Around the Horn

- For the top news of the day, all four terrorism suspects were captured, only a little more than a week after the failed bombings. This is a huge success, and very telling of the British police. It also begs the question: why have we not included Scotland Yard in the search for Osama bin Laden?

- Bill Frist, a likely competitor for president in '08, may have just hurt his chances. For those who have strong feelings against abortion and cloning (i.e., most of the Republican primary voters), this is a disappointing choice. It is also a futile one, as President Bush has sworn that he will veto this bill (it would be his first).

- The Democrats will learn this week what delaying appointments accomplishes when President Bush makes a recess appointment of John Bolton. Now I'm not going to say whether I am for or against the appointment, as I have not made myself familiar with the entire "saga" of the Bolton appointment, but I can say this much; John Bolton will be the US Ambassador to the UN for about a year and a half, and the Democratic Senators ensured that he would at least see some time in that office.

- A blunt and very critical column could lose a radio talk show host his job, but his views do raise some interesting concerns. I agree with Michelle Malkin and will not call all Muslims terrorists, but they have been very inactive in terms of restricting (or at leasting distancing themselves from) terrorist activity, in particular that towards Jews. Shouldn't this be more of a concern?

- Just days after the tragice deaths of four Alaskan Boy Scout leaders comes more sad news that another scout leader has died from a lightning strike. Six others were injured, including a Boy Scout who is now brain-dead. Having spent a few years in the Boy Scouts, I feel greatly for those attending the Jamboree and their families. Keep them in your prayers.

- Days after returning to space, NASA has to cope with the possibility of being grounded again. Debris broke off of the Discovery shuttle in the recent launch, similarly to the Challenger. A robot arm attached to the shuttle and a flip over the International Space Station has allowed them to assess the damage, and the shuttle should be ready for re-entry. Unfortunately, until the foam problem is resolved, this will push back future missions indefinately. It becomes clearly obvious that (1) NASA needs a new shuttle fleet, as the current fleet cannot survive on continued repairs and (2) space travel should continue growing in the private sector. Already, Virgin mogul Richard Branson has space travel in mind, so one must wonder how much longer it will be before researchers outside of NASA pursue space exploration.

- Staying on the topic of space, another "10th planet" has been found. With Sedna, Quaoar, and a number of others, one has to wonder how the definition of planet may be made more specific.

- Peter Gammons of ESPN will officially be awarded the Peter Spink Award by the Baseball Hall of Fame this weekend. A well deserved award for a man who has, arguably, the strongest knowledge of the sport of baseball.

- And finally, Neil Cavuto hits the nail on the head again, reminding us that it is all right to get angry sometimes, and that it is always right to tell it like it is

George Bush and Jerry Kilgore

I'm sure a number of readers here have read that President Bush recently endorsed Jerry Kilgore for Governor of Virginia (big surprise there, right?). This was headlined by a recent fundraiser that was very successful. John Behan has been following this, and noted another review recently; in particular, he stated the following.

That might not mean as much in Massachusetts, but it’s a nice endorsement to have in Virginia.

Of course, John is nodding towards the John Kerry endorsement of Tim Kaine. It is doubtful that Kerry will be speaking here in Virginia for Tim Kaine, and for good reason; John Kerry lost Virginia by at least eight points (with only Richmond in a color other than birght red to light blue), which makes one wonder why he would take the risk of endorsing Kaine.

Also, campaign fundraising is not the only thing that determines who wins an election, but I'd bet Tim Kaine is not taking Jerry Kilgore's $2.1 million jackpot lightly.

Media Bias

The MSM has had a history of liberal bias; Democrats and other members of the left have denied it (though much of this is the fact that many of them have never heard a true unbiased newssource), and conservatives have had to deal with it. Among them, The Red Stater has called for an end to these biases. There may be a better idea.

Evan Coyne Maloney proposes another idea; media outlets admit their biases beforehand. While this won't eliminate those biases, the media can be honest that it is trying to indoctrinate those watching or reading the source. Of course, the alternative is that the people discover these biases for themselves.

UPDATE 6:15 AM 7/29/05: Looks like one reporter is taken that call a bit too seriously.

Who cares about the poor and elderly anyways?

This must be what Air America thinks. Absolutely slimy. What next? Moveon.org diverting funds meant for health care?

?

Is it even possible to reply to this?

Hat tip to John Behan.

Tim Kaine: Making John Kerry look like an amateur since 2005

John Behan (of CC, the destination of this link), Bart Hinkle (of the RTD), and Norman (from OMT) expand further on Tim Kaine's "beliefs". As this election garners more attention from the casual commonwealth citizen, we'll see how Kaine's clashing "beliefs" and "responsibilities" hold up.

"They're just doing it for spite."

All I can say is Duh.

Still missing grounds

Just a few more weeks...

Now this is funny

Why would Al Gore insult Johnny Carson like this?

Kaine pulls ahead of Kilgore

I should be worried,right? That 10% lead has just evaporated, likely a cause from a "weak" (as Waldo might put it) debate? It's all over, isn't it?

Absolutely not.

Anyone who has been here before knows that I am a full skeptic of polls, as they can be inherantly (even if unintentionally) biased. When analyzing an election, I prefer to look at the campaign; while subjective, the better campaign (even if it is the inferior candidate) almost always wins. Well, wouldn't many on Kaine's side argue that Kilgore has not run a good campaign? Likely, but they will neglect to mention that Kaine has run a very poor campaign. In particular, Kaine is defensive of his positions. Of course, if he were a little more consistent in his viewpoints, he wouldn't need to be.

One could also notice a similar trend from last year, though I'm not going to put too much faith in such a parallel myself.

The left side of the blogosphere is postiviely giddy over this one poll; while this excitement could be beneficial to the Kaine campaign, it could also lead to complacency. If Kaine is indeed ahead at the moment, I applaud him; obviously, he is doing better than I thought and deserves to be in the lead. For the moment. But in the end, only one thing is important.

The only poll that matters is the election (if you are scoffing now, remember November 2nd, 2004).

Hat tip to John Behan for his many, many links.

Unbelievable

(Click picture above to see a larger image)

We're still paying a tax for a war that took place in the same century that the telephone was invented. This is absurd and I urge you all to follow Bruce Tinsley's (or Mallard Fillmore's, if you prefer the cartoon world to this one) advice in writing to your legislators.

Still, this leaves me wondering where all that money goes.

Kaine and religion

Again, The Salt Lick has a great post covering Democratic gubernatorial candidate Tim Kaine (I noticed a recent post with a similar theme a few weeks ago). The main questions: If Tim Kaine is so religious, why does he keep reminding us of it? Shouldn't it be obvious by his actions and policy, and not sound as if he were reminding us of his Purple Hearts?

Abuse of position

I can't believe that any politician would show such a lack of class.

John Kerry wants the records of John Roberts released

If Sen. Kerry is good enough to extend Mr. Roberts the same period of time he got for his SF-180s, perhaps we'll know everything about John Roberts after he has secured his seat on the SCOTUS.

Terror in Egypt

An number of car bombs has killed more than 45 in Egypt tonight. Sad news, so close to the last two terrorist attacks in England. My guess, the terrorists are flexing their muscle right now, but this likely will not last when these nations clamp down further on terrorists and their sympathizers.

And, as a side note, I am in full agreement with New York about random bag checking. And if anyone should be checked, they are the people wearing these things.

What I hope, think, or know will happen after today's bombings

- Fortunately, this attack left only one dead, but it is not a complete failure for the terrorists just two weeks after the first attack. A nation still reeling from the last attack is again facing more fear. But one would hope that they hold their resolve and remain calm.

- The Londoner's were, generally, more angry than scared after the first attack. Today's attack will likely produce many pissed Britons, which will likely give Prime Minister Tony Blair another boost in his popularity, as well as for the War on Terror.

- This hopefully will increase the urgency of added security in Britain; it's all well and good that the Londoners did not cower from the attacks, but they should not put themselves at undue risk by ignoring the problem. This attack was believed to be intended to kill, and they got lucky that it didn't.

- The relationship between the United States and Britian should again get stronger. Also, Australia has proven it's unity with both the United States and Britain. Prime Minister John Howard of Australia has been a great ally, and these attacks shall only bond the three counties even closer.

- Again, the BBC did not shy away from the word "terror" on the day of an attack. But the BBC, infamous for being less likely to avoid a liberal spin, very quickly moved from "terrorists" to "bombers" after the first attack. I hope that this will convince the British media that there is a distinction between truly repressed groups and evil ideologists.

Beam me up...

As a long time Star Trek fan, it saddened me to hear that James Doohan passed away today. This marks the second death of a main castmember, the first being DeForest Kelley. I admire both, as they seemed to not be swept up in the ego and glitz that follows a Hollywood career.

Fellow C'ville blogger Larry Banner comments on this sad news.

And the new nominee is...

John Roberts. Sounds good, I look forward to his full appointment (if you disagree, don't kid yourselves, Roberts will be selected, one way or another).

I figured these would be left in 2004...

Sentences containing the words "flip-flop" and "White House".

My computer is back (yes, it was that fast)...

expect regular blogging to return soon.

Quick runthrough

Let's see what I've missed in recent days.

- Yesterday was the gubernatorial debate. Sadly, I missed it, but it seems to be near-unanimous that Jerry Kilgore won. This election is going well for Jerry Kilgore, but he and his supporters cannot get complacent; I don't think Tim Kaine stands a chance unless we assume a guaranteed win.

- Spark it up has returned. While he was only gone a month and a half, it's good to have Kilo back. Welcome back Kilo!

- On August 27th, the first Summit on Blogging and Democracy in the Commonwealth will be held. Seeing as my presence may be expected, and the first football game is not until the following weekend, I guess I don't have much of a choice ;) .

Sorry that this is such a short post, but this older computer does not have the stability that my iBook G4 does. Fortunately, AppleCare is fast and effecient, and I should have it back by the end of this week.

When you don't have anything nice to say...

When it isn't the French leadership saying dumb things, often enough, it's the Democrats.

Hat tip to Matt Drudge.

On a side note, this is post number 150, and over 2000 visitors have been counted through last week. While this site hardly has the recognition, or even the sheer blogging ability, of many, I am thankful for everyone who has come here, whether to learn a little about current situations or to debate my points.

Computer Problems

As the hard drive on my iMac G4 has just decided to quit on me, I now have to send it in for repairs and I am thus more limited in what I can do on my blog, for the time being. So, until I get my computer back (which, knowing Applecare, should not take too long), blogging will likely be lighter than usual until I get it back.

Interesting view by John Gibson

John Gibson of Fox News Channel gives an interesting point on the case for (or against, whichever) Karl Rove. I won't excuse Rove for what he did (that is, if he did it; it's interesting how fast many Democrats and liberals have jumped on the Newsweek bandwagon, a pretty unreliable one at that), but sending a CIA operative's husband to check out a situation when he would almost certainly say that Hussein was not looking for weapons materials (whether true or not) or not report back at all was irresponsible. Rove does need to be punished (in what way is under debate) because there is no excuse for violating security clearances, but Rove was not the one guilty of treason. It is one thing to not like the idea of going to war, but if the evidence was right in front of Wilson and he failed to report it, then Joe Wilson is the one guilty of treason (perhaps Waldo needs to be shown this). Unfortunately, there is little that can be done to prove this, but one would hope that Wilson is being completely honest (though one, being myself, would also retain a bit of doubt for the time being).

UPDATE 7/15 9 PM: John Gibson continues with his views here and here. Also, Brit Hume interviews David Rivkin, a lawyer, over the specifics about revealing a "covert" officer.

Around the Horn

- Senator Hillary Clinton puts her foot in her mouth, again. Though, the question remains if she ever takes it out.

- How is it that when a Republican associates his or herself with religion in any form, it is against seperation of church and state (which itself is a fallacy), but it is perfectly all right for a Democrat to be prominently featured (and usually preach, as well) at a church?

- This cartoon at Cox and Forkum, as usual, is spot on. What may be worse though is that the actions that will be taken by many Democratic Senators could hurt all senators; next year is an election year for a third of the Senate, and there may be a high turnover (for both Republicans and Democrats) if they keep playing these games.

- President Bush spoke earlier today to the FBI training academy at Quantico, VA earlier today. Bush stayed on target, and continued to push the Patriot Act. The need for security in this nation has been reiterated through the attacks in the UK; ignoring this will only prove our complacency.

- This Tom Cruise/Katie Holmes thing keeps getting weirder. Though, I would be willing to bet that a lot of this is because Katie Holmes is still so starstruck over her teenage crush; regardless, the biggest shame is that she is being isolated from her family because of her new ties to Scientology. (Normally, I would ignore Hollywood gossip, as I feel it wastes time better spent on many other things, but this whole situation is quite disconcerting).

- John Hawkins over at Right Wing News debunks eight (very poor) myths that continue to be perpetuated by a number of Democrats and liberals. What's more, he posts some of the e-mails from the moonbats who disagree with him (even as they offer little in the way of rational argument), most coming from Fark. Note, I am not going to link to Fark, as it might be considered offensive to some. However, for those who wish to read some of the feedback of the members of Fark, click on the link indicated by the infinity sign next to the area of text marked

"Debunking" eight anti-war myths about the conflict in Iraq

Again, proceed only if you are not offended by strong language and suggestive elements. Also, Right Wing News contains some slightly altered language from the text included in the e-mails, so be warned.

- The Space Shuttle will be making its return to space for the first time since the Columbia crash on Feb. 1, 2003. Normally, I am against greater spending by the federal government, but STS-114 is among many space missions which have allowed us to learn a little more about our world and how it works in the Universe. Please put your support behind these brave men and women; hopefully, future missions might be run privately and with greater safety in more modern spacecraft.

- And finally, with the All-Star game tomorrow evening, the Baltimore Orioles finished the first half of the season strong, taking 3 of 4 games from the AL East leading Boston Red Sox, cutting their lead against Baltimore to 2 games. Baltimore is 47-40, compared to 37-48 at the same time last year. While Miguel Tejada's Home Run Derby record was smashed tonight by Bobby Abreu, he and three other Orioles (this year's surprise Brian Roberts, the consistently solid Melvin Mora, and reliable closer B.J. Ryan) can still contribute a lot to an AL win this year, and, with any luck, an AL East Championship.

Cool new blog

Allen Thornburgh points out a great new blog from Britain called We're not Afraid! This reminds me a lot about the way New York united after 9/11. It also completely defeats the purpose of terrorism; that of course being terror.

Also, quick apology for not updating yesterday. I made my way down to Charlottesville (which, thankfully is still standing after the two storms this week, but now missing a few of the beautiful trees on the lawn :( ), and I reformatted the hard disk on my computer, which took a few hours. Also, I may not be posting on Tuesday because of an All Star Game party, but expect regular posting otherwise this next week. Maybe I'll try to get a post in on baseball this week.

"We are all Britons today"

After watching the news for four hours today, it is hard to be anything but disheartened. More than 30 have died and hundreds are injured on a day that will join 9/11 and 3/11. And just when everyone should be united in support for the people of the United Kingdom, instead, partisan politics creeps its way in again, with the left screaming for the heads of George Bush and Tony Blair.

To those who feel that the fault lies solely on the leaders of the USA and the UK, listen here.

SHUT UP!

If anything, this proves that we must clamp down further on terror. This cannot be blamed on the War in Iraq, as that reasoning is flawed when we remember that the attacks at the US Embassies, the USS Cole, and the World Trade Center were unprovoked. President Bush will likely (and wisely) pledge full support to Britain, Tony Blair will see a rise in popularity rivaling that of President Bush's after 9/11, and both will push further the War on Terror. This attack was a wake up call to our complacency, not a sign urging inaction in the Middle East. But I'd prefer not to stick on the bitter accusations made by the left in this attack.

Yesterday, the citizens of Britain were elated to learn that the Olympics would return for the first time in more than six decades. Today, grief and despair reign. Many here in the States are reminded of those feelings, and are pouring their hearts out. Sadly, days that make history are rarely remembered for being happy.

With the current G8 Conference, it was even more cowardly of the terrorists to attack; Tony Blair had an agenda he set out (not one I entirely agree with, but that is besides the point), and he will not be able to see it through. Instead, he is returning home to tend to his fellow countrymen, encourage his troops, and be a model to the world. As I said before, I don't always agree with Tony Blair for some of his political views, but I will always hold him in the highest respects for his strength and courage.

What's more, Rudolph Giuliani, former mayor of New York, was reportedly just yards from one blast. Again, I don't always agree with Rudy, but he gave the people of New York City the strength they needed to overcome that adversity. It would have been a great shame if he had been closer to the attack.

Forgive the unprofessional layout of this post and the lack of links. This post is mostly a collection of thoughts, and I hope that you all trust me enough to accept the information I posted. If not, please comment and I will elaborate.

As a show of solidarity, I am adding a picture of the Union Jack to the sidebar. Great Britain has been a worthy ally for the last few years in the War on Terror and the War in Iraq, and I'm sure the United States will prove to be one as well in the aftermath of this brutal attack.

UPDATE 7/8 6:30 AM: Old Zach at Sic Semper Tyrannis reminds us that we are at war now, as we have been since 9/11, and that succumbing to our antagonists' demands will ultimately lead us to defeat. He explains his feelings far more gracefully than I have.

UPDATE 2 7/9 4:30 PM: Are You Conservative has posted a great image showing the solidarity of the United States and Britain. This image will replace the simple Union Jack on the sidebar.

Storms through C'ville

black and white has some pictures showing the results in Charlottesville from the recent storm that came through Virginia. It reminds me a bit of the town after Hurricane Isabel hit a little over a year and a half ago. And, it appears that the damage might increase in the coming days (which is a shame because it pushes back my weekend visit).

This is one of the blogs in the Charlottesville Blogs association, which will be added to the Associations/Aggregators category in the sidebar. Instituted by Waldo Jaquith, this aggregator includes blogs of all types including politics, personal, podcasting,..., and sPorts (got to keep the alliteration going somehow). A nice mix that gives a good taste of the variety of Charlottesville (which hopefully will still be standing when I get back).

Neil on African Aid

Neil Cavuto notes the mistake that could be repeated if the G8 conference elects to send more aid to Africa.

2012 Olympics to London

London, in an "upset" pick, won the 2012 Olympics over Paris. Wonder if this had anything to do with Chirac's comments (insulting both the British and the Finnish, who made up a large portion of the board voting for the location).

New York also was considered this round of voting. I wonder how this may affect the 2008 presidential election.

African Aid, Berets, and Scones

So, apparently, Jacques Chirac is not a big fan of British food. At least, this is joke he shared with Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin and German Chancellor Gerhard Schroder.

Harmless joke? In many cases, it probably would be. It might even be in this case. But with strained relations between England and France, historically enemies for many centuries, it is hard to tell. Between the War in Iraq and the failing European Union, this one comment, even if harmless, will only serve to further the divide, and I'm not talking about the English Channel either. This is also a problem as American-French relations are hitting a low as well, while American-British relations are riding high. I'm not partial to France, but I would certainly prefer that we get along with them (at least diplomatically) than otherwise.

I'm not going to be among those that say that he should apologize (at least in part because I am not British), but Chirac should really consider what he says before he says it, or at least make sure that there are no reporters within earshot.

Happy Independance Day!

As this is a weekend holiday, there will (probably) not be any updates today. Enjoy the extended weekend and remember the sheet of paper first signed a mere 229 years ago today.

My (short) thoughts on Live 8

This weekend, a number of concerts are going on across the globe in support of increased aid to African countries. These countries have many sick, hungry people. This is a great cause and I applaud those in support of this.

I do think, though, that this is a little naive, and only for one reason. The aid that the G8 countries are looking at would give debt relief to these countries. Only problem is, the governments in many of these countries are corrupt. The debt relief will be seen as an opportunity to purchase more weapons and materials to make weapons. Rather than increase the freedom of these people, it may serve to enhance the existing problem.

Live 8 needs to change its message. Don't give aid to the countries; use some of the money to hire people who can actually bring the needed food and medicine directly to the people. This might seem ineffecient and could consume a lot of money, but it might provide more people with what they need. Also, pressure the African nations to loosen their firm grip of power; the people in those countries are suffering for the insatiable greed and lust of power of the (sometimes illegitimate) leaders.

Sandra Day O'Connor Retires

Yesterday, as was predicted by Bill Kristol, Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor (and not William Rehnquist) announced her retirement upon the appointment of a successor. Described by many as a "moderate conservative", she was the key swing vote in many decisions in a court that was otherwise almost evenly split by conservative and liberal justices. With her retirement comes the first Supreme Court appointment for President Bush, and this is making many people happy, and many others very angry.

With a judicial system that is swinging wide to the left and abusing the living document of the Constitution, conservatives are hopeful that President Bush will appoint a conservative judge to help balance the branch. However, there is a lot of concern that President Bush will appoint Alberto Gonzalez. Even though Bush would be the first president to appoint a Hispanic justice, Gonzalez is seen as another O'Connor, as he was the swing vote in the Texas Supreme Court before being appointed to be President Bush's Attorney General. I suspect this might fail though; a number of Republicans will likely vote against his appointment, though this cannot be assured. A vote for Gonzalez might be harmful to a Senator's reelection bid in the coming years.

If that was not bad enough, liberals and Democratic Senators are all up in arms, threatening to stifle any appointment President Bush makes unless it is one they hand pick themselves. Many fear that a conservative justice could end Roe v. Wade. While I want that decision to be overturned, this first selection will not do it. The SCOTUS is split 6-3, favoring abortion, and such an appointment would only make it 5-4 (unless an experienced justice decides to swing the other way). These threats by leftist leaders could only disservice our country, ensuring that the Supreme Court would be one justice short for three years, or taking away the president's appointment power and placing it in Congress.

There may be only one choice in this situation. Both the White House and Congress (55 Senators and 231 Representatives) are controlled by Republicans. In the Senate, there may again be rumblings for the nuclear option should the Democrats filibuster the president's decision. I do not necessarily believe this is a good idea (it might come back and bite the Republicans in a few years), but if the Democrats continue to prove uncooperative, there may be no other choice. Knowing that Rehnquist and the even older Paul Stevens are not too far from retirement, we could have a real mess in our hands if decisions cannot be made. If the Democrats fight, the Republicans will force the nuclear option, and President Bush will get everyone of his appointments.

So, while I'd be happy with a shift in the composition of the Supreme Court, I would suggest that liberals and Democrats write their Senators and ask them to be cooperative in the decisions; otherwise, they will have no input in choosing the next Justice of the SCOTUS. And with a good list of conservative judges who could be picks for President Bush (a number of which could still give him the first Hispanic justice), I'm sure he'd have no problem getting by without them.

Day One

The ACC finally completes its full expansion to 12-teams, officially adding Boston College today. We look forward to beating, err, I mean, competing with them in this and future seasons.