I'll be reading Hugh Hewitt's newest book today:
So far, so good!
March 2006 Archives
CNS News reports a surge of interest in Christianity by ordinary Afghans, thanks to the brave stand against death by Abdul Rahman. Our faith has an amazing way of spreading even faster under persecution than it does in normal circumstances. Of course, that's all God's doing.
Hat tip: Instapundit
Go read Mark Steyn's latest column on Afghanistan citizen Abdul Rahman's death sentence* for converting from Islam to Christianity. A few gems:
As always, we come back to the words of Osama bin Laden: ''When people see a strong horse and a weak horse, by nature they will like the strong horse.'' That's really the only issue: the Islamists know our side has tanks and planes, but they have will and faith, and they reckon in a long struggle that's the better bet. Most prominent Western leaders sound way too eager to climb into the weak-horse suit and audition to play the rear end....
I can understand why the president and the secretary of state would rather deal with this through back-channels, private assurances from their Afghan counterparts, etc. But the public rhetoric is critical, too. At some point we have to face down a culture in which not only the mob in the street but the highest judges and academics talk like crazies.
They sure do talk like crazies, but they certainly are not crazy. And there are a lot of them.
* : Rahman has already been "freed" ... sort of.
In the recent past I've advocated support for Bill Pierce, a conservative challenger to incumbent U.S. Senator Mike DeWine. Well, chalk that up to stupid idealism. Pierce is roadkill in the May 2nd Republican primary, based on the results of the latest poll by the Columbus Dispatch, which has DeWine in front with 61% to Pierce's 1%. With only 34% undecided, RINO Mike is again our standard-bearer by default. I'll vote for him only because when compared to Sherrod Brown he's the lesser of two evils. It will still chap my backside to support DeWine, a gutless member of the Gang of Fourteen, but I know better than to let Brown (my current congresscritter) get involved in judicial nominations and foreign affairs.
George Will is watching us here in Ohio, and in his latest column he predicts a tight Senate race between Brown and DeWine. I'm not so sure it'll be close. DeWine's lead over Brown grew from 5% in January to a 9% margin in a February 18th Rasmussen poll. Here's hoping that trend continues.
Two key paragraphs from Will's column:
DeWine is seeking a third term in an inhospitable environment -- the middle of the second term of an incumbent president of his own party. That is when the electorate often experiences "the six-year itch," the desire to reshuffle the political deck. ... The redistricting done for incumbent-protection after the 2000 Census may have made the House almost impervious to the itch ... so voters might vent their restlessness in Senate elections. And "restless" hardly describes Ohio's dyspeptic mood regarding its Republicans, who hold all statewide offices. Scandals and tax increases drove Gov. Bob Taft's approval rating in one poll to six. He has bounced all the way back to 16. Richard Nixon's job approval rating was 24 on the eve of his resignation....
DeWine, one of only four senators who supported John McCain in 2000, is a moderate conservative with an independent streak -- for example, he has repeatedly voted against drilling in ANWR. This may be enough to annoy some conservatives without being sufficient to distance him from the state Republican shambles. We shall find out late on Election Night when, as usual, the nation will be watching Ohio.
I'm so very, very tired of the Ohio GOP establishment and its candidates. They campaign as center-right conservatives but govern as liberals. The current leadership of the Ohio Republican Party foolishly thinks this state's voters can be made to march in lockstep behind any old fool as long as the candidate hangs an (R) after their surname. Well, this primary makes me feel like the proverbial critter caught in a leg trap who's forced to gnaw off a paw to survive. I'll reluctantly march to the polls this year and vote for RINO Mike, but if the Ohio GOP fields another crop of liberals in 2008 and expects me to step out smartly with two gnawed-off stumps, I'll cheerfully tell them where they can put this year's leg.
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Update (11:25 PM): Tom from BizzyBlog.com points out that the poll is unreliable, and the Dispatch itself has a sorry history of shoddy polling practices. Here's the key paragraph I missed when I scanned through the article this morning:
The mail poll of 2,894 registered Democratic voters and 2,874 registered Republicans voters from March 15 through Friday has a margin of sampling error of 2 percentage points.
Notice it was a mail-in poll; those are notoriously unreliable. Also, the respondents were registered voters, not likely voters. That makes a big difference, too. Dave at NixGuy.com has more analysis that tracks with BizzyBlog's.
I just e-mailed the gubernatorial campaigns of Ken Blackwell and Jim Petro and asked the following question:
Would [candiate name here] support Ohio legislation to permanently prohibit the use of eminent domain for economic development purposes (see Kelo v. New London)?
I realize that the Ohio legislature passed a temporary moratorium on this kind of government taking, which expires in December. I asked instead about a permanent ban.
I'll let you know how the candidates reply, if at all. My guess is that at least one (and maybe both) will duck the issue and defer to the "Legislative Task Force to Study Eminent Domain and Its Use and Application in the State", which will release its first report on April 1st.
It's always fun to watch James Carville come out on the losing end of a collision with facts. This time, Laura Ingraham administers the thrashing when the Today Show's David Gregory quizzes Carville and Ingraham about the Bush Administration's honesty on the war in Iraq.
A large part of the anti-military and anti-war bias of the mainstream media stems from the typical journalist's stubborn ignorance about basic military matters. Jack Kelly offers new yet familiar examples.
As you can see, I got tired of the boxiness and the tan color scheme of my blog. I apologize in advance for any strange displays you may see on your screen while I tinker with the style sheets. Things will look much more refined soon.
Read this short interview in the Toledo Blade. In it, Ken Blackwell gives straightforward answers that match his stated beliefs (which haven't changed since he declared his candidacy). Want an unabashed conservative in the Governor's mansion? Here's your guy.
Love him or hate him, he's been consistent for years.
Hat tip: NixGuy.com
I intend to be there when the gang from Meet The Bloggers sits down with Jim Petro on Thursday. What questions would you like me to ask him?
Update: one very nasty cold put the brakes on my ambitions. Oh well.
Capri Cafaro, a Democratic candidate for Ohio's 13th Congressional District, is the butt of some truly snarky political paraphernalia at the Anybody But Capri Online Shopping Mall. The tote bag made me grin.
Hat tip: Ohio 13 votes
The next Meet The Bloggers get-together is scheduled for this Thursday with none other than Jim Petro, one of two Republican candidates for Ohio Governor. Catch it at Talkies Coffee in Cleveland at 2:00 PM if you can!
Call me stupid, but I can't find a copy of Ken Blackwell's proposed Tax Expenditure Limitation (TEL) Amendment to the Ohio Constitution. Who knows where I can get a copy online?
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Update: Here it is (just scroll to the middle of the page). My thanks to Matt Naugle, who's Ken Blackwell's blogger and also runs the TEL website.
I've read through the National Security Strategy for 2006 released last Friday by the White House, and overall it's a hardheaded and realistic approach to dealing with current and future enemies. However, I think they missed something: aggressively conducting cyber warfare against jihadi web sites and bulletin boards.
For years now it's been common knowledge (even in the mainstream media) that the Islamists use web sites and online bulletin boards to coordinate their efforts and recruit new adherents to their cause. They also use encrypted e-mail to transmit commands, coordinate their finances and handle logistics. The jihadis expertly manipulate the media into broadcasting their calls to jihad, their videotaped bombings, and worst of all the beheading of hostages.
Encouraging words, but where's the follow-up?
Continuing a theme he's advanced since 2002, Defense Secretary Rumsfeld noted last month:
We are fighting a battle where the survival of our free way of life is at stake. And the center of gravity of that struggle is not just on the battlefield. It is a test of wills and it will be won or lost with our public and the publics of free nations across the globe. We will need to do all we can to attract supporters to our efforts, to correct the lies being told which so damage our country, and shatter the appeal of the enemy. [emphasis added]
My first reaction to the speech was, "Great! Let's start taking down their websites and bulletin boards and e-mail servers." Based on Secretary Rumsfeld's comments, I figured that there'd be something along those lines in today's new National Security Strategy ... but I don't see it in there.
4/4/2007 Update: Is the behemoth finally waking up? Maybe.
I've been under the impression that President Bush spends money like a sailor on shore leave. Orrin Judd has me thinking that I might be wrong.
Hat tip: Instapundit
The U.S. Army has finally gotten around to releasing the treasure trove of documents seized from the Saddam Hussein regime and the Taliban during the invasions of Iraq and Afghanistan. You can find them here. There's bound to be some truly stunning information buried in there.
How's your Arabic?
Hat tip: Michelle Malkin
The White House has released The National Security Strategy for 2006. Pre-emptive war is still a cornerstone, thank God. Read it for yourself; don't let other people tell you what's in it.
The White House has released The National Security Strategy for 2006. Pre-emptive war is still a cornerstone, thank God. Read it for yourself; don't let other people tell you what's in it.
Newshound has posted the latest Carnival of Ohio Politics.
Here in Northeast Ohio, Spring has sprung.
The Republican candidates for U.S. Senate have been cut to three, now that John Mitchel has dropped out. As I said before, now's the time to support Bill Pierce, who can unseat Mike Dewine and crush Sherrod Brown.
To hear Pierce unscripted, check out his recent sit-down with the Meet The Bloggers crew. And here's his blog.
If you're wondering whether the mainstream media has yet begun to report accurately on conditions in Iraq, here's more proof that they haven't.
