Hypocrite Hillary on War?

Hillary is taking a tough talking cowgirl stance about Iran last night in a very presidential-like demeanor (for 2008, that is):

"I believe that we lost critical time in dealing with Iran because the White House chose to downplay the threats and chose to outsource the negotiations," Clinton said.

But going back 2002 Hillary Clinton was urging every possible efforts to use the U.N. to avoid war.

When New York Democratic Sen. Hillary Clinton voted to authorize war in 2002, she said that she wanted the U.N. to insist on unfettered weapons inspections in Iraq. "I will take the president at his word that he will try hard to pass a U.N. resolution [for unfettered inspections] and will seek to avoid war, if at all possible," Clinton said in the Senate during the prewar debate. She added she would vote to authorize war "because bipartisan support for this resolution makes success in the United Nations more likely, and therefore, war less likely."

Diplomacy, negotiation, sanctions, U.N. resolutions, and threats lasted 12 years with Iraq. Now, since diplomacy and negotiation have obviously failed, sanctions against Iran are the next step but therein lies a problem. The E.U. does not want to risk losing oil imports from Iran and China and Russia are adamant on making sure they don't lose that oil by not agreeing to the sanctions.

But two key U.N. Security Council members that carry veto powers — China and Russia — have multibillion-dollar oil and natural gas projects hanging in the balance, and China depends on Iran's imports to quench its oil thirst.

"I have a hard time seeing how oil investments could be targeted given the interests of Russia and China," said Julia Nanay, a senior director at PFC Energy in Washington.

Iran wants to sign a major oilfield deal to give China's Sinopec a stake in the giant Yadavaran oil field in southern Iran, which could require investment of at least $2 billion.

And Russia's Lukoil holds a minority stake in the Anaran field in western Iran near the Iraqi border.

China has blocked Security Council efforts to sanction countries like Sudan, where China has a huge oil deal. Sudan's Darfur region is beset by widespread violence between fractious rebel groups, government forces and a government-backed militia.

If Hillary insist on playing cowboy then she should listen to the moonbats' cries considering that we dealth with Iran only but a few years of diplomacy. Maybe Hillary should listen to her baying constituents and try diplomacy for another 4 years or so? President Bush is still keen as ever about the threat of Iran. The Bush pick of Undersecretary of State at the U.N. John R. Bolton made sure about the message of how serious Iran's threat is to the United States and the world. That is by no means "downplaying" the theat of Iran.

Hillary continues to lie, distort and pretend to be the tough talking cowgirl but at the same time wears the royal crown as the Queen of "Stuck on Stupid."

Hillary's Plantation Remark - Queen of "Stuck on Stupid"

Michelle Malkin has more on Hillary Clinton's recent "plantation" remark in her attempt to skewer the Republicans as much as possible can only be regarded this move as the supreme height of hypocrisy. Read Wayne Perryman's book "Unfounded Loyalty" and you'll see why this black minister ask this question "Why are most blacks in America Democrats?" and you'll begin to see why Hillary choose the "plantation" remark:

Why are most blacks in America Democrats?

You will have to answer that question yourself. After reading this book, you will understand that:

for over 150 years, blacks were victims of terrorist attacks by the Democrats and their Klan supporters, including lynching, beating, rapes and mutilations.

On the issue of slavery, the Democrats literally gave their lives to expand it; the Republicans gave their lives to ban it.

Many believed the Democrats had a change of heart and fell in love with blacks. To the contrary, history reveals the democrats didn't fall in love with black folks, they fell in love with the black vote knowing this would be their ticket into the white house.

Cox and Forkum's cartoon says it all. And I now officially dub thee Hillary Clinton the Queen of "Stuck on Stupid."

Well, I do declare!

LBGT Parents of Kids to Crash White House Lawn on Easter Day - claims "not political"

How odd, perhaps understandable in some ways but for a group to unequivocally state that this Easter Egg event for children on the White House lawn where a bunch of sniggering, line cutting, LBGT parents of children who want to overtake the whole White House lawn for themselves are calling this as not a "political protest." Ironic that they say this when they want to oust other parents with their children to be the first 1000 families allowed on the White House lawn.

Soulforce insists this will not be a political protest, only a gathering for families, its supporters will arrive with special "non-political" t-shirts to identify themselves as "LGBT."

I think that by crashing the White House lawn to be the first 1000 families as allowed in, staking the White House gate the night before, wearing special T-shirts, and have volunteers who will stand in line for "LGBT" parents who cannot do it themselves are in fact making a political protest, demonstration and a statement all at the same time. Protesting does not mean carrying signs when there are other kinds of protest, violent and passive ones. This is clearly a protest. Any idiot can see that whenever crashing a public function is involved.

Now, it's stupid to think that by releasing all this information to the public over the internet will guarantee that this will work. Not when the Drudge Report is reporting it. I'm sure the White House will get wind of this and institute some rules prior to the opening of the White House Easter Egg hunt.

The only victims I see here are the children who will have to witness all this travesty. Kind of like adolescent bullies running into a candy store and getting all of the free candies first and eat them up before other kids can. I can see it already. LGBT parents with their kids cutting in front of other kids saying "Sorry kiddo" when volunteers leave their place. And watch the fight begin. I think they secretly hope that some kind of violence or lots of shouting matches in front of the media will be the result in order to get greater exposure for this little pathetic stunt.

Robotic hand translates speech into sign language

From The Daily Yomiuri Online:

An 80-centimeter robotic hand that can covert spoken words and simple phrases into sign language has been developed in a town in Fukuoka Prefecture. The robotic hand was shown at a two-legged robot tournament held at the Fukuoka Prefecture Education Center in Sasagurimachi, where it won applause from appreciative spectators.

A microchip in the robot recognizes the 50-character hiragana syllabary and about 10 simple phrases such as "ohayo" (good morning) and sends the information to a central computer, which sends commands to 18 micromotors in the joints of the robotic hand, translating the sound it hears into sign language.

The aluminum robot was developed by a team led by the center's head instructor Keita Matsuo, 39, and Hirotsugu Sakai, 38, who is attending a long-term training program for school teachers.

The two men came up with the idea when they visited a school for the hearing-impaired and communicated with students through an interpreter who signed for them.

"We wondered if it would be possible to communicate with them via robots," Matsuo said.

They studied a book on sign language, and spent about two months creating the system, increasing the number of joints in the hand to 18 so that it could sign smoothly.

They added that in the future, hundreds of thousands of words could be programmed into the voice recognition unit and the robotic hand could function as a receptionist.

The robot was shown to teachers at the school in December to ensure that its sign language was understandable.

In addition to the signing robot, the event, attended by 160 students from middle school and technical high schools, featured a race among bipedal robots developed by six high school teachers.

Here is another research working on robotic hand sign language. See the robotic hand below. If you don't mind reading technical stuff click on the link.

Nagin Gone Wonky and the Chocolate Factory

Remember all those Oompah Loompahs and other characters giving out sage musical advice? Now, what were those lyrics? Something like any port in a storm? Rowing and rowing but going nowhere in a post-Katrina storm?

Round the world and home again

That's the sailor's way

Faster faster, faster faster

There's no earthly way of knowing

Which direction we are going

There's no knowing where we're rowing

Or which way the river's flowing

Is it raining, is it snowing

Is a hurricane a–blowing

Not a speck of light is showing

So the danger must be growing

Are the fires of Hell a–glowing

Is the grisly reaper mowing

Yes, the danger must be growing

For the rowers keep on rowing

And they're certainly not showing

Any signs that they are slowing

Yes, indeed. Nagin is constantly rowing and rowing with no signs that he's slowing with no earthly way of knowing which way he's going when the river starts overflowing. Maybe somebody ought to pull the plug out of the boat?

What I think what the correct blame is that God must be angry at Mayor Nagin and not the U.S. Why the U.S.? Didn't hurricane Katrina bore down on New Orleans? Where was Nagin?

But the funniest thing I've heard in a long time is the "chocolate" comment he made. You'd think he's talking about New Orleans needing a chocolate factory. Maybe with enough protests, marches and prayers, he'll probably think he will finally get the golden ticket to lift him and the city out of such a mess. Much of the mess is his to begin with.

I never thought my life could be

Anything but catastrophe

But suddenly I begin to see

A bit of good luck for me

'Cause I've got a golden ticket

I've got a golden twinkle in my eye

I never had a chance to shine

Never a happy song to sing

But suddenly half the world is mine

What an amazing thing

'Cause I've got a golden ticket

It's ours, Charlie!

I've got a golden sun up in the sky

I never thought I'd see the day

When I would face the world and say

Good morning, look at the sun

I never thought that I would be

Slap in the lap of luxury'

Cause I'd have said it couldn't be done

But it can be done

I never dreamed that I would climb

Over the moon in ecstasy

But nevertheless, it's there that I'm

Shortly about to be

'Cause I've got a golden ticket

I've got a golden chance to make my way

And with a golden ticket, it's a golden day

Good morning, look at the sun'

Cause I'd have said it couldn't be done

But it can be done

I never dreamed that I would climb

Over the moon in ecstasy

But nevertheless, it's there that I'm

Shortly about to be

'Cause I've got a golden ticket'

Cause I've got a golden ticket

I've got a golden chance to make my way

And with a golden ticket, it's a golden day

Strangely, those songs seem to fit Nagin's ongoing but surreal post-Katrina adventures and blame game. Remember those yellow school buses, Mayor Nagin?

Now, imagine a white governor of Lousiana saying those exact lines of Mayor Nagin's about a city or town will be "white chocolate" again someday. You can bet your buttinski that the ACLU will do something about it. Why, there will be so much outrage, the streets will be covered with a bunch of running hot, melted chocolates. But you know, white and dark chocolates are not much different when it comes down to ingredients. Just that the tastes are a bit different. One is sweet and one is bitter.

C'mon Mayor Nagin. Use some sense.

Any more bloggers with a Chocolate Factory story?
Mayor Nagin and the Chocolate Factory
Ray Nagin and the Chocolate Factory

CNN Irates Iranian President, Iran Bans CNN, CNN Intent on Kissing Butt to Makeup

Funny how NYTimes doles out disinformation seemingly on a daily basis but CNN gets banned from Iran for "mistranslating" a statement said by the president of Iran. CNN was quickly on hands and feet apologizing to the president of Iran for their grievious error and unthoughtful reporting by saying "nuclear weapons" instead of "nuclear energy." The horrors of unthoughtful reporting.

Maybe President Bush ought to do the same thing to certain reporters who are obviously still "stuck on stupid" at the White House's reporters' row who are intent on taking President Bush's words out of context? We know that Cheney did in fact barred NYTimes reporters on getting a seat on Air Force 2 where 10 seats were reserved for reporters. Yet, CNN had no compunction to kiss the butt of Iranian president and be on good terms so CNN can have access to Iran.

"Unexploded Ordinance" (Getty Images) vs "Remains of a Missile" (NYTimes) - Disinformation?

Go here first (which is now corrected some two hours later - amazing) and look at the picture (see Michelle's screen capture) and read the caption in reference about a story of a drone missle that decimated an Afghanis building and killing several occupants in the Bajur tribal zone near the Afghan border. Notice the word "missile" in the picture? Go here and see what the military experts have to say about it. Next, go to Getty Images and scroll 3/4 of the way down until you see the same picture. Click on that picture and you'll find a caption info about the picture that reads:

Bajur, PAKISTAN: Pakistani tribesmen stand by a unexploded ordinance at their house which was damaged in an alleged US air strike the day before in the Bajur tribal zone near the Afghan border, 14 January 2005. Thousands of tribesmen protested against an alleged US air strike targeting Al-Qaeda's second in command that killed 18 people near the Afghan border, witnesses said. AFP PHOTO/Thir KHAN (Photo credit should read THIR KHAN/AFP/Getty Images)

Now. Getty Images says "unexploded ordinance" in the while the NYTimes says "remains of a missile" in its caption.

Pakistani men with the remains of a missile fired at a house in the Bajur tribal zone near the Afghan border.

"Remains of a missile" and "unexploded ordinance" are entirely two different things. Now, is this unexploded ordinance that was found among the ruins or it was it exposed from the ground as it lay hidden for years but was recently uncovered as a result of a drone missile exploding near it? Now, if the unexploded ordinance was dug up or found among the ruins, does that mean that somebody tried to hide this very old unexploded ordinance where there might possibly be more in the area? Possibly use them as IEDs later on or are the Afghanis the typical pack rat picking up unexploded ordinances back from the days when Russia was hitting Afghanistan? That's a death wish trying to pick up unexploded ordinances with the fuse cap still on.

The NYTimes bought the photo from Getty Images and I'm sure if they had taken their time they would have seen the caption info in Getty Images about the image and would see the words plain as day "unexploded ordinance." The NYTimes' "professional journalism" failed to do their job. Maybe not failed but instead perhaps, without a doubt, attempted to purposely mislead readers in order to get their sympathy through false information.

Michelle Malkin and others, be sure to check out Getty Images.

UPDATE: Thomas Lifson makes an update on The American Thinker about the unexploded ordinance and makes a point about that Getty Images or the reporter who took the picture may have inadvertently shown the world that the village was keeping these things around to be used as possible IED.

Doug Hanson, our security affairs correspondent writes:
Not only did the NYT get caught in another lie, but they may have unintentionally revealed the village’s cache of IED ordnance. During the Intifada against Israel that started in September of 2000, terrorists in Gaza used unexploded artillery projectiles wired as command detonated landmines. Even the heaviest Merkava main battle tanks could be taken out with these devices. Of course, command detonated artillery projectiles are one of the preferred types of IEDs used in Iraq by enemy forces. And, in 2004, troopers from the US 1st Cavalry Division encountered an IED made with a binary Sarin nerve agent 155mm artillery chemical round.

This begs the question; did the NYT publish a photo of a villager showing off his latest acquisition to make an IED? Of course, it’s entirely possible that the round is simply part of his collection on the mantle, or is used for bartering purposes. Mr. Krulac notes that the blue color generally notes a training practice round, and it may very well be an inert projectile. But NATO markings do not apply to many other makers of 155mm ammunition including the French, who have been known to paint high explosive rounds of some of their ordnance blue.

Others speculate that the round is Russian, left over from the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan.

Hmm, what did that photo uncover about that artillery shell?

UPDATE II: NYTimes issues a correction. Read the caption. I think that was the fastest correction ever.

Deaf Man with No Arms - how does he communicate?

Here's an interesting story about a deaf man with no arms in a video clip detailing (no sounds) the things he can do, including communicate to those around him, despite having no arms. Check out Deaf Newspaper to see the video clip.

In another area, here's a funny clip about deaf neighbors competing over each other. In one scene they compete on who gets to order a pizza the fastest using their own Video Phone relay. It's kind of funny if you ignore the brand plug touting the CSDVRS company.

The People of CISS, Deaflympics and the Pinchas Drama

If you're interested in the people of CISS, Deaflympics and the Pinchas (who is also deaf) squable then read Pinchas' website regarding the matter of several lawsuits against different individuals that are/were related to the CISS or Deaflympics organization. Not sure what all the brouhaha is about but looks interesting to read if you're into that sort of thing regarding courts and laws.

North America Deaf Strongman Games

Here is a copy posted in another blog:

Welcome North America Deaf Strongman Games readers! Who would've expected that my blogsite get linked by this website? Hmmm, interesting sports entertainment concept! Deaf Strongman Games. This will take some closer look. What more email surprises will I get next time?

A nice surprise, eh?

A Snoped Rattlesnake

UPDATE! There's a report (re) circulating in Facebook (as of Dec 2011) about a 15 ft rattlesnake captured in Florida.  Again, another example of an exaggeration running amok.
http://www.snopes.com/photos/animals/15ftrattler.asp

========================================

For confirmation go here!

Today, I received an email about a supposedly 9 ft long rattlesnake that was captured in North Carolina saying it weighed 97lbs. This is the stuff of legends and the stuff of hoaxes, too. Even Snopes received that same picture and made some comments about it and how the snake closer to the camera looks bigger than the man holding it.

According to Rattlesnakes! one type of rattlesnake called the Eastern Diamondback can weigh as much as 15 pounds and 8 feet long.

The Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake; the most dangerous North American snake. Specimens have been captured as a large as 8-foot long and weighing 15 pounds. The snake's 3/4" fangs are capable of penetrating almost any boot. Fortunately this snake is relatively docile

Now, if the man in the picture seen below holding the snake up with his snake grabber would have undoubtedly a hard time trying to hold up a snake if it weighed 97lbs using the grabber alone while his picture was being taken. Have you ever lifted 97lbs? Have you ever lifted 97lbs using a grabber at one end? Have you ever lifted a club that weighed 97lbs like you would with a fishing pole? Unless you're a strongman you could probably do this. This guy here is no strongman and that snake does not weigh 97lbs.

Click to enlarge

I took the liberty of using the picture and zoomed to the end of the snake grabber. I assumed a width of 1.25 inches for the grabber part. I added hatch marks equidistant of each other based on the width's of the snake grabber's end. I ended up with a calculated length of 6 feet and 9 inches. Click on the picture to see the red hatch marks.

The snake is real. The length of 9 feet is not. It is without a doubt a rattlesnake between 6 and 7 feet long.

Here's a picture of a rattlesnake captured and reported by the Clay county free press. Here's another one, a captured 6 foot Eastern Diamondback. And here's the world's largest rattlesnake!

Want a BBQ recipe for a cooked rattlesnake?

Just watch where step out there.

Hillary Clinton Skeedaddle, Avoids Belafonte's Presence But Still Get Pictured

Hillary Clinton has dangerously set herself near a political cliff by being in the same room as Belafonte at a Children's Defense Fund gathering. Belafonte, days earlier, called President Bush "the greatest terrorist in the world." And because of that Hillary wouldn't come near 15 feet of Belafonte or even acknowledged his presence during lunch. And as soon as Belafonte went up to the mike, she bolted out of the room as an additional measure so that photographers won't get a chance to have both Hillary and Belafonte in the same picture. Apparently it worked. But not so here with Hillary and Belafonte side by side. Well, almost.

But here are the real photos of Hillary and Belafonte in the same picture while they pose chummily together for a picture with other well known black people that was taken at the Congressional Black Caucus 35th Annual Legislative Conference Town Hall meeting on September 22, 2005 at the Washington Convention Center.

Hillary and Belafonte 1
Hillary and Belafonte 2

File an Ethics Complaint Against Ted Kennedy

How brutal it was over the past three days by the Judiciary Committee of which Senator Biden, Kennedy, Feinstein, and few others who have made baseless but serious charges and attacks by implicating that Samual A. Alito has done things wrong in the past and have gotten so bad that Mrs. Alito ran out of the committee room crying according to latest the Drudge Report:

Judge Samuel A. Alito’s wife Martha left the confirmation hearing room in tears this evening, the DRUDGE REPORT has learned. Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) apologized to the Judge’s family for the behavior of his fellow committee members during the course of the last three days. Sen. Graham said: “Judge Alito, I am sorry that you’ve had to go through this. I am sorry that your family has had to sit here and listen to this.” Democrats on the Judiciary Committee have attacked Judge Samuel A. Alito over his membership in Concerned Alumni of Princeton and his involvement in the Vanguard case. One senior Republican in the hearing room said of the situation: “After three full days of attacks against her husband’s character, Mrs. Alito had enough. Democrat behavior during this hearing has not only been wrong, it’s been embarrassing. Ted Kennedy is nothing but a bully.”

Michelle Malkin has been covering this circus of Liberal clowns who are none other than pure, unadulterated character assassinators against Samuel A. Alito. Be sure to watch the 9.2 mb clip of Mr. Windbag (Sen. Kennedy) trying to outdo Sen. Arlen Specter (R), chairman of the Judiciary committee. And read the transcript, too, and see just how bad these Democrats have become.

Sen. Kennedy has been the most abrasive in his attempt to make false, though implied, charges and even outright lies about Alito in the attempt to derail and sabotage the whole nomination process and deny the full courtesy that both Mr. and Mrs. Alito deserve in this Judiciary hearing. This process is NOT A TRIAL!! Although Liberals are trying hard to make it look just like that and supplant any faint notions of guilt in the minds of Americans watching this farce. A circus run amok by Liberal clowns!

It's time that somebody need to file an ethics complaint against Sen. Kennedy for his abusive character assassination towards Samuel Alito. Senator Ted Kennedy (and Chuck Schumer) did his best yesterday to imply that Judge Alito was racist and sexist by linking Alito to some of his past going back as far as 30 years and took them completely out of context. Surely it is in Sen. Kennedy's interest to keep Mr. Alito out of the Supreme Court by impugning upon his reputation in a very visible and very public setting. Sen. Kennedy's antics have gone on for far too long as a Senator bully. It's time that this type of attitude among Liberals need to stop. Starting with Sen. Kennedy. Schumer may be next if he decides to inherit the idiocy from Kennedy.

UPDATE: The bashing continues! Unbelievable! Michelle Malkin keeps a hawkeye attention on these Liberal clowns impugning Mr. Alito's character on day four of the Judiciary committee hearing.

Deaf Nation Poker Tour

Do you like playing poker? Want to be a part of the atmosphere by playing against deaf and hard of hearing players? Then check out Deaf Nation's Poker Tour coming this year June 8 at Connecticut. Be sure to check their website for upcoming details. Poker tournaments among deaf and hard of hearing players have become the hottest entertainment competition. Check out this video.

I won't be going since the June date will be in the middle of the west coast's forest fire season. I have to stay behind since I'm expecting this year to be a bad one for the western states due to way below normal moisture over the past 4 months and warm temperatures.

But regardless, those who do go, be sure to have fun playing poker.

Democrats Who Gave Tainted Abramoff's Money Back to Charities

Seems like many Liberals are under-going massive denials such as Howard Dean who said with a straight face on CNN that no Democrats took Abramoff's money:

There are no Democrats who took money from Jack Abramoff, not one, not one single Democrat. Every person named in this scandal is a Republican. Every person under investigation is a Republican. Every person indicted is a Republican. This is a Republican finance scandal. There is no evidence that Jack Abramoff ever gave any Democrat any money. And we've looked through all of those FEC reports to make sure that's true.

One small problem. Many Democrats as of late have been announcing publicly the return of Abramoff's tainted money that was given to them (directly, indirectly, or what have yous under their names) by donating the tainted money to charities. Read below the list of Democrat names of those who returned all, some or none of it back the tainted money of Abramoff's. (note - I will add more URL links later on...errands to do for the moment. I have the links...just wait til I get back). Use the info I've collected so far and distribute them far and wide.

Now, a question to ya'll. Why are Democrats dumping money with the name Abramoff associated with it from their coffers with their names on them to charities? If true what Howard Dean says, then Democrats shouldn't be worried at all. But they are. Very much so. It's a hot potato time.

See the list of very worried Democrats with their Abramoff's hot potato money and see how they got rid of it or not. Or some of it.

Sen. Max Baucus (D-MT): returned about $19K in Abramoff-connected donations, including use of Abramoff's MCI Center skybox (AP, 12/19).

Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-NY) will donate $2K to a charity in NY. "To ensure that there is no question of any connection with Mr. Abramoff, Friends of Hillary will contribute the total of $2,000 to a New York charity," Clinton spokeswoman Ann Lewis said in a statement.

Sen. Kent Conrad (D-ND): donated $3.75K.

Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-TX) will return $500

Rep. Peter DeFazio (D-OR): returning tainted the $1500 money to charity (Corvallis Gazette Times)

Sen. Byron Dorgan (D-ND) returned $67K in Abramoff-connected tribal donations (Bismarck Tribune, 12/14).

Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL): donating $11K from Abramoff-related money to two Chicago-area groups that serve Native Americans (MSNBC).

Rep. Lane Evans (D-IL): said he'd donate $2K he received from an Abramoff-connected tribe to the Community Caring Conf. of Rock Island (Salon)

Rep. Eliot Engel (D-NY) will return $1K.

Rep. Tim Holden (D-PA) will return $1K. (AP, 1/5)

Holden expressed a similar sentiment, and noted the $1,000 he got from an Abramoff-associated tribe in 2002 equaled the amount his opponent got from a
different Abramoff-related tribe.

"I don't know anything about them, but to avoid any appearance of impropriety I'm going to give it to charity," Holden said in a telephone interview.

Sen. Tim Johnson (D-SD): donating $8.25K to org. that "helps Native Americans" (AP 1/5).

Rep. Nita Lowey (D-NY) will return $2K from tribes according to her spokesperson.

Sen. Barbara Mikulski (D-MD): donated $5K to American Indian College Fund (AP, 1/5).

Rep Charles Rangel (D) - received $36,000, donates $2000 of it to the Boys Choir of Harlem - (NY Post)

Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-WA): giving $17,000 in out-of-state tribal donations to an Indian charity. (Seattle Weekly 1/11/2006).

Rep. Jay Inslee (D-WA): received $5K from the Abramoff-connected MS Band of Choctaw and Chitimacha Tribe of LA. Spokesperson Christine Hanson: "Jay did not know Abramoff. The money was not given to him by Abramoff. This had nothing to do with Abramoff -- none of it" (AP/Seattle Post-Intelligencer, 1/5).

Rep. Patrick Kennedy (D-RI) will not return the $42.5K "he took from tribes" repped by Abramoff. Kennedy's CoS: "He's proud to have their support. He's got direct personal relationships with tribes." (AP, 1/5)

Sen. Blanche Lincoln (D-AR): spokesperson said she had no dealings with Abramoff and "sees no need" to return her $2K from a MS tribe (Barton, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA): received over $40K in contributions from "out-of state Indian tribes" represented by Abramoff, but her spokesperson said she "had no intention of returning the money or donating it to charity." Murray "does not know" Abramoff. Spokesperson Alex Glass: "What we've seen throughout her career is she is a strong advocate for tribal sovereignty and tribal issues, and that's why tribes give to her" (AP/Seattle Post-Intelligencer, 1/5).

Min Ldr Harry Reid(D-NV): said he has "no plans" to return about $61K in money from Abramoff's tribal clients. Spokesperson Tessa Hafen: "He's done nothing wrong and sees no reason why he owuld need to donate it" (Reno Gazette-Journal, 1/5).

Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR): received $1K from Abramoff-connected Saginaw tribe, spokesperson said he "would not return the money" (AP/Seattle Post-Intelligencer, 1/5).

Gay Islamic Terrorist Suicide Bombers?

If this is true as reported by the Sunday Mirror that al Qaeda has been recruiting Islamic suicide bombers who are infected with the HIV virus and use them as human biological bombs. Essentially becoming a walking WMD hoping to increase the kill rate by spreading deadly blood-borne pathogens such as the HIV and Hepatitis virus. Both generally known as Sexually Transmitted Diseases or STD. I wonder where they got those diseases in the first place? Their wives? Prostitutes? Male lovers? Girlfriends? Sisters? Mothers? Maybe throw in a bit of bestality to liven up their dull and sordid lives?

Experts have found that bones and other blood-spattered fragments from a suicide bomber could penetrate the skin of a victim 50 metres (160 ft) away and infect them.

Now, I'm asking. Are these suicide bombers who carry the HIV virus gay? Or are they heterosexual? Or are there both kinds to carry out the attacks? Maybe confused per chance?

This revelation sure does make you think on exactly what kind of company they keep over there. But I'm sure their terrorist leaders approve this with a nod and wink in their direction.

Updates...a reminder.

Folks, as a reminder, I often add updates to my previous blogging like this one, for example. Once in awhile check for updates in big red bold letters whenever you visit. Be sure to scroll down until you see them.

Lou Rawls Dies while Rawls' Mugshot Remains on The Smoking Gun Website

A few days ago the famous Lou Rawls dies of cancer at the age of 72 but his mugshot picture of him still remain on The Smoking Gun's main page. A good way for TSG to remember Lou Rawls, wouldn't you say? By remembering his arrest in 2003 rather than his history of Jazz, R&B and Blues singing? Couldn't the TSG be a bit more considerate and remove his picture from the main page when Lou Rawls just recently died? Isn't that a bit, uh, sleazy? Well, the TSG can be a bit of a sleazy but fascinating website but that's besides the point here. Respect is what I'm getting at.


Click to enlarge.

But should it change, here's the Google cache of the website's main page.

You can contact the TSG at:

E-mail: editor@thesmokinggun.com
The Smoking Gun
600 Third Avenue
16th Floor
New York, N.Y. 10016
(212) 692-7840 or (212) 692-7849

Proof that Saddam Actively Funded al Qaeda Terrorists Training Camps in Iraq

An important tip on the newest scoop about Saddam's funding of terrorist training camps in Iraq with already ample evidence. We know that the MSM press will NOT report this very important discovery.

But first a reminder of naysayers, here is what Sen. Ted Kennedy said about terrorism training in Iraq on October 16, 2003:

"Iraq was not a breeding ground for terrorism. Our invasion has made it one.”

Or the famous John Kerry's statement about terrorists in Iraq during a speech at Temple University, September 24, 2004 :

"Iraq was not a terrorist haven before the invasion."

Now, we have new evidence according to a new report in the Weekly Standard by Stephen Hayes, where new documents found in post-war Iraq confirm earlier reports (here and here) that Saddam Hussein actively funded and trained Islamic terrorists:

THE FORMER IRAQI REGIME OF Saddam Hussein trained thousands of radical Islamic terrorists from the region at camps in Iraq over the four years immediately preceding the U.S. invasion, according to documents and photographs recovered by the U.S. military in postwar Iraq. The existence and character of these documents has been confirmed to THE WEEKLY STANDARD by eleven U.S. government officials.

The secret training took place primarily at three camps--in Samarra, Ramadi, and Salman Pak--and was directed by elite Iraqi military units. Interviews by U.S. government interrogators with Iraqi regime officials and military leaders corroborate the documentary evidence. Many of the fighters were drawn from terrorist groups in northern Africa with close ties to al Qaeda, chief among them Algeria's GSPC and the Sudanese Islamic Army. Some 2,000 terrorists were trained at these Iraqi camps each year from 1999 to 2002, putting the total number at or above 8,000. Intelligence officials believe thatsome of these terrorists returned to Iraq and are responsible for attacks against Americans and Iraqis. According to three officials with knowledge of the intelligence on Iraqi training camps, White House and National Security Council officials were briefed on these findings in May 2005; senior Defense Department officials subsequently received the same briefing.

The photographs and documents on Iraqi training camps come from a collection of some 2 million "exploitable items" captured in postwar Iraq and Afghanistan. They include handwritten notes, typed documents, audiotapes, videotapes, compact discs, floppy discs, and computer hard drives. Taken together, this collection could give U.S.and policymakers an inside look at the activities of the former Iraqi regime in the months and years before the Iraq war.

The discovery of the information on jihadist training camps in Iraq would seem to have two major consequences: It exposes the flawed assumptions of the experts and U.S. intelligence officials who told us for years that a secularist like Saddam Hussein would never work with Islamic radicals, any more than such jihadists would work with an infidel like the Iraqi dictator. It also reminds us that valuable information remains buried in the mountain of documents recovered in Afghanistan and Iraq over the past four years.

Nearly three years after the U.S. invasion of Iraq, only 50,000 of these 2 million "exploitable items" have been thoroughly examined. That's 2.5 percent. Despite the hard work of the individuals assigned to the "DOCEX" project, the process is not moving quickly enough, says Michael Tanji, a former Defense Intelligence Agency official who helped lead the document exploitation effort for 18 months. "At this rate," he says, "if we continue to approach DOCEX in a linear fashion, our great-grandchildren will still be sorting through this stuff."

This is the most damning evidence to date and all of it came from Iraqi documents found in Iraq and Afghanistan before, during and after the fall of Bagdad. Many of them already corroborated and verified as being true. But more good things are on the way to learn more about these information.

Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld has convened several meetings in recent weeks to discuss the Pentagon's role in expediting the release of this information. According to several sources familiar with his thinking, Rumsfeld is pushing aggressively for a massive dump of the captured documents. "He has a sense that public vetting of this information is likely to be as good an astringent as any other process we could develop," says Pentagon spokesman Larry DiRita.

The main worry, says DiRita, is that the mainstream press might cherry-pick documents and mischaracterize their meaning. "There is always the concern that people would be chasing a lot of information good or bad, and when the Times or the Post splashes a headline about some sensational-sounding document that would seem to 'prove' that sanctions were working, or that Saddam was just a misunderstood patriot, or some other nonsense, we'd spend a lot of time chasing around after it."

This IS to be expected from the MSM press who WILL cherry pick and choose irrelevant information to feed the masses and dupe them some more. Or just ignore it as best as possible. Even liberal Juan Williams on Foxnews ridiculed Fred Barnes on his assertion that there were terrorist training camps, many with ties to al Qaeda, in Iraq back in November 2003.

However, bloggers from around the United States (and elsewhere ) are beginning to get ready for this massive dump of information. Powerline has more here and here.

We spoke with Steve Hayes of the Weekly Standard earlier this week; he told us that he was about to publish a bombshell: documents and photographs discovered in Iraq show that in the years leading up to the war, Saddam's regime trained thousands of international terrorists at several camps in Iraq.

Spread the word. Release the blogosphere!

The Hillary Scandal and More Thoughts

Hmm, guess which one of the three ought to be the biggest scandal of the year?
Read up on John Armor's article about the scandals of Abramoff, Sharpton and Hillary. It'll make you wonder what the heck is going on over there in D.C. land? John Armor makes really good and interesting points about those three guys.

Now, lest you think that the Hillary scandal is over. It's not. Just beginning:

After more than 5 years of denying any wrongdoing, the Clinton group refused to even contest the charges, and instead signed a "conciliation agreement" with the FEC. According to the agreement, the FEC found "there was probable cause to believe New York Senate 2000 and Andrew Grossman, in his official capacity as [the campaign's] treasurer violated 2 U.S.S Sec 434(b) of the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 and 11 D.F.R. Sec 102(c)(8)(i)(A)."

Hillary Clinton's fundraising group now has 30 days from the execution of the agreement (Dec. 13) to correct the false reports and pay the fine.

Obviously I'm not satisfied with a slap-on-the-wrist fine. Hillary Clinton and her campaign staff ought to be in jail for flouting campaign finance laws. But in looking at the big picture, this is a huge victory for Judicial Watch and its supporters. For five years we have doggedly pursued this scandal working hand-in-hand with the Justice Department and the FEC. Thanks to these efforts, a top Clinton aide, Hillary's National Finance Director, David Rosen, was indicted on charges he knowingly filed false campaign finance reports with the FEC. And now, Hillary Clinton's fundraising operation has been fined, and publicly shamed, for its transgressions. Hopefully the Senate Ethics Committee will follow the FEC's lead and take action on Judicial Watch's ethics complaint filed against Hillary for her personal role in the scandal.

Here's the FEC's "Notice of Rulemaking" in the attempt to revamp the internet on political issues.

Hooboy! And if you don't believe that Hillary Clinton hold grudges then you're sadly mistakened. Also, one tend to get really cold and embarrassed after when President Clinton was impeached and discovered that he lied about Lewinsky. Ever wonder why you don't see them both together nowadays?

Also, using a different set of guise, Senator Clinton is trying to act like she really cares about the military so when the 2008 election comes up she'll have something to crow about like her drive to save the "Purple Heart stamp." Noble, indeed, but a bit transparent.

I wonder what Senator Clinton will do with her $12,000 tainted cash that she took from Abramoff? Will she donate the tainted cash to some good charity? I believe she already did like so many others desperate to get rid of the tainted cash.

And we know that Hillary Clinton is a control freak. Her latest aim will be at controlling the internet's contents when it comes to politcs and free speech over the internet.

On Feb. 11, 1998, Hillary Clinton told reporters that the Internet needed an “editing” or “gatekeeping” function. The World Wide Web was out of control, she said. It needed to be reined in. Five years later, Hillary’s dream is on the verge of being realized.

The McCain-Feingold Act of 2002 empowers federal judges and Federal Election Commissioners to determine who is allowed to say what about political candidates in all electronic media. On Sept. 18, 2004, U.S. District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly ordered the FEC to extend its enforcement of McCain-Feingold to the Internet.

In the face of a massive outcry from bloggers, the FEC backed down from fully implementing Judge Kollar-Kotelly’s order. However, the order stands. Sooner or later, it will be enforced.

Proposals are already on the table to require bloggers to register with the government and to report to the FEC any election-related blogging they undertake as “political contributions” subject to campaign finance law.”

If that's the case, then there is nothing more chilling that to try and suppress free speech in the name of political suppression of ideas.

What more can come out of Sen. Hillary Clinton? What else is she hiding in her closet? More skeletons? Only time will tell.