impossible to own a handgun."

What took so long anyway?

Unsurprisingly, the GOP was quick to remind the public of Barack Obama's anti-gun stance on the DC gun ban noting last year, "Obama believes the D.C. handgun law is constitutional." Way to be, Obama--you're willing to meet with dictators, but you won't let American's use the Second Amendment.

Obamaniac

It's All About Obama
By KARL ROVE
June 26, 2008

Many candidates have measured the Oval Office drapes prematurely. But Barack Obama is thefirst to redesign the presidential seal before the election.

His seal featured an eagle emblazoned with his logo, and included a Latin version of his campaign slogan. This was an attempt by Sen. Obama to make himself appear more presidential. But most people saw in the seal something else – chutzpah – and he's stopped using it. Such arrogance – even self-centeredness – have featured often in the Obama campaign.

Consider his treatment of Jeremiah Wright. After Rev. Wright repeated his anti-American slurs at the National Press Club, Mr. Obama said their relationship was forever changed – but not because of what he'd said about America. Instead, Mr. Obama complained, "I don't think he showed much concern for me."

Translation: Rev. Wright is an impediment to my ambitions. So, as it turns out, are some of Mr. Obama's previous pledges.

Read the rest at:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB121443823260805375.html?mod=opinion_main_commentaries

Climate Change

I'm going to keep this simple because it could take days if I went into detail.

Climate change. Nobody has conclusive evidence of it. Even if the evidence could be attained, there's no way to prove it anthropogenic. Moreover, if you're still convinced buying a hybrid will make a difference, note that a single volcanic eruption spews out more climate affecting gases in a few day, than the United States produces in a whole year. And there's thousands of explosions every century. So everybody better stop exhaling from now till...forever.

On that note, say I still grant all the previous climate change drivel. China already produces more emissions than America and for us to kill our whole economy by a measure of government policing, we'd be pretty much screwed anyway.

I support clean technology. I support energy independence. I support a clean environment. But guess what, you can't just make all of that happen overnight by a bill. It happens through the free market anyway. Example: gas costs are high, companies come out with hybrid SUV's. As much of an irony that a hybrid SUV is, you get my point.

Haditha and Boumedienne

As the 7th of the 8 Marines accused of killing innocents in Haditha was cleared recently, something became clear to me.

As the Boumedienne case passed the Supreme Court, giving foreign enemies, captured and held overseas, entitlement to the protections of the United States Constitution, that thing became even more clear.

We now live in a United States where many politicians and other high officials have functionally made legalized the system so that: Terrorists are less suspected of crimes than UNITED STATES MARINES.

What left turn did we make to accomplish that clusterf*** of a decision?

Oorah devildogs, you're the real heroes, even if the Supreme Court says al-Aqbar is the real innocent (after he's blown up a marketplace or two of course).

Wait...When Did We Start Winning?

Ask any regular Joe about the War in Iraq, and the sentiment seems to be, "We're losing and we should get out." That is of course if the person has been living in a cave for the last two years and claims to be for the candidate for 'change', whilst refusing to recognize inconvenient change.

A recent Michael Barone article, The Facts in Iraq Are Changing, notes a different story. When the troop surge was announced in the Spring of 2007, democrats railed it as the biggest military strategy mistake ever. "Once again, Ol' Bushy managed to outdo himself with another half-wit plan!" they said.

I took a step back from all the punditry and thought for a moment. It appeared as though the new democratic plan of attack was hinged upon America losing the War in Iraq. You see, they were so convinced that we would lose and they would get the chance to play 'I-told-ya-so', that they didn't stop to think about the possibility of us actually winning the war.

For the democrats it was 'lose the war, win the election'. Unfortunately for democrats, the more realistic scenario has become, 'win the war, lose the election'. I'd like to note that when questioned by reporters about his support of the war and it's political fallout last summer, Senator McCain was quoted saying, "I'd rather win the War on Terror than the presidency."

So now democrats are scrambling to find new positions that are less likely to backfire on them and make them look like asses again.

We're Not Alone

In a 2004 Heritage Foundation article, The Myth of U.S. Isolation: Why America Is Not Alone in the War on Terror, it is clear that the United States has many allies, despite public portrayal of our isolation.

I recognize that this article is a bit dated, however, it still makes a valid point that's quite relevant today.

"The United States retains the political support of many key allies, from Tokyo to Warsaw. In fighting the war on terror, the United States has assembled one of the greatest international coalitions the world has seen. Managing such a huge global coalition is of course an extremely difficult task. It requires skillful leadership, and its strength is limited by a lack of military capability, technology, and manpower on the part of coalition members. By any historical measure, the U.S.-led coalition is an extraordinarily successful alliance."

The United States is not alone and don't let anyone fool you into thinking otherwise.

Defeating Defeatists

Looking at the War on Terror and the War in Iraq, I can't help but feel proud of the accomplishments of the United States and our Allies (see post "We're Not Alone"). We've made remarkable headway with the country's security and government. Our forces are even doing things like helping to build schools and pass out supplies like Col. John Bivens below.


But more needs to be one in the way of American's waking up. In Iraq and the General War on Terror, many key accomplishments are noted that I have seen the media ignore time and time again.

"How odd (or to be expected) that suddenly intelligence agencies, analysts, journalists, and terrorists themselves are attesting that al-Qaeda is in near ruins, that ideologically radical Islam is losing its appeal, and that terrorist incidents against Americans at home and abroad outside the war zones are at an all-time low—and yet few associate the radical change in fortune in Iraq as a contributory cause to our success.

But surely the US military contributed a great deal to the humiliation of al-Qaedists and the bankruptcy of their cause, since it has (1) killed thousands of generic jihadists, and to such a degree that the former Middle East romance of going to Iraq to fight the weak crusaders is now synonymous with a death sentence and defeat; (2) provided the window of security necessary for the growing confidence of the Maliki government whose success is absolutely destroying the Islamist canard that the U.S. backs only dictatorships. Indeed, al-Qaeda's greatest fear is successful Arab constitutional government; something still caricatured here at home as a neocon pipe dream.

In addition, the grotesque tactics that al-Qaeda in duress developed in Iraq weakened its case throughout the Middle East; while the Americans learned just the opposite lesson under Gen. Petraeus—how to win hearts and mind while mastering the elements of counter-insurgency. In contrast, the terrorists learned how to lose a war while alienating the Muslim population.

I would expect the Maliki government to gain greater respect abroad, and maybe it will cease to be the punching bag here at home, given its recent accomplishments—made possible by the efforts of the U.S. military. There is an odd feeling that the more books come out damning the Iraq war, and the more politicians write it off as a fiasco, the more Iraqis are showing the world that a constitutional government can survive the enormous odds set against it. Final note. I think this May may have been the lowest month for American military fatalities (19) since the war started in March 2003."

It's about time American's figure out how well we're doing isn't it?

The War in Iraq: Yes We Can!

A recent Weekly Standard article, Win the War? Yes We Can!, noted that success in Iraq is bountiful. Speaking with a Marine Lt. Col. who has served to recent tours with the surge mentioned that good things are happening every day and that there's a disconnect between what's happening on the ground and what's being shown on the news. The article notes:

"evidence of progress in the war on terror is just about everywhere. Last week CIA director Michael Hayden noted some U.S. accomplishments for the Washington Post: "Near strategic defeat of al-Qaeda in Iraq. Near strategic defeat for al-Qaeda in Saudi Arabia. Significant setbacks for al-Qaeda globally." USA Today: Attacks in Iraq are "down 70 percent since President Bush ordered a U.S. troop increase, or 'surge,' early last year."

The New Yorker's Lawrence Wright devoted a long essay to Sayyid Imam al-Sharif, onetime mentor to Ayman al Zawahiri, who now criticizes his former protégé and Osama bin Laden and suggests they be put on trial. In the New Republic, Peter Bergen and Paul Cruickshank told the story of Sheikh Salman al-Awdah, author of an open letter attacking bin Laden and violent jihad that has caused shockwaves across the Muslim world. The sheikhs of Anbar Province in Iraq lead a national, transsectarian movement preparing for provincial elections by the end of the year. Polling shows a widespread decline in support among Muslims for suicide bombing and for bin Laden. Fareed Zakaria observed that the number of Islamist attacks worldwide has declined precipitously since 2004."

Props to the President for having the courage (and stubbornness) to see this war through a barrage of liberal cynicism.

Change

With Obama's tax policies, it'll be better to be poor in America than to try to work hard and get ahead. Welcome to the new era of the Welfare State v.Obama.

Democrats Against Obama

The Obama Issue

(click title for National Review's "10 Concerns about Barack Obama")

Over the course of the past few years, Barack Obama has gone from a one term Senator, to a presidential candidate.

Here is what I would like to know:

Does anybody remember history?
When President Kennedy met with Khrushchev, America came off weak and next thing we knew, we had the Cuban Missile Crisis.

Dictators like Iran's Ahmadinejad openly admit they will not compromise with the United States on anything, ever.

Semptember 11, 2001- Our country lost over 2,700 innocent citizens at the hand of terrorists trained in countries like Iraq and Afghanistan.

What does Obama offer?
Barely a year in the U.S. Senate before he began campaigning full-time. (Most of that year was also spent prepping for the run.) In that time he also managed to rack up a record making him the most liberal Senator in recent U.S. history.

Naive foreign policy. It's a miracle we won World War II without his grand speeches of reconciliation. Damn good thing we made it through, however. I prefer speaking English over German, Italian, and Japanese.

Friendship with:

William Ayers-a founding member of the Weather Underground terrorist organization that bombed the U.S. Capitol and the Pentagon during the 1970s. "I don't regret setting bombs. I feel we didn't do enough."

Bernardine Dohrn- member of Weather Underground terrorist organization. "Now we are adapting the classic guerrilla strategy of the Viet Cong and the urban guerrilla strategy of the Tupamaros to our own situation here in the most technically advanced country in the world. "

Rev. Jeramiah Wright-Pastor of Trinity Church and preacher of Black Liberation Theology. For short: kill the white oppressor and the white God.

Tony Rezko-Chicago political machine--corrupt in every way and tied to nearly everyone corupt in the city.

Obama refuses to respect the Flag

SNL Obama-Clinton

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Embed Great Saturday Night Live Videos!

Pickup

Mission

This blog is for me to share my world view as a Marine, a conservative, and a student.

Focuses will include: the War on Terror, election politics, world politics, and the news.

I am biased, but so are you.

Blog Flag

The blog flag is based on the American flag.

The four stars represent President Reagan, Lieutenant General Lewis "Chesty" Puller, Ayn Rand, and Sean Hannity.

The red field is for conservativism.

The blue field represents the oceans that have protected our country.

The single white stripe is to remind us that we are eternally, "One Nation, Under God".