Posted on 03/23/2004 4:15:18 AM PST by BigWaveBetty
This is an aerial view of some of the buildings on Teresa Heinz Kerry's 90-acre family farm in Fox Chapel, Pa., just outside Pittsburgh, on Monday, March 22, 2004. This is one of at least five sites that Heinz Kerry and her husband, presumptive Democratic presidential nominee John Kerry (news - web sites), own with a cumulative value at nearly $33 million. (AP Photo/Keith Srakocic)
Democratic Presidential candidate Sen. John Kerry (news - web sites)'s Ketchum, Idaho vacation home on the Wood River is seen in this March 17, 2004 photo. From a sailing mecca to a ski resort, presumptive Democratic nominee John Kerry and his wife, Teresa Heinz Kerry, enjoy the trappings of their wealth in at least five homes and vacation getaways across the country valued at nearly $33 million. (AP Photo/Troy Maben)
The Nantucket, Mass., home of Teresa Heinz Kerry is seen, Thursday, March 18, 2004. From a sailing mecca to a ski resort, presumptive Democratic nominee John Kerry (news - web sites) and his wife, Teresa Heinz Kerry, enjoy the trappings of their wealth in at least five homes and vacation getaways across the country valued at nearly $33 million. (AP Photo/Rob Benchley)
This is a view of the Georgetown home of Democratic presidential candidate Sen. John Kerry (news - web sites), D-Mass., and his wife, Teresa Heinz Kerry, on O Street NW in the Georgetown area of Washington, D.C., Thursday, March 18, 2004. From a sailing mecca to a ski resort, presumptive Democratic nominee John Kerry and his wife, Teresa Heinz Kerry, enjoy the trappings of their wealth in at least five homes and vacation getaways across the country valued at nearly $33 million. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
Sen. John Kerry sold his foreign mansion in Italy just weeks before he announced a run for the White House in January of 2003, the DRUDGE REPORT has learned.
Actor George Clooney purchased the stunning 18th century mansion located in the Italian village of Laglio [50 miles north of Milan] from Kerry and his wife for $7,800,000. Clooney first learned about the listing from Brad Pitt, who had been holidaying with his wife Jennifer Aniston at Versace's compound nearby.
While Kerry and his wife's homes in the United States are worth at least $23,733,705, it is not clear if the candidate currently owns property overseas.
The campaign has repeatedly denied requests for any information on foreign assets held by Kerry.
"Better eat up son, after I'm elected your mom won't have two nickles to rub together."
So Gore gave it prominent attention in his speech...right? Here's what he said:
We must confront the new challenges of terrorism, new kinds of weapons of mass destruction, global environmental problems, and new diseases that know no national boundaries and can threaten national security.That's it. Terror rolled up with WMD, the environment and new diseases. I searched the document for "attack", "Cole", and "bin". No hits. Some focus!
LOL, check out the old videos of the AlBaby doing the Macarena.
If you can't find those just watch him clapping in an audience; he can barely find one hand with the other let alone keep time.
I served in Iraq, and it sucked. The dust storms that sandblasted your skin raw weren't fun. The heat was unbearable. We placed a thermometer in the sun in August, and it registered 157 degrees. At the same time, a thermometer in the shade read 137. Of course, for the most part, it was a dry heat, except I was in the South, and in late August and September, the wind would shift bringing moist air from the Persian Gulf. How about 120-plus and 90% humidity to brighten your day? Oh and the critters--rats, snakes, scorpions and my favorite, the camel spider. They live on the desert floor and have venom that numbs the poor camels they jump up on. After numbing the area, they chow down on the still-alive camel. The locals told me that its normal to see camels walking through the desert and their guts fall out because camel spiders eat their intestinal walls. The camel spiders also don't discriminate--people, camels, it's all the same to them. Did I mention the critters of the microscopic variety? Explosive doesn't do justice to the intestinal issues I encountered. Of course, I almost forgot the AK-47-wielding locals or the imported locals with explosives and rocket-propelled grenades. Yes sir, it truly sucked. Would I do it again? In a heartbeat! If you could meet the sincerely grateful Iraqis that I helped liberate, you'd understand.
To answer your question, do I care if the president makes a crack about WMDs? Not at all. Based on my experience, I'd be perfectly happy if the president's reason for going to war wasn't WMDs but rather that he was just having a bad day and wanted a piece of Saddam.
--K.B., Army
I am an American Army officer with seven years of service, including time as an armor officer and JAG attorney. One thing my experience has taught me about soldiers is that a foxhole never lacks humor or a sense of irony, even in the worst of times.
I have lost personal friends and professional acquaintances in Iraq. However, I still can find humor in events in the global war on terror. My friends and colleagues overseas find things to joke and laugh about, even as they wish for home. Mr. Bush's ability to lighten a serious mood with some humor is very soldierly. That Mr. Kerry cannot locate the humor in this situation demonstrates his inherent French-like haughtiness.
While I do not believe the jokes by Mr. Bush were in poor taste, even if they had been in poor taste they would have been preferable an appearance on the Senate floor for the purpose of leveling false accusations of war crimes against American service members. Of course, if I had wasted my youth hanging out with Jane Fonda, I would probably be dour and humorless as well.
--A.M. thread with link to more
In the meantime, a Q and A Miniter on 'Losing bin Laden' for those who haven't read it yet.
Clintons Loss?
How the previous administration fumbled on bin Laden.
I shared emails with Jonah Goldberg on this subject today...we were discussing how the media is offering NO CONTEXT on the executive privilege issue...
Jonah,
You're right that the media has given no context to Dr. Rice's refusal to tesify.That context might include:
1) No NSC advisor in history has testified on policy issues. (Every instance of previous NSC testimony was in the context of a criminal investigation.)2) Unlike Cabinet heads, advisors to the president are not confirmed by Congress. The president relies on the unfettered opinions of his advisors. If they worried that every conversation was subject to Congressional review, would they feel as free to agree---or disagree----with the president in the messy early days of policy formulation?
3) We are at war. Do we want our NSC advisor disclosing policies and strategies in public? I feel certain that, if Dr. Rice testified publicly, partisan members of the commision would ask repeated questions to which Dr. Rice would be compelled to answer, "I cannot discuss that for national security reasons". It would make her look bad.
4) If the White House allowed her to testify, what's to stop Congress from citing other "important matters" and demanding that she testify on, say, Iraq policy? Or Pakistan policy. Or Israel policy. All important, and thus ripe targets for future Dem mischief. The wall of separation between the oval office and capitol hill would have been breached for all time.
I would guess most Americans interpret the refusal to testify as evidence of something to hide. And why shouldn't they---given the lack of context provided by the media?
Perhaps it's because Condi is so smart and that I'm no where near her kind of brain power but I believe she would run circles around even the slimiest of those (Ben Venesta) on the panel. Holding to their guns on the issue of privilege then giving in satisfies all sides. And brings more attention to a public hearing, which makes it hard for the media to pick and choose what they want to report.
I don't mind, call me naive. :-)
On Special Report tonight, Brit said that some of Condi's interview was cut out of the 60 minutes show Sunday night. Specifically when she told Bradley that Tenet had met with the president 46 times with some other info.
I agree.
Never trust a man who wears a purple tie.
Did the WH ever say Condi only met with the committee (they don't use testify, she's not under oath) because the info is classified? I haven't heard that, thought it was because of the privilege not because of classified material.
Hold on to your horses, in the middle of April Woodward's book comes out and it's supposed to be another hit job on the WH and or President Bush. Woodward didn't have access this time so I can't wait to read the "quotes" from people in comas and conversations between a married couple in bed and one of them isn't Woodward.
On a happier note, Bill Sammons has a book out soon and he was given access.
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