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KirtFalcon

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  1. You've fallen for that liberal MYTH . . . . hook, line and sinker. It's about as laughable as the Cheney getting rich off the war from Haliburton MYTH.:whistle:
  2. Newton #1 :whistle:
  3. Notre Dame is ranked higher than the should be in both the AP and the BCS polls! :thumbdown:
  4. Clinton inherited an economy on the upswing. He did absolutly nothing to sustain it and his tax increases had us heading into a recession his last year in office. :whistle: Clinton did a lot more harm than good socially, economically and especially in the foreign affairs arena. When you cut through the liberal media's love affair with Clinton he really didn't accomplish much worth while during his two terms. Clinton and Carter were the two worst presidents in the past 100 years. :whistle::w00t::whistle:
  5. Phil Brennan, NewsMax.com Thursday, Oct. 26, 2006 If the polls are to be believed, the Republicans who control the White House and Congress are in trouble. Their problem? People vote their pocketbooks, or wallets, the old adage goes. But the economy is booming. Even gasoline prices have plummeted. Unemployment, the bogeyman of politicians, has shrunken to a record low point. As for the security matter, since 9/11, the worst attack on American soil since the Civil War, the United States has been free of any significant terrorist attack. None. Zippo. Zilch. If Americans do vote the GOP out of either House of Congress, many of these accomplishments are threatened. Should Democrats get control of the House of Representatives, they have already promised that one of the Republican initiatives that made all these things possible will be rolled back. Higher taxes -- and with it, economic recession and more unemployment. The Democrats will also signal the terrorists a "victory" for their side with a push for a quick withdrawal from Iraq. Remember, the Congress, not the president, funds our troops abroad. A Democratic Congress will most assuredly withhold funding unless Bush relents. The list of Republican accomplishments is both long and real, and provides the platform upon which even greater results will be built under a Republican Congress and White House. For sure, the GOP has had its share of shortcomings. The economy could be doing better. The deficit could be smaller. The postwar plans in Iraq could have been better implemented. If anything, the Republicans are facing a message deficit. The liberal media establishment is just not letting them tell their story to the American people. Here are 10 good reasons why you should vote Republican come election day. You won't hear about them on ABCCBSNBC News. Reason #1. The economy is kicking butt. It is robust, vibrant, strong and growing. In the 36 months since the Bush tax cuts ended the recession that began under President Clinton, the economy has experienced astonishing growth. Over the first half of this year, our economy grew at a strong 4.1 percent annual rate, faster than any other major industrialized nation. This strong economic activity has generated historic revenue growth that has shrunk the deficit. A continued commitment to spending restraint has also contributed to deficit reduction. Reason #2. Unemployment is almost nil for a major economy, and is verging on full employment. Recently, jobless claims fellto the lowest level in 10 weeks. Employment increased in 48 states over the past 12 months ending in August. Our economy has now added jobs for 37 straight months. Reason #3. The Dow is hitting record highs. In the past few days, the Dow climbed above 12,000 for the first time in the history of the stock market, thus increasing the value of countless pension and 401(k) that funds many Americans rely on for their retirement years. Reason #4. Wages have risen dramatically. According to the Washington Post, demand for labor helped drive workers' average hourly wages, not including those of most managers, up to $16.84 last month -- a 4 percent increase from September 2005, the fastest wage growth in more than five years. Nominal wage growth has been 4.1 percent so far this year. This is better or comparable to its 1990s peaks. Over the first half of 2006, employee compensation per hour grew at a 6.3 percent annual rate adjusted for inflation. Real after-tax income has risen a whopping 15 percent since January 2001. Real after-tax income per person has risen by 9 percent since January 2001. Reason #5. Gas prices have plunged. According to the Associated Press, the price of gasoline has fallen to its lowest level in more than 10 months. The federal Energy Information Administration said Monday that U.S. motorists paid $2.21 a gallon on average for regular grade last week, a decrease of 1.8 cents from the previous week. Pump prices are now 40 cents lower than a year ago and have plummeted by more than 80 cents a gallon since the start of August. The previous 2006 low for gasoline was set in the first week of January, when pump prices averaged $2.238. In the week ending Dec. 5, 2005, prices averaged $2.19. Today, gasoline can be found for less than $2 a gallon in many parts of the country. Reason #6. Since 9/11, no terrorist attacks have occurred on U.S. soil. Since 9/11 the U.S. has not been attacked by terrorists thanks to such programs as the administration's monitoring of communications between al-Qaida operatives overseas and their agents in the U.S. and the monitoring of the international movement of terrorist funds -- both measure bitterly opposed by Democrats. Reason #7. Productivity is surging and has grown by a strong 2.5 percent over the past four quarters, well ahead of the average productivity growth in the last 30 years. Strong productivity growth helps lead to the growth of the Gross Domestic Product, higher real wages, and stronger corporate profits. Reason #8. The Prescription Drug Program is working. Despite dire predictions that most seniors would refrain from signing up to the new Medicare prescription benefits program, fully 75 percent of all those on Medicare have enrolled, and the overwhelming majority say they are happy with the program. Reason #9. Bush has kept his promise of naming conservative judges. He has named two conservative justices to the Supreme Court, Chief Justice John G. Roberts and Justice Samuel Alito. In addition, he has named conservative justices who are devoted to the Constitution as it is written and not as activist liberal judges think it means. The strong likelihood that one or more justices will retire from the Supreme Court makes it mandatory for the Republicans to hold the Senate and have a chance to name new conservative justices. Reason #10. The deficit has been cut in half three years ahead of the president's 2009 goal, with the 2006 fiscal year budget deficit down to $248 billion. The tax cuts have stimulated the economy and are working. In contrast to this stunning record of real achievement, the Democrats offer no real plans for the way they want to improve America or make us safer. Instead, issues like the Mark Foley scandal have been used to smokescreen their own lack of ideas in a public debate. The choice voters will make is whether they want higher taxes and less security by surrendering the tools used to combat terrorism or lower taxes and the continued use of tools like the Patriot Act, terrorist surveillance, terrorist interrogations and missile defense. Consider what leading Democrats are promising if they gain control of Congress. # Rep. Charlie Rangel, D-N.Y., who would lead the House tax-writing committee if Democrats win in November, said he "cannot think of one" tax cut he would renew. That agenda would result in $2.4 trillion tax increase over the next 10 years. # If Democrats take majorities in the House and Senate, the average family of four can expect to pay an average of $2,000 more in taxes. # The leader of House Democrats and the woman who would be speaker of the House, Rep. Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said after 9/11 that she "doesn't really consider ourselves at war ... we're in a struggle against terrorism." # By opposing the Patriot Act, terrorist surveillance missile defense and even interrogating the most dangerous terrorists captured on the battlefield, Democrats are in direct opposition to the vital tools we use to fight terrorism. # Many Democrats, including the prospective House Ways and Means chairman, favor cutting off funding for the war in Iraq. # Democratic leaders have made it clear that they see investigations and impeachment as viable options should they take control of Congress. They are therefore promising to tie the hands of the president and his administration in the middle of a war. # Democrats want to reverse the president's economic policies that have led to a historically strong economy. Enough said.
  6. Long, but well worth reading - KF The American Thinker October 24th, 2006 Ronald Reagan famous declaration that he “did not leave the Democratic Party. It left me” can be made more contemporary. The Democratic Party has not only left behind many of its old principles and ideals, it now seems to be in the process of losing its moorings and leaving America entirely. We are witnessing the Europeanization of the Democratic Party, with potentially dire implications for one of the most reliable and loyal group of supporters of the Democratic Party: America’s Jewish community. A few analysts have seen the continuing evolution of anti-Israel attitudes within the Democratic Party and have noted how it is increasingly taking on the characteristics of the anti-Israel bias that is pervasive in Europe. A few noted liberal Democrats have expressed dismay about the increasing signs of anti-Semitism within the party. These include long time liberals such as Lanny Davis (President Clinton’s counsel) and Martin Peretz (publisher of the liberal magazine The New Republic, nicknamed the in-flight magazine of Air Force One during the Clinton era) who have expressed their concern regarding the increased anti-Semitism being voiced at the grassroots level. Many recent surveys and the Congressional voting records display ominous trends that show a marked erosion of support for Israel within the Democratic Party. Other groups have taken note of the increasing anti-Israel voting records of Democratic members of Congress. This is a departure from the traditional support the party has in the past shown for the America-Israel friendship. The times certainly do seem to be changing. As a recent advertisement by the Republican Jewish Coalition stated, “Today’s Democratic Party is not {your} father’s Democratic Party”. Why might this be so? A short answer might be because political parties evolve-sometimes in a radical fashion over time. [1] This is a manifestation of the dynamism that has so enriched America since its founding. In the case of the Democratic Party, there has been a sharp leftward turn; since the left has become a main source of anti-Israel ideology in the Western World it has affected the attitudes towards Israel within the party. But there may be an added dimension to explain the erosion of support for Israel within the party. The demographic composition of the grassroots base and the type of leaders who control the party have changed. The sources of financial support for the party have also shifted. Together, these structural changes have weakened, and will continue to weaken, the traditional support the Party has heretofore shown for the American Israel alliance. Political Bases While divining the bases of a political party is more of an art than a science, certain voting blocs are considered reliably Democratic: Jews, union members, city-dwellers, and blacks. The party’s members have increasingly become secular. Examining the role that the America-Israel relationship plays in the basket of concerns of each of these groups will provide a forecast of how the Democratic Party will increasingly view the state of Israel. America’s Jewish Community America’s Jewish community has been one of the most stalwart supporters of the Democratic Party since World War Two. The community is also supportive of the America-Israel alliance. However, demographics are destiny and they are unfavorable. Jews get married later and have fewer children than the average American. Intermarriage is also a factor in the declining Jewish population in America (most children of such couples are not raised in the Jewish faith). As the population grows in America through higher fertility rates among other groups in America and by high levels of immigration, the Jewish percentage of the American population has declined from a mid-century high of 3.7 percent to somewhere between 2 and 2.5 percent – and heading downward. Even though Jews may vote at a higher rate than the population as a whole and tend to live in states with a high number of electoral votes, this impact will diminish as the population declines. Jews will become a smaller part of the Democratic Party if for no other reason than they will become a smaller and smaller part of the American population as a whole. Therefore, the Democratic Party has will be less concerned with supporting the America-Israel alliance. This only highlights the importance of having allies among the other Democratic bases that will also support a strong America-Israel alliance. However, as the Democratic Party has evolved, the news on this front is not favorable. Unions Historically, unions were among the earliest and most ardent supporters of Israel. Unions such as the International Ladies Garment Workers Union (ILGWU) were heavily Jewish in their membership, and many of those members were relatively recent immigrants from Europe. Many had lost friends in family in the Holocaust. Other unions were militantly anti-Communist and saw Israel as a bulwark against the rise of Soviet adventurism in the Middle East. The unions also had a fraternal feeling towards Israel during its early years, since Isarel followed, to some extent, policies that were favorable towards labor. Ties were developed between American labor unions and their Israeli equivalents; Israeli bonds were purchased; political support in America was offered and warmly appreciated. Leaders such as David Dubinsky of the ILGWU and Lane Kirkland of the AFL-CIO were in the vanguard of strong supporters of Israel during their tenure. However, unions have changed. As the prejudice that barred Jews from many professions declined, and as educational opportunities opened, the number of Jews in unions declined. They are simply not there to advocate for strong ties between Israel and America. Furthermore, the Cold War is over. Unions no longer are concerned with larger geopolitical issues. Anxiety over outsourcing has led to a decidedly anti-globalization attitude. The unions have turned inward and isolationist, concentrating on domestic concerns such as health care, increasing the minimum wage, and preventing the export of jobs overseas. The president of the AFL-CIO is John Sweeney, a member of the Democratic Socialist of America. The head of the very fast-growing Service Employees International Union is Andy Stern who also has an activist liberal background. SEIU members have shown up to support anti-Israel demonstrations in various cities. Both Sweeney and Stern seem to have an international view that only encompasses the topic of globalization and outsourcing of labor. They do not have an interest in supporting a foreign nation (Israel). Indeed, they have become forces of isolationism in our nation. To the extent that organized labor has any interest outside our borders, it is geared towards the southern nations that are sources of immigrant labor and not to the Middle East. There are no more Lane Kirklands. The teacher unions, in particular, have a great deal of influence over the Democratic Party. Teachers comprise up to a third of the delegates to the Democrat National Convention, provide the unpaid volunteers that man the phone banks, knock on the doors, hand out the campaign literature, and drive people to the polls to vote. The Wall Street Journal had good reasons to characterize them as an arm of the Democratic National Committee. The teaching profession was once a popular option for Jews, given the reverence for learning and the prejudice that many Jews faced in the business world. However, the decline of prejudice throughout America has led to an exodus from the profession as Jews found more career options available to them. Not only are there fewer Jewish members in the teachers’ ranks who could educate their peers about Israel, but the teaching profession as a whole has taken on an insidious and increasingly anti-Israel bias. At the college level, professors tend toward the most liberal end of the spectrum and have certainly adopted some of the fashionable anti-Israel attitudes that emanate from the left (anti-colonialism, anti-imperialism, anti-Westernism, anti-capitalism: all possible sources of bias against Israel). This animus towards Israel that has led to boycott and divestment calls against Israel in European and Canadian universities has migrated to American campuses. Some of the leading anti-Israel ideologues are professors: Noam Chomsky, Tony Judt, Stephen Walt and John Mearsheimer (who wrote a paper on the “Israel Lobby” widely derided as anti-Semitic); the Middle Eastern Studies faculty at Columbia University has been widely criticized for its bias against Israel and Jews. [2] Lest anyone take comfort from the fact that these anti-Israel voices are limited to a few universities (albeit, prestigious ones) and to professors who are not members of a teachers union, this ideology has migrated down to the K-12 level where unionization is prevalent. High-school textbook publishers have increasingly felt comfortable in covering Islam in a favorable light, often at the expense of Israel. The American Textbook Council has expressed deep concerns over this trend. A subtle effort is underway in primary and secondary schools to undermine Israel. The Institute for Jewish and Community Research notes, Groups with political agendas produce their own resources on religion and the Middle East and make these materials available for free as supplemental teaching resources for the primary and secondary grades. An anti-Israel bias has been documented in primary and secondary materials and textbooks. Often, anti-Israel bias occurs in textbooks because of oversimplification or misinformation. For instance, references to the 1973 war fail to mention that Egypt and Syria launched a surprise attack against Israel on Yom Kippur. Teacher training seminars are being held with faculty from university Middle East studies departments. Muslim educational organizations hold conferences around the country for primary and secondary educators to attend, and they include an anti-Israel bias. In fact, a series of fully funded teacher workshops, entitled, “Teaching About the Arab World and Islam,” sponsored by the Middle East Policy Council and conducted by Arab World and Islamic Resources and School Services (AWAIR), had a Fall 2002 schedule which includes workshops in California, Texas, Arizona, Georgia, and more. A recent profile of the founder and executive director of AWAIR noted that she has “had a tremendous impact on schools nationwide, speaking in 160 cities in 42 states. There will be more instances similar to the one in Andover (MA) High School where a high-school teacher openly advocates for Hamas, expresses anti-Semitism, and indoctrinates and pays his students to join him in his efforts. When this came to light, the Teachers’ Union President praised the teacher and defended the propriety of the teacher’s actions and beliefs. The President of the union commended the teacher as a “courageous defender of human rights. He continues to work on behalf of people who have been disfranchised from their rights as well as removed from their land”. On the labor front, California has led the way as it so often does. Recently, the United Teachers of Los Angeles offered to a host a meeting that was designed to organize a “local boycott, divestment and sanctions campaign in support of the Palestinian people”. We will be witnessing more of these efforts by teacher unions, part of a spectrum of activities that have increasingly politicized the profession in a direction highly unfavorable towards the American-Israel alliance. The NEA, AFT and other unions have increasingly devoted their members’ dues to supporting groups that have absolutely nothing to do with furthering their members’ interests. Last year alone, the NEA gave 65 million dollars of members’ dues to left-liberal groups, including to Jesse Jackson’s Rainbow PUSH, Amnesty International, (a frequent critic of Israel), and the Human Rights Campaign. The leaders of the NEA clearly are supportive the very types of groups that all too often have anti-Israel attitudes. We will be seeing more of this type of activism in the years ahead (it is already becoming more prevalent in Canada) because, as columnist Mona Charen has pointed out, graduate schools of education are increasingly devoting their time to politically indoctrinating the future teachers of America. The African-American community Lamentably, the alliance between Jews and blacks in America that was so strong before and during the civil rights years has been rent asunder in the last 30 years. This has been much commented upon. The causes behind this rupture are beyond the scope of this article but it is a sad reality. The level of anti-Semitism within the black community is the highest among any community in America (3 to 4 times that of the white community). As minorities, blacks might feel a kinship with Palestinians and Arabs in general, whom they perceive to be oppressed minorities. The increasingly large black Muslim population shares a religious bond with the wider Muslim world. Unfortunately, many current black leaders have done nothing to counter the rising anti-Semitism in the community and in some cases stoke it. While Martin Luther King was a strong supporter of Zionism in theory and Israel in fact, his successors are cut from a different cloth. Black leaders such as Al Sharpton, Jesse Jackson, Andrew Young, Louis Farakkhan all have records marred by a history of anti-Semitism. [3] The Congressional Black Caucus has increasingly voted against Israel in Congress. Representative Cynthia McKinney (D-Georgia) and her supporters have had a long history of anti-Semitic statements. Congressman John Conyers hosted a mock impeachment hearing featuring known anti-Semitic conspiracy theorists (while the “hearing” was proceeding, anti-Semitic literature was being distributed by activists at the Democratic National headquarters). Congress likely will be soon welcoming its first Muslim and first black Muslim member: Keith Ellison, a Democrat from Minnesota, who has been a supporter of the Nation of Islam and its anti-Semitic leader, Louis Farrakhan. Regrettably, the efforts that the American Jewish community made on behalf of the black community in America seems has been unappreciated and certainly has not been reciprocated in recent years. This key component of the Democratic Party will not be a strong source of support for the America-Israel alliance going forward. Secularization of the Democratic Party The Democratic Party has increasingly become secularized (and mirrors Europe in this regard). Numerous surveys show that the party is perceived to be unfriendly toward religion. In their concern with ensuring the separation of church and state and their reliance on funding from the entertainment industry, the Democratic Party has lost support among the faithful. Attendance at religious institutions correlates closely with political affiliation. Voters who say they go to religious services every week usually vote for Republicans. Those who don’t attend on a regular basis vote Democratic. As the frequency of attendance increases, so does the intensity of the partisanship. How will this affect the party’s approach towards the America-Israel relationship? By another simple correlation. The more religious a person is, the more likely they are to have positive feelings towards Israel, to sympathize with Israel, and to support Israel. Various Pew surveys over the years have focused on this pronounced and deep relationship . In one recent survey, 22% of Americans said their religious beliefs were the biggest influence in determining their support for Israel. Of those who sympathize with Israel, fully one-third state that their sympathy arises from their religious beliefs. While there has been much misinformation regarding the reasons why evangelicals support Israel, there is no doubt that their support has been in a key during these perilous times. The support is strongest precisely among the group most that is the polar opposite of your typical Democrat: white evangelicals who describe themselves as political conservatives. They are three times as likely to back Israel as were evangelicals who merely described themselves as moderates. Foreign Affairs magazine, the magazine of foreign policy elites, has taken note of the importance of evangelicals to Israel in a major article, “God’s Country” written by Walter Russell Mead. Furthermore, the massive growth of evangelicals in overseas countries offers hope for increased diplomatic support for Israel in the future. The “religious gap” between the two parties is reflected in the increasing gap in levels of support the two parties extend towards the America-Israel alliance. Will that gap continue to widen? Democrat Voter Initiatives The Democratic Party has also been engaged in initiatives that will have the effect of further silencing the voice of pro-Israel supporters within the party. The party is seeking to expand voting rights to felons, which are denied by many states (the reasoning being that criminals guilty of major crimes should not have a role in helping to select lawmakers). As has been reported many times in the media, prisons have become centers of extreme Islamic proselytizing. Does anyone think those felons will be supportive of the America-Israel alliance? Efforts to loosen voting requirements and abolish the Electoral College will also tend to weaken the support for the America-Israel alliance within the party, and within America. This is for two reasons: states such as Florida, New York, Ohio and Pennsylvania have relatively large Jewish populations, the impact of which can swing the election in that particular state to one candidate or another. These states also have a large number of electoral votes that can determine the President. By eliminating the Electoral College, these swing voters and their impact will be rendered meaningless. The same dynamic will affect pro-Israel Christian voters in smaller, more rural states. Their votes will become much less important if the Electoral College system is abolished. Meanwhile, Democrats have capitalized on the maligned “War on Terror” and the near hysteria over civil rights issues to court the increasing number of Muslims in America. Muslims have begun organizing politically and are receptive to these overtures. Daniel Pipes, a well-known scholar on Islam, has predicted that Arabs will become increasingly a key component of the Democratic Party and that the Democratic party will “abandon its historic sympathy for Israel”. Leadership Leaders have great powers to determine the future of parties. This has been recognized for years: Franklin Delano Roosevelt crafted an alliance of groups that sustained and empowered the Democratic Party for generations. Ronald Reagan had similar powers to transform the Republican Party. A similar process is underway in the Democratic Party today, and it will lead to a further erosion of support for Israel. Why? The Democratic Leaders are Europeanoid in outlook. While they may have US citizenship, this is a mere technicality. In many ways they have a set of attitudes (a discomfort with people of faith, an anti-business attitude, a mania for rules and regulations, nationalized medical care, higher taxes, an appreciation for the “virtues” of international organizations) more in common with Europeans elites than your average American. The Democrat elites certainly seem to share much of the lack of religious faith that afflicts the European continent. Recall how Howard Dean and John Kerry had problems dealing with religion both during and after their campaign (when Dean tried to pretend a knowledge of the Bible that he clearly did not have). The Democratic Party is constantly trying to develop ways to appeal to people of faith precisely because it does not come naturally to them. This lack of faith might account, by the way, for both the European and Democratic difficulties in appreciating the extent to which religious extremism can motivate some Muslims to commit terror. (The Congressmen who most seem alert to the dangers of religious extremism are men well-known for their own religiosity –Senators Brownback, Santorum, and Lieberman, for example.) How did these attitudes develop and how are they sustained? Many of the Democratic elites (John Kerry, among them) spent considerable amounts of time during their formative years overseas or in Ivy League universities. Recall John Kerry’s summers in (where else?) France; or Clinton’s coterie of fellow Oxford graduates. They took deep draughts of the trans-Atlantic ideas that are held in common with European elites. Ivy League universities are clones in many ways of European universities: they often exchange professors from time to time, teach from the same material, and have the same ideological mindset that they inculcate in their students. This commonality has been deepened after college by frequent attendance at international conferences, ceremonies, and cocktail parties. The echo chamber and group think effect has taken hold; in this small universe a common mind-set developed. This process can be called in homage to one of the factors that facilitated the process, the Concorde convergence. However, the Europeanization of the Democratic Party elites goes beyond this dynamic. In many ways, the coastal cities and the rarified environs that the elite play in are very similar to Europe’s major cities. The brilliant urban theorist Joel Kotkin calls these generally East coast cities Euro-America . He writes, “Euro-America has always existed in pockets, most particularly among the East Coast’s intellectual, cultural and social elites”. He traces this strengthening trend from the early 1800s to contemporary America. He continues, “Today the embrace of European values and perspectives also reflects profound economic and social similarities between Euro-America and the continent.” While they may be losing population and stagnating, “neither Europe, nor its America simulacra, should be dismissed. Resting on great accomplishments of generations past, they enjoy a near monopoly in major media and top universities”. Kotkin also noted that these Democratic powerhouses are becoming increasingly estranged from the political and cultural norms of the rest of America. [4] We can call these elite leaders not metrosexuals, as Howard Dean might; instead we can call them trans-Europeans. As Kotkin says, they seek “inspiration from abroad.” (or approval from abroad, as in John Kerry’s “Global Test”) How might this effect the America-Israel alliance? Europe has been anti-Israel for decades. Whether these policies derive from a desire to curry favor with wealthy Arab oil nations, keep their growing Muslim populations mollified, residual anti-Semitism, guilt over their colonial past, a prevailing moral relativism that refuses to see acts by Arab terrorists as immoral (such as refusing to list Hezbollah as a terror organization) [5] is irrelevant. What is relevant is the long history of European pressure on Israel to appease Arab extremism. There is a litany of acts that are hostile to Israel and that have endangered her people: arms bans, refusal to permit US aircraft to refuel in military bases or over fly European airspace in order to re-supply Israel in the 1973 War, BBC bias in their news reporting, boycotts, legal actions against Israeli leaders, diplomatic arm twisting (recall the French Ambassador to England who characterized Israel as a “shitty little country”). There has been an appeasement orientated ideology that has become the paramount principle in Europe’s approach towards the Middle East and a reliance on the United Nations as a “mediator” between Israel and its foes. This has also become the mantra of the Democratic Party. Whether it is the repeated calls to rely on our friends overseas to guide our conduct (epitomized by John Kerry’s “Global Test” to vouchsafe our foreign policy actions) or the deference to multilateral institutions and purported human rights groups that tend to be very biased against Israel, [6] the Democratic Party seems to approve of one type of outsourcing: our foreign policy. The Democratic Party has made a fetish out of the United Nations, believing it to be the paramount guide to international relations. This is perilous for Israel, for if there were any international group that has greater animus towards Israel than the Arab League it would be the United Nations. The data available to document the UN’s actions against Israel is enormous and ever-growing: from endangering her safety in 1967 by removing its forces that separated Egyptian armed forces from Israel, to endless rounds of denunciation and obloquy, to the creation the only refugee body geared towards a single group (the Palestinians), to the outrages that Israel has had to endure (Yasser Arafat addressing the United Nations General Assembly with a gun in his belt), to UNIFIL aiding and abetting Hezbollah in its terror attacks against Israel, to the UN Relief and Works Administration blasé attitudes towards having Hezbollah members on its payroll and from having its buildings used to hide terrorists…well, the list is endless. One overlooked fact about the United Nations is the extent to which it serves to promote worldwide anti-Semitism. The global reach of the United Nations, its immense financial resources, the patina of prestige that it enjoys have given it great power (especially outside of America). The UN Conference on Racism in Durban, South Africa became an anti-Semitic hate fest reminiscent of Nuremberg rallies. While the US withdrew, other nations stayed, including those nations that would judge us under John Kerry’s “Global Test”. Professor Anna Bayefsky noted in a Wall Street Journal column that the UN’s “dirty little secret” is that it not only condones anti-Semitism but also has encouraged its growth. Another column by the same author noted that at one UN Conference experts found that Jews themselves cause anti-Semitism. This latter article needs to be read to be believed, but one of the arguments made by an “expert” was that “superimposing the Jewish symbol of the Magen David on the Nazi swastika is not anti-Semitism”. When the Bush Administration finally pressured the UN to call a conference on anti-Semitism in 2004 (its first) the conference again was transformed into an anti-Israel auto de fe that highlighted Islamophobia as being the problem besetting the world. Exactly one mention of anti-Semitism was inserted into the resolution on religious intolerance. Fifty-four nations refused to support even that token gesture. Further examples of Bayefsky’s research can be found on the website of an organization which she heads, Eye on the UN, and in an interview she gave, the title of which says much about the organization that the Democratic Party idolizes: “The United Nations: Leading Global Purveyor of Anti-Semitism”. The General Assembly of the United Nations conjures up imagery of a mob in action. When has a mob ever helped Jews? Financial Support for the Party The financial supporters of a party have an impact on the policies that the party follows. While the McCain-Feingold act may have “reformed” campaign financing in some ways, loopholes exist and these are being exploited by groups and people with an anti-Israel agenda-some of which have been also tainted by anti-Semitism. [7] When limits were placed on contributions to candidates and parties, other groups have arisen that can engage in political activism to help in campaigns. These are so-called 527 groups (named for a section of the IRS code). They have heretofore been a major strength of the Democratic Party compared to the Republican Party. They can accept money without limits from donors. They can also accept donations from foreigners who otherwise are banned from giving directly to candidates. A recent development has been the rise of similar 501©(4) groups that do not even have to list their donors. Are Arab petrodollars finding their way to these groups, as they have towards colleges and think tanks and to an ownership stake in News Corporation (owner of Fox News)? The single biggest donor to 527 groups has been investor/currency speculator George Soros, who spent his formative years and early adulthood in Europe and certainly imbibed some of his guiding philosophy from there (as he admits). He also admits he is anti-Israel and blames Jews for anti-Semitism . Soros is a hedge fund manager whose hedge fund is registered in the Netherlands Antilles, thus cloaking its investors in complete anonymity. The fortune that Soros has made depends on investors in his hedge fund. He can funnel profits from his management fees back into America. Might there be Arab investors in his hedge fund that might influence his anti-Israel activity in America. [8] George Soros is reported to be involved, along with liberal activists, in plans to create a lobby to try to influence US policy towards the Middle East. [9] This should give one pause. Soros is anathema to the Republican Party so this effort will be clearly directed toward the Democratic Party. Soros is a renowned investor who waits until he senses an opportunity and then pounces with all his might. He apparently believes that the Democratic Party will be receptive to his anti-Israel overtures. Given his investment record, would anyone care to bet against him? The Democratic Party has historically been supportive of Israel. But other groups have also been supportive of Israel in the past, only to abandon it: the French and the United Nations, for example. The moral being that times and parties change. Tectonic forces are moving within the Democratic Party that are pushing it towards a European view of the world. [10] This will influence many areas of American life. One of the more immediate effects will be support for the America-Israel alliance. This transformation will be occurring during perilous times: Iran supports Hezbollah which routinely attacks Israel, and Iran is developing nuclear weapons and boasts of its plans to destroy half the world’s Jewish population (for starters). Will the Democratic Party toe the “European line” that refuses to consider Hezbollah a terrorist group (or in Dingell’s phraseology, “refuses to take sides between Hezbollah and Israel”) and fecklessly deal with Iran, permitting them to have the time they need to develop a nuclear arsenal? Given their fetishization of the United Nations this seems increasingly likely. For American supporters of the America-Israel alliance, it may be necessary to take off rose-colored glasses and fire up the long-range radar. The Democratic Party is changing and the American Jewish community must respond to these changes. Our lives depend on it. Notes [1] An increasing number of long-time liberals have realized that the party has changed: Peter Beinart, editor and chief of The New Republic; Christopher Hitchens-former columnist for the left-wing The Nation magazine. See also: Scoop Jackson Democrats Fade Away”. During the Civil War and for generations afterwards, the Republican Party, not the Democratic Party, could reliably count on the support of the black community. Within a few generations, these relationships were switched. [2] Arab petrodollars certainly play a part in the increasing academic bias against Israel. Professors occupy endowed chairs funded by Arab oil potentates; academic centers dealing with the Middle East are funded by huge “gifts” (nee investments) at universities such as Georgetown and Harvard –both of which have faculty members well-known for being apologists for Islamic extremism (Esposito at Georgetown, Stephen Walt at Harvard) or have engaged in screeds against Israel that have been characterized as intellectually flawed and anti-Semitic (Harvard). Have they compromised their standards or given vent to their emotions and ideological bias? After all, 54 percent of professors say U.S. Foreign Policy in the Middle East is partially responsible for the growth of Islamic militancy http://www.jewishresearch.org/Book-College.htm [3] Two, Jackson and Sharpton, have been presidential candidates in the past and as recently as two months ago were welcomed on the podium as Ned Lamont delivered his victory speech after he defeated Joe Lieberman in the Democratic primary for Senator. [4] Both areas also suffer from low fertility rates. This can be traced to people choosing not to have children; having children later in life; or choosing to have fewer children. The Roe-Effect may play a part. Abortion is more generally accepted among Democrats that dominate in these cities, leading to a lower population. Some have traced Europe’s aversion to the use of military force to a demographic deficit. Having fewer children has two results: the pool to for the military to draw from is small and there is a reluctance to risk the children they do have in military conflict. The same reasoning may be applicable to Democratic elites here. [5] As Europe refuses to put Hezbollah on its list of terror organizations (despite frequent attacks on Israelis, despite attacks against America and France that have killed hundreds, despite attacks against Jewish targets in South America, and despite a charter that calls for the destruction of a people) long-time Democratic Representative John Dingell refuses to take sides between Hezbollah and Israel. European-style moral relativism at work. [6] Federal judges (usually Democrat-appointees) are increasingly using or referring to European legal precedent to form their decisions. European legal scholars have been well represented in the International Court of Justice: a “judicial body” that has become a fierce and unrelenting critic of Israel. Do we want a Congress dominated by Democrats to confirm these types of judges who will decide how we deal with the specter of Islamic terror? After all, a Clinton appointee just gave terror supporter Lynne Stewart a token sentence for aiding and abetting terror mastermind Sheik Omar-Abdel Rahman. [7] See this and this. [8] Recently, George Soros gave his largest political donation for this year to former (and future) presidential candidate Wesley Clark . Afterwards, Clark gave a speech at the University of Alabama during which he stated that US support for Israel in its war with Hezbollah was a mistake. A taste of things to come? [9] Most recently, Senator Barack Obama has suggested we work with Syria and Iran over Iraq. Those are precisely the two nations that will gain power in such a “negotiation: They are also both sworn enemies of our ally, Israel. [10] Observing the Canadian political landscape may provide a glimpse into our future. There, the Liberal Party (comparable to the Democratic Party) has become increasingly anti-Israel. One of its most powerful leaders, and a candidate for the top leadership post, was a former professor from Harvard University (a big Euro-American pocket) and he has accused Israel of war crimes. However, this is only one instance of its attacks against Israel: another Liberal Member of Parliament called Israel a state sponsor of terrorism and called for closer relations with Hezbollah . leaving the Liberal party. Ed Lasky is news editor of American Thinker.
  7. It depends on how many healthy "Varsity" players Garrison has left. :whistle:
  8. Actually, Ted Kennedy was the one who called him Osama bin Laden . . . errrah Obama! :whistle: Just another left wing wacked out liberal!!! :w00t:
  9. I think Obama is Osama's 2nd cousin . . . or something like that! :whistle::w00t::whistle:
  10. Just for a few starters:J.C. Watts George Allen Steve Largent Rudy Giuliani Jon Kyl Alan Keyes
  11. McCain has burned too many conservative bridges to get the nomination, I believe. I would support him over Osama given the choice although I disagree with him on some issues. :whistle:
  12. What has he ever done besides give a speech at the Democratic National Convention? I hardly think that qualifies him to be the Commander in Chief. If you look at his two year voting record in the senate, he's just another liberal. :whistle: Hillary would be wise to offer him a spot on the ticket, if he's willing. :turned:
  13. Maybe CNN is embedded with the terrorists! :wacko: I know all they want to film and report on is how badly we are getting attacked and how our soldiers are being killed. How about a success story once in a while? Oh, that wouldn't fit their anti-war, anti-Bush agenda! :whistle:
  14. I was thinking Garrison looked pretty good for a playoff spot after the fight they put up against Tatum . . . boy I was wrong!!! :messbaby: I was a wake up call for the Eagles. We all have to keep the faith . . . at least you know Tatum will make the playoffs, and it's a whole new season starting that week!!! I'm rooting for whichever three playoff teams represent 19AA! :w00t:
  15. Is Glenn injured? I turned on the game half way through the 1st quarter and I haven't seen him yet. :shrug:
  16. There is already another post about the Foley matter. If you want to talk about Foley, go there. I posted THIS article as a reminder that there is corruption on both sides of the isle . . . JUST TO BE FAIR! :whistle:
  17. Troup 54 EF 14
  18. I totally agree! I hate the one Celina uses as well. The game should be about the fans cheering their team, not some artificial noise maker operated by some nut! :w00t:
  19. Favorite: Homer Bryce - SFA :thumbsup: Least Favorite: Waco ISD :thumbdown:
  20. Hillary's brother targeted in new investigation demand Judicial Watch wants to know if there's connection between pardon, payments Posted: October 18, 2006 1:00 a.m. Eastern By Bob Unruh © 2006 WorldNetDaily.com A new wrinkle in the "Pardongate" scandal that embroiled the Clintons just after former President Bill Clinton issued a series of pardons, and then relinquished the nation's highest office: Hillary Rodham Clinton's brother is being investigated for a "loan" from some of those pardoned. Judicial Watch, the Washington-based public interest group that investigates government corruption, said it has asked for a formal investigation of the payments from Vonna Jo Gregory to Anthony Rodham. According to Tom Fitton, president of Judicial Watch, the request to the U.S. Department of Justice seeks an investigation into activities involving Hillary Clinton, Anthony Rodham, former President Clinton and Gregory, the former owner of the carnival company United Shows International. Records show that in March 2000, former President Clinton pardoned Vonna Jo Gregory, and her husband, Edgar Gregory, Jr., for a 1982 bank fraud conviction. Judicial Watch said starting around the time the pardon was issued, Hillary Clinton's brother, Anthony Rodham received $107,000 in "loans" from United Shows International. The first payment of $10,000 was on May 10, 2000, and other payments ranging up to $15,000 followed almost monthly into 2001, with a final payment of $2,500 on Feb. 12, 2002, according to court records. The company later filed for bankruptcy, and the "loans" apparently never were repaid. Edgar Gregory, Jr., died a short time later. But Michael Collins, a court-appointed trustee for the Eastern District of Virginia who is handling the United Shows International's finances, now has sought repayment from Rodham and won a default judgment in a Nashville bankruptcy court. "There is now sufficient reason … for the U.S. Department of Justice to launch an investigation into Mr. Rodham's unlawful pardon brokerage activities," Fitton wrote in a letter to Assistant Attorney General Alice Fisher. "It is … apparent that the reason for the payment of 'loans' to Mr. Rodham by United Shows and Edgar and Vonna Jo Gregory was a quid pro quo to influence President Clinton to issue the pardons." The bankruptcy proceeding resulted in an order that Rodham is not allowed to access about $142,000 he had in his bank account at the time, Judicial Watch said. "In light of this new information on Hillary's brother, the Justice Department needs to finally get serious about this scandal," Fitton said. "No one should get away with selling pardons." The former president granted 140 pardons and commuted 36 sentences during the last days of his presidency in 2000. Many were convicted felons, and Judicial Watch has alleged some paid large fees to Clinton family members and associates. Judicial Watch started its investigation of the claims in 2001. Sen. Clinton's other brother, Hugh Rodham, also allegedly received $400,000 in payments from convicted felons who received pardons, Judicial Watch said. According to a report by United Press International, the bankruptcy trustee has attempted to garnish Rodham's wages, and his lawyer has sought to have that cancelled. The bankruptcy trustee request is for the return of $107,000 plus $46,034 in interest from Rodham, 51, who "received the benefit of the loans without making any repayment," according to a web report called Captain's Quarters.
  21. I wonder if she will ever "own up" to fibbing about being a Yankee's fan all of her life? :whistle:
  22. Finally admits she was not named for famous mountain climber :whistle: Posted: October 17, 2006 10:39 a.m. Eastern © 2006 WorldNetDaily.com Sir Edmund Hillary Years after alternative media pointed out the virtual impossibility, Sen. Hillary Clinton finally has admitted she was not named for the famous conqueror of Mount Everest, Sir Edmund Hillary. The New York Times, which repeated the claim as fact in a story just one week ago, reported Sen. Clinton's campaign issued a correction yesterday. "It was a sweet family story her mother shared to inspire greatness in her daughter, to great results I might add," said spokeswoman Jennifer Hanley. For more than a decade, Sen. Clinton's informal biography repeated the story, and it was recounted in former President Bill Clinton's 2004 autobiography, "My Life." The problem with the tale, however, is one of timing. Sir Edmund and his Sherpa guide, Tenzing Norgay, became known to the world only in 1953, after becoming the first men to reach Everest's summit. Sen. Clinton was born in 1947. Nevertheless, Clinton recounted to the press her meeting with Sir Edmund in 1995, during an Asian tour, in which she told the mountain climber how her mother had named her. "It had two l's, which is how she thought she was supposed to spell Hillary," she said. "So when I was born, she called me Hillary, and she always told me it's because of Sir Edmund Hillary." In 1947, Sir Edmund was an unknown beekeeper, but Clinton had explained her mother read about him in a publication while pregnant and liked the name. The Oct. 10 Times story – about Sen. Clinton's mother moving in to the family's house in Washington – stated "her mother named her for the mountaineer Sir Edmund Hillary."
  23. You must have slept through the eight years before GWB took office! :whome:
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