Don Singleton

Sunday, May 21, 2006

Religious Liberals Gain New Visibility

WaPo The religious left is back. Long overshadowed by the Christian right,

I know the Christian right follows Christ. What does the "religious left" do, pretend to have faith, but are they so tightly linked to the Secular Humanist Left that they are afraid to say who they worship?

religious liberals across a wide swath of denominations are engaged today in their most intensive bout of political organizing and alliance-building since the civil rights and anti-Vietnam War movements of the 1960s, according to scholars, politicians and clergy members. n large part, the revival of the religious left is a reaction against conservatives' success in the 2004 elections in equating moral values with opposition to abortion and same-sex marriage.Religious liberals say their faith compels them to emphasize such issues as poverty, affordable health care and global warming. Disillusionment with the war in Iraq and opposition to Bush administration policies on secret prisons and torture have also fueled the movement.

So they like some sort of faith, but they are not strong on defense, so when the Islamoterrorists challeng them to accept Islam rather than being attacked, they would be more likely to do it.

For soldiers, gratitude and praise from an Iraqi mayor

Rocky Mountain News An Iraqi mayor stood before troops lined up on the lawn at Fort Carson on Friday morning and said only two words in English. But those two words brought the crowd to its feet. "Thank you." It was a telling gesture from Tal Afar Mayor Najim Al Jibouri, who spoke for about 20 minutes in his native tongue praising the 3rd Armored Cavalry for saving his city from certain ruin. It was his first trip to the United States, arriving via Washington, D.C., then coming to Colorado Springs with his wife and son. The mayor was invited as a part of a welcoming ceremony at Fort Carson for those who had just finished another tour in Iraq.

Al Jibouri, dressed in a black suit with a lavender tie, said he was glad to be back among them. "Are you truly my friends?" he asked through a translator. "Yes. I walk a happier man because you are my friends. You are the world to me. I smell the sweet perfume that emanates from your flower of your strength, honor and greatness in every corner of Tal Afar. The nightmares of terror fled when the lion of your bravery entered our city."

That is an interesting way of expressing a feeling which clearly came from his heart.

Saturday, May 20, 2006

Iraq forms a cabinet

Bloomberg reported Iraqi Prime Minister-designate Nuri al-Maliki announced his cabinet today after more than five months of negotiations during which he and his coalition partners failed to agree on an interior or defense minister. Al-Maliki named his 37 cabinet members in a press conference carried live by Dubai, United Arab Emirates-based al-Arabiya television station. Hoshyar Zebari retained his post as foreign minister and Hussain Sharistani was named oil minister. Maliki, who presented the appointments to the legislature for approval, will temporarily run the interior ministry and Deputy Prime Minister Salam al-Zaubai the defense ministry.

Congratulations, and welcome to the 21st Century's newest democratic government

Quote of the Day

PoliPundit has what must be the Quote of the Day: Ulta-liberal comedian Lewis Black once said something that sums up the immigration debate in the Quisling Senate:

The only thing dumber than a Republican or a Democrat is when these two pricks work together.

Friday, May 19, 2006

Photo ID Required For Federal Elections?

Hotline On Call reported An amendment to the immigration bill being debated in the U.S. Senate would make it mandatory for all voters to present photo identification before casting ballots in a federal election by Jan. 1, 2008.

Damn, if this passes I may have to support the Senate Bill I was happy they included a 350 mile fence, but I really want something the entire way. But if this ammendment is approved, I may have to stop hoping the House will block this bill.

Senate Majority Whip Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., introduced the amendment (S.A. 4021) to The Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act of 2006 (S.B. 2611).

Fencing Logic: More miles = fewer deaths?

Mickey Kaus wrote in Slate The A.P. reports--

"We don't think you fence off the entire border," Snow told reporters aboard Air Force One. But, he added, "there are places when fences are appropriate." The Senate was following the lead of the House, which passed a bill last year that would have constructed 700 miles of fencing. Bush has talked repeatedly about building fences along the border in urban areas, but told CNN Espanol in March that "it's impractical to fence off the border."

If you put a fence only in "urban areas," doesn't that mean would-be illegals will seek to cross the border in more remote, rural areas, where more will die of thirst and exposure? Is that a humane result? We want to discourage desperate foreigners from even making the attempt, which means a fence in rural areas as well as urban areas, no? You could even argue a fence in rural areas is more "appropriate." (We have policemen to patrol urban areas. It's the hundreds of miles of desert where you need a fence.)

I don't agree with that; I believe you need a fence both places.

The logic of seems inescapable. The U.S., in this sense, is an attractive nuisance like a swimming pool. If you want to keep neighborhood children from using the pool, and possibly drowning, you don't partially fence it in. You completely fence it in. ... Full funding for full fencing!

I support that.

... P.S.: Sure, Bush has said "it's impractical to fence off the border." But earlier this week he wasn't willing to flatly endorse even the 320 miles the Senate supported. Today he was. Give him time. He's caving fast! Nation-building in Iraq was a lot more "impractical."

Glenn Reynolds said Mexican immigrants are adults, though, not children.

That is true, but I agree with Mickey, we need to fence the entire border.

Holocaust Revisited

Canada.com reported Iranian expatriates living in Canada yesterday confirmed reports that the Iranian parliament, called the Islamic Majlis, passed a law this week setting a dress code for all Iranians, requiring them to wear almost identical "standard Islamic garments." The law, which must still be approved by Iran's "Supreme Guide" Ali Khamenehi before being put into effect, also establishes special insignia to be worn by non-Muslims. Iran's roughly 25,000 Jews would have to sew a yellow strip of cloth on the front of their clothes, while Christians would wear red badges and Zoroastrians would be forced to wear blue cloth.

First Ahmadinejad said the Holocaust never happened; now he is following Hitler's playbook. This procedure of making non-Muslims wear distinctive clothing so that they can be easily recognized is called dhimmis. The next step is to make them pay an annual tax known as the jizya and accept various restrictions and legal disabilities. We have already seen this nutcase issue his da'wa or Call to Islam to both President Bush and the Pope. And according to DoctorZin "Former Military Intelligence chief Aharon Ze'evi, speaking at a Jaffee Center for Strategic Studies conference in Tel Aviv University, said that Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinijad has been overheard promising the 'end of history in two or three years.'", i.e. he is going to trigger the End Times Battle. Is there any doubt that we need to take this nutcase out NOW.

There's no reason to believe they won't pass this," said Rabbi Hier. "It will certainly pass unless there's some sort of international outcry over this."

Kim Priestap blogged If not now, when? What ever happened to "never again"?

Update Michelle Malkin links to IsraPundit who says the report MAY not be true.

Update 8 pm Iran's only Jewish MP strongly denied the report, CQ says Canada.com has pulled the original story, although Amir Taheri's article is still available.

Senate Votes English as 'National Language'

WaPo After an emotional debate fraught with symbolism, the Senate yesterday voted to make English the "national language" of the United States,

But not the "Official Language"

declaring that no one has a right to federal communications or services in a language other than English

It is about time.

except for those already guaranteed by law. The measure, approved 63 to 34, directs the government to "preserve and enhance" the role of English, without altering current laws that require some government documents and services be provided in other languages.

Now we just need to go to work on those laws.

Opponents, however, said it could negate executive orders, regulations, civil service guidances and other multilingual ordinances not officially sanctioned by acts of Congress.

Hopefully it will.

Senators Left Out of Loop Make Their Pique Known

NYT reported There were two types of senators at Thursday's confirmation hearing for Gen. Michael V. Hayden: the briefed, and the briefed-nots. The former were mostly polite. The latter, especially Democrats, threw the Congressional equivalent of a temper tantrum.

They need to demonstrate that they can be trusted, and when secrets are leaked they need to encourage prosecution of the leaker, rather than taking political advantage of the leak, and maybe they would be brought into the loop on more secrets.

Thursday, May 18, 2006

Is It a Civil War Yet?

Not in Iraq but Gaza.: Clarity & Resolve blogged It looks like Palestinian Arabs are getting exactly what they voted for and just what they deserve: Gaza Gunfight Erupts Between Hamas, Fatah

A gun battle erupted early Friday between the new Hamas security force and rival Fatah forces in Gaza City, police officials said.
Maybe they will kill each other off, and those that are left can make peace with Israel.
Two police officers were wounded. An Associated Press reporter in Gaza City heard the gunfire break out. The Palestinian police, who are mostly Fatah loyalists, were instructed by radio to respond with force to any attacks by Hamas forces. The gun battle erupted just after midnight near the Palestinian parliament building, witnesses said. The two policemen were shot in the legs and were not in serious condition, hospital officials said. The AP reporter said Hamas forces closed off the streets leading to police headquarters, the stronghold of the Fatah loyalists, and sporadic exchanges of fire could be heard every few minutes, half an hour after the clash began. Police were running to their posts.

Probably a Mossad/C.I.A. plot.

Muslims in Somalia

Christian Persecution Blog reported

Since U.S. and U.N. peacekeeping troops left in 1995, Islamic mobs have murdered more than 500 members of the persecuted church in Somalia. Militia groups were incited to kill Christians and Jews to gain the shortest route to heaven.
I suspeect on Judgement Day they will be very surprised.
Christians Liban Gala, John Warsame and Mudde Ali were shot in front of a cheering crowd before verses from the Koran were read over their bodies, which were later dumped and half-eaten by wild dogs. Martyrs’ bodies, including those of Michael Guleed and Afgoye Somalia, were even dragged behind trucks.
Somali Christian refugee, Diriye Barre of Minneapolis, recounted how Muslim militants left him for dead after shooting out his right eye and piercing his neck with a second bullet. He is fortunate, as Christians are now the only group having no place to flee in Somalia, and cannot register as refugees to resettle in other countries. Because refugee camps are controlled by Muslims, most believers have fled to the remote areas of Ethiopia and Kenya along the border.
Somalia’s persecuted church was started by British protestant missionaries in the north and Italian Catholic missionaries in the south decades ago, and it remains a small minority. Islamic organizations consider all Somali nationals as Muslims by birth, calling for Shariah law’s death sentence on Christian converts.
These Muslims must have not read the Quran: Surah 2:256 – “There is no compulsion in religion…” and Surah 88:21-22 – “And so, (O Prophet!) exhort them, your task is only to exhort; you cannot compel them to believe.”
Foreign relief workers have been killed in front of their children in their own homes, which were then burned. This happened to World Vision’s Mr. Shikhdoon and Swedish Relief Organization’s Mr. Salmon. The Muslim mob later forced themselves upon the martyrs’ wives after threatening them to reconvert.
What if they were never Muslims to start with?

Ahmadinejad is writing a letter to Pope Benedict

Reuters Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is writing a letter to Pope Benedict, following an unprecedented letter to U.S. President George W. Bush earlier this month, a newspaper said on Thursday.

Bryan blogged He also invited Bush to become a Muslim. And you would be wise to interpret the word “invite” to have a whiff of the mob inviting you to dinner at the end of a pier. Since al-Reuters doesn’t provide the context for these global pen pal missives, I will. These letters are hardly unprecedented, as al-Reuters says. Their origins go all the way back to Mohammed, who often issued letters to the kings of lands he was about to attack to invite them to accept Islam before Mohammed would invade to convert them by the sword. Thus, the religion of peace spread far and wide. This, now second letter from the hand of Ahmadinejad is a da’wa–a call to Islam. It follows Mohammed’s traditional letters. Implicit in such letters is the threat that if the recipient doesn’t accept Islam voluntarily, he and his land will accept it by force. Or die resisting.

In Crazy Mahmoud’s mind, he has now written to the chief of the world’s top secular superpower and is writing to the chief of the world’s unbelieving (vis a vis Islam) religious superpower (there being no equivalent of the pope in Islam). He is inviting them both to accept Islam, both personally and on behalf of their nation and church. Unless I miss my guess, in the letter to Benedict he will be, in essence, calling upon the Catholic Church to accept Islam–or die.

Should the Pope respond and invite Ahmadinejad to accept Jesus Christ as his personal saviour?

These letters are not well-wishes for the holidays or get-to-know-you cultural exchanges. They are threats. Mahmoud has something planned, and it would seem to me to be in the latter stages of finalization before it goes forward.

Update (Allahpundit): Bryan beat me to the punch, so I’ll merely add that MEMRI has video of this tool ranting yesterday about “nuts and chocolates.”

Ahmadinejad is clearly the nut. Who is the chocolate?

Whaaat???: Illegal Immigration Edition

Mary Katharine Ham wrote on Hugh Hewitt Seriously, if you could see me now, I'm very Yosemite Sam. Very stampy and tantrumy and incoherent. Just a few minutes ago, on the floor of the United States Senate, senators debated an amendment to the McCain immigration bill. This is not, by itself, profanity-inducing. But here's the substance of the debate-- Should ILLEGAL immigrants, once made legal by the McCain legislation, be entitled to receive the Social Security benefits they have paid into the system while ILLEGALLY using FRAUDULENT Social Security numbers STOLEN from actual, legal citizens of the United States of America.

This is obscene. Fortunately I don't think the Senate bill has a chance in the House, nor would a conference bill pass the house with this sort of stuff in it.

The fact that this is even up for debate is just beyond insane. Everyone knows we will never have enough Social Security funds to serve, you know, actual citizens. Every single one of those senators knows that, and they're debating whether we should extend such non-existent, unsustainable, budget-busting, generation-saddling benefits to millions of people who fraudulently entered the system by stealing the identities (and sometimes ruining the credit) of legal Americans?!?

Sen. Ensign, God bless him, offered an amendment suggesting illegals should not be eligible for Social Security benefits accrued while illegal. The U.S. Senate voted to kill that amendment, 50-49. here. Some of the usual Republican suspects voted to kill the amendment. Here's the list: McCain, Specter, Stevens, Voinovich, Lugar, Hagel, Dewine, Chafee, Brownback

Capitol switchboard, baby: (202) 224-3121

Reform in Turkey

Yahoo! News reported A gunman opened fire Wednesday in Turkey's highest administrative court, killing a prominent judge and wounding four others in an attack the suspect called retaliation for a ruling against a teacher who wore an Islamic head scarf.

Islam: the Religion of Peace, but if you do something we dont like, we will kill you.

Four of the justices, including Judge Mustafa Yucel Ozbilgin, who died of gunshot wounds to the head, had voted in February against the promotion of an elementary school teacher who wore an Islamic-style head scarf outside of work

Allah Pundit blogged He’s being investigated for ties to Hezbollah (the Turkish version, not the Lebanese one), but he insists his jihad was of the freelance variety. Wouldn’t be the first time. Two things make this story significant. First, it demonstrates how potentially important the judiciary is to reforming Muslim countries. Egypt has two judges on trial right now for daring to challenge the results of last year’s elections. Reformists have been out protesting, and getting beaten up, on their behalf for weeks. (Here’s the latest.) Second, the shooting could tip political momentum in Turkey back towards secularism. The fundamentalists have been gaining ground for awhile now, as exemplified by the election of Erdogan as prime minister. Turkey’s secularist president and Erdogan’s political enemies wasted no time pointing fingers at him today. I’ll keep an eye on the story over the next week to see if there’s any fallout.

Saudi press told to stop printing pictures of women

Independent reported Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah has told the country's newspapers to stop publishing pictures of women as they could lead young men astray.

It apparently is easy to lead Saudia youth astray. Does this mean leading them astray from their praying to Allah, or astray from their preparing for Jihad?

..... The authorities indefinitely postponed a move to replace male shop assistants with women at lingerie shops.

Talk about leading someone astray. Maybe the Union of Male Shop Assistants complained they were losing their jobs.

The proposal, offered as evidence of progress on women's rights, has been quietly shelved amid claims that shopowners need more time to manage the transition.

AllahPundit blogged Sounds like the reports of reform have been greatly exaggerated.

Wednesday, May 17, 2006

'The DaVinci Code' Stinks

Amy Proctor blogged Ian McKellen, homosexual activist and talented British actor, said this to NBC’s Matt Lauer during an interview with the cast of The DaVinci Code :

"I have often thought that the Bible should have a disclaimer in the front saying, ‘THIS IS FICTION’. I mean, walking on water? It takes an act of faith."
The Bible certainly is not fiction, but you are right, it does require an act of Faith.

McKellen said yesterday:

“When I put the book down I thought, ’what a load of potential codswallop’. “That’s still going on in my mind. But I’m very happy to believe that Jesus was married.” “I know that the Catholic church has problems with gay people and I thought that this was absolute truth that Jesus was not gay.”
I suspect he means proof. However I dont see how portraying Christ as married proves anything one way or the other about him being gay. There are many married gay men. What should prove that he is not gay is the fact that he is the Son of God and there are many places in the Bible where homosexuality is forbidden (Leviticus 18:22, Leviticus 20:13, 1 Corinthians 6:9, Romans 1:27, etc. )

Some reviews of The DaVinci Code at the Cannes Film Festival yesterday:
I didn’t like it very much. I thought it was almost as bad as the book. Tom Hanks was a zombie, thank goodness for Ian McKellen. It was overplayed, there was too much music and it was much too grandiose." -Peter Brunette, The Boston Globe.

"At the high point, there was laughter among the journalists. Not loud laughs, but a snicker and I think that says it all." -Gerson Da Cunha, The Times of India.

"People were confused, there was no applause, just silence. I have only read half the book, and then I got bored. It’s terrible" -Margherita Ferrandino, Italian television Rai 3.

"It was really disappointing. The dialogue was cheesy. The acting wasn’t too bad, but the film is not as good as the book." -Lina Hamchaoui, British radio IRN.

"At Cannes, one scene during the film, meant to be serious, elicited prolonged laughter from the audience, and when the credits rolled, there was no applause, only a few catcalls and hisses. Things were no better Stateside, where the film screened for critics in New York." -CNN Entertainment

"No chemistry exists between the hero and heroine, and motivation remains a troubling sore point." reviewer Kirk Honeycutt.
....That’s why the movie will be a flop. Hollywood just doesn’t get it; there are some things you don’t mess with. Jesus is one of them.

Christians will not respond to this offence like Muslims would, but I am happy to see that it may lose money.

Aksa Brigades threatens US, Europe

Jerusalem Post The Aksa Martyrs Brigades, the armed wing of Fatah, on Monday threatened to strike at US and European interests in response to international sanctions on the Palestinian Authority.

Why would Fatah want Hamas to be funded. It is in their interests for Fatah to fall flat on their face.

The threat, the first of its kind, came as PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas was scheduled to hold talks in Moscow with President Vladimir Putin on the severe financial crisis in the PA territories. Moreover, the threat by Abbas's Fatah party came as Palestinians marked the 58th anniversary of the nakba, or catastrophe (the secular anniversary of Israel's independence).

"We won't remain idle in the face of the siege imposed on the Palestinian people by Israel, the US and other countries," said a leaflet issued by the Aksa Martyrs Brigades in the Gaza Strip. "We will strike at the economic and civilian interests of these countries, here and abroad."

Al Qaeda. protected by the Taliban, struck the US (on 9/11). Most of the leadership of Al Qaeda are dead or in hiding, and the Taliban no longer rules Afganistan. Is Fatah certain that it wants to strike the US, especially when it is Hamas that would be helped?

The leaflet added: "Let the entire world know that we won't succumb in the face of the policy of blackmail, siege and starvation. In the past we did not capitulate in the face of the policy of assassinations, detentions and air raids."

The group also urged the heads of Arab and Palestinian banks to resist US and Israeli pressure and to agree to transfer funds from Arab and Islamic countries to the PA.

Another armed group affiliated with Fatah, the Abu Rish Brigades, threatened to launch a new intifada unless the international community agreed to fund the PA. "This will be a merciless intifada that will destroy everything," said Abu Haroon, a spokesman for the group in the Gaza Strip.

There is very little in the Gaza Strip that has not already been destroyed.

Senate OKs Border Fence

AP The Senate voted to build 370 miles of triple-layered fencing

That is less than 19%; the border is 1,951 miles long. 370 is nice, but what about the remaining 1581 miles?

along the Mexican border Wednesday and clashed over citizenship for millions of men and women who live in the United States illegally. Amid increasingly emotional debate over election-year immigration legislation, senators voted 83-16

Akaka (D-HI), Bingaman (D-NM), Cantwell (D-WA), Dodd (D-CT), Durbin (D-IL), Feingold (D-WI), Inouye (D-HI), Jeffords (I-VT), Kennedy (D-MA), Lautenberg (D-NJ), Lieberman (D-CT), Menendez (D-NJ), Murray (D-WA), Obama (D-IL), Reed (D-RI), Sarbanes (D-MD) voted against it.

to add fencing and 500 miles of vehicle barriers along the southern border. It marked the first significant victory in two days for conservatives seeking to place their stamp on the contentious measure.

Hug the tar baby

NYT Tony Snow said he didn't want to "hug the tar baby," and then he did just that by using the expression in his first televised White House press briefing yesterday. The tar-covered doll that Br'er Fox used to ensnare Br'er Rabbit

Were either of them black?

in an 1881 Uncle Remus story is used as a metaphor for a sticky situation, but for some it also carries vague racist connotations

For some, anything carries racist connotations.

— it has been used as a derogatory term for a black. In a society where a District of Columbia councilman can be accused of racism simply by using the word "niggardly,"

Only to someone too stupid to know that niggardly means "stingy and miserly" and comes from the Old Norse verb nigla, meaning "to fuss about small matters", while "nigger" derives from niger, the Latin for "black".

most politicians and TV commentators prefer to avoid tar baby references. When a reporter playfully asked him to explain the term, Mr. Snow mumbled that it could be traced to "American lore."

G.O.P. Voters to Be Target of Radio Ads by Democrats

NYT reported House Democrats, trying to capitalize on conservative dissatisfaction with Republicans, are reaching out to Christian voters with radio advertisements critical of Republican proposals to overhaul Social Security. In a campaign tied to appearances by President Bush on behalf of House candidates later this week, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has bought time on stations with Christian and conservative audiences to try to remind those who traditionally vote Republican of their party's plan to add private investment accounts to Social Security.

And the fact that the Democrats blocked it, so that when Social Security goes bankrupt, and all they are left with is nothing, they can remember that the Republicans were going to give them a Private Account so they would have something the Government could not waste, but because of the Democrats, they are left with nothing. It will be interesting to see how they are going to make that look favorable to the Democrats

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