Top Ten for December 31st, 2006
10th Place txradioguy
Only one post from TXR this week on the Sunday thread, so I can't put him higher than 10th, but what a post! I feel this is the probably the most important single post this week and maybe for quite some time. It's a simple point, but it is the heart of what should be the argument, not surges, not redeployment, not "peace keeping." And he's got the standing to make the post and make it meaningful. Thank you.
- #300; "Ummm... if we could actually unleash our overwhelming force it would work ... As it is we are engaging the enemy with one hand tied behind our back and a patch over one eye. ... The rules of engagement for my fellow soldiers on the ground needs to be changed."
9th Place Mo1
Great posts this week, these are only two examples. I am in debt for post #223 which was in response to a post of mine about the NY Times attempt to paint Gerald Ford and Jimmah Carter as "best buddies" (through mutual hatred of Ronald Reagan, no less). It's Howlin's post from a separate thread, but Mo1 did the leg work to find it for me. Thank you kindly, for all of us. This is what we do best on this thread, find resources to answer questions or refute propaganda from the DBM.
- #39; "If I hear one more time "the violence will stop when the Iraqis step up to the plate and take responsibility" I'm going to scream." (Note: see Bernard's response in post #55)
- #223; "'Some one here must have saved that delightful exchange with Ford in which he says, referring to Carter who had just behaved badly and made a subordinate feel very crushed, that you can't make chicken salad out of chicken s#%t. I don't think the stories about them being friends are all they are cracked up to be.' ... Here it is ... To: Howlin ... I am sick of the press saying that Ford became 'good friends' with Jimmy Carter. ... Here is what Ford said about Carter in 1981: ... (From 'Ronald Reagan in Private' pg 98) …And then one more person emerged from somewhere. I apologized again and asked for one more photo and assured them this was the last photo. ... 'You’re right,' snapped Carter. “I don’t care who else is on this plane, I’m not doing any more photos.” He turned on me, raising his voice. 'Do you understand me?' ... 'Yes, sir, I do,' I told him. Carter stormed out of the executive lounge. ... I was devastated. The thirty-ninth president of the United States had just taken me apart. The photos hadn’t seemed like such a big deal and, in fact, Ford hadn’t objected. ... 'I really screwed this up for President Carter,' I said to Ford. ... 'No, you didn’t young man,' Ford said warmly. 'That worked fine.' ... He grinned at me as if he were confiding a secret. ... 'I’ve always said,' he told me, 'that you can’t make chicken salad out of chicken shi*t.' ... With that, he shook his head. President Ford made me feel human again. ... That is what President Ford thought of Jimmah Carter, chicken sh*t."
8th Place kabar
Strong historical perspective and analysis, as usual. Also as usual I posted a reply with my own quibbles with at least one comment in post #120, but it's important for me to say that it's not (and never is) because I think kabar is wrong about something. In this case I had conflicting impressions from my own memory of the times when I was a "callow youth." His response was helpful in correcting some of those impressions (not all... I gotta hold to some of my misconceptions!) and my post to him is also the thing that ended up getting Mo1 to locate the post by Howlin in post #223. Again, it's what we do best on this thread.
- #120; "Ford was President for 29 months during a time of great political turmoil and the ignominious ending of an unpopular war. Congress was overwhelmingly Dem controlled. He was appointed to both the VP and the Presidency. Ergo, he did not have a popular mandate to do anything and he lacked the ability to set the political agenda. ... He was Minority leader in the House, a largely honorific title with little or no power when it came to doing anything significant in the Dem controlled House, which they controlled during the 62 year period 1933-95 for 58 years including 40 years straight. ... 'If he had stepped aside in 1976 we might have had a Reagan four years earlier.' ... I doubt if Reagan could have won in 1976 given the mood of the country and his political philosophy, which the country was not ready for given the Goldwater experience. It is was far better in the long term for Carter to fail and be the measure for comparison. ... 'Lets not forget in 1974 Turkey invaded Cyprus on Fords watch.' ... Turkey invaded Cyprus in two waves on 20 July and 14 August, 1974. Ford took the oath of office on August 9, 1974, the same day that Nixon resigned. What precisely did you expect Ford to do?"
- #149; "... I wonder how Krauthammer feels about the Nuremberg trials. Or the swift justice meted out to Ceauºescu and his wife. Or Mussolini. I think Krauthammer confuses justice with process. Everyone knew that Saddam was guilty of mass murder. We have the graves of 300,000 to prove it. ... The US and the West forced the Iraqis to through the Kabuki dance of a trial, which resulted in giving Saddam and his supporters a platform for years. A number of lawyers and judges connected to the case were assassinated. Iraq would have been far better if Saddam had been summarily dispatched a few days after he was captured."
7th Place Chuck54
Blow by blow, play by play, many more than these. This week's are better than Howard Cosell!!!!! (and certainly more insightful) <g>
- #26; "OMG, looks like Timmy has joined a conspiracy crew! Asks are you sure (some reporter in Bagdhad) that is Saddam in that casket..... Wow, moonbat city already on MTP>"
- #31; "Wanna bet Tim doesn't use Brokaw's statement about Nixon, "in the bunker" to equate with President Bush at this time? ... Odds are he will tie it in."
- #131; "... Some wit on FR a few days ago stated the Democrats would have no problem with the hanging of Saddam if we would just refer to the hanging as a 'very late term abortion.'"
- #156; "Wolfie ask Lieberman if this trial meets the standards you would have liked. ... Lieberman answers, 'YES, it does.' Thank you Senator. ... Same question to Specter and he answers, 'I think it does.'"
- #162; "Specter just gave all 'waffles' a bad name with his answer on whether he would support the President if he wants more troops. ... He wants to see the 'plan,' the 'plan.' I would think he would just ask Dingy Harry Reid or J Kerry. They always talk about a 'plan' for victory. ... Pres Bush's plan is simple, 'We win, they lose'. Kind of like my hero the late Pres RR."
- #175; "Sigh! Our once proud Republican party is now led by doddering old fools. A certain former President must be spinning in his grave. ... Lugar and Specter are front and center on this morning's talk shows and are just pitiful, really pitiful."
6th Place Carolinamom
Important insights that provide necessary context and perspective on much that is going on this week. I was particularly impressed by the straightforward statement of fact in post #211. This is the kind of thing that needs to be pushed in the face of the RINOs who are cowering in terror of the "Dhimmicrat juggernaut." Post #259 also provides an important (IMHO) statement about our prospective candidates for 2008. Regardless of what each of us think about the candidates, we need more of this kind of analysis as opposed to single issue obsessions. Well done.
- #169; "For all their education and high office, I despair at the lack of judgment endemic in some of our senators, Specter being high on my list of the judgmentally impaired."
- #211; "If the Republicans in Congress would look at the numbers, they could easily see that the Dems have a precarious 'majority.' I want to see Republicans fight to stop some of the dems' socialistic proposals. I am so weary of all that collegiality ('MY FRIEND' this and that). More testosterone and plain/blunt talk are needed."
- #241; "Like Obama (vs Keyes), Edwards was elected to the Senate because his opponent (Lauch Faircloth) was a weak Rep. candidate. Once there, Edwards did NOT represent North Carolinians; he represented HIMSELF and used NC as a stepping stone toward satisfying his 'unbridled ambition.' He, too, has a 'lean and hungry look.' Do not be deceived as voters here in NC were...some believing what he SAID. His actions proved otherwise."
- #259; "Of all the potential Rep. candidates in the news so far...McCain, Gulliani (sp), I consider Romney to be the most ABLE. ... The fact that the liberal Boston papers and the media are so critical of his candidacy tells me that they fear the possibility of his winning the primary and thus overcoming her Thighness. IMO he may just be the Rep. dark horse that comes from behind."
5th Place rodguy911
For those of us who have exhibited the hubris to presume to "judge" this thread <g> (and I trust you know my position on what it is we're trying to do) rodguy911 is our drill sergeant and managing partner. Right now I owe him a lot for his patience with me on my extended absence from the rotation along with the greater debt I owe to him and the other participants in the "Jedi council" who have covered for me during my sick time recovering from my most recent surgery. But that has nothing to do with my inclusion of RG in this list. These posts are literally right in the middle of the "sweet spot" of what I look for in posts I want to highlight. They provide both play by play, analysis and the opinion that are the heart of this thread. Oh, and there are those "pithy comments" that set RG's comments above the ordinary, as well.
- #150; "... Just watched a few moments of the five person panel on MTP. (those of us in radio squirm a little with more than one guest, five is three more that are manageable, and gives 'no one person any time at all to develop any kind of relevant thought' maybe that's why the panels on many shows are so pathetic) ... Any way I was just wondering if E.J. Dionne is gay or is it just his Barney rubble demeanor or the pink shirt he is wearing! ... Meanwhile Kate O' Bierne answers fat Tim's nebulous question of which pubbie will be in the lead by the end of 07 by saying "McCain". ... Then she says she 'doesn't think he will be the nominee.' ... A bit PC there Katie, she know how much we hate McCain but does not quite have the moxie to come out and tell it like it is."
- #165; "Just watched snarlin' Arlin on woof/ woof at cnn's pap. Arlen reminded me a lot of another senile old fool, my senator from Fla. Crazy Bill Nelson. It's hard to imagine which one is stooopider to actually believe anything that Syria's Assad says."
- #168; "All you need to know about pretty boy Edwards is his occupation--ambulance chaser extraordinaire."
- #177; "Shhhhh!!! You are not supposed to tell what is really going on in Iraq, how we are kicking the sh___ out of the enemy while our losses are truly minimal compared to other wars. The msm/dbm won't like it when you let the cat out of the bag."
- #226; "... Any time you try and get along with the dems they see it as a sign of weakness! In that way they are just like the terrorists/islamofacists. They (the dems) only respond to overt force, pressure or action. ... Even as a minority in both houses we still have the ability to kill off any of their Socialist ideas and we should. ... The one that worries me is the immigration bill that the rats are bound to try and overturn last years bill establishing the fence. They will try and push this one through, killing the fence and allowing amnesty, unlimited immigration and whatever. We need to be ready. ... They do most things like that in the dark of night with the msm/dbm doing a lot of winking and non-reporting. ... That's where we come in."
- #275; "Another one that will make you chuckle is watching CNN's Woof Woof barking along (actually it's a bit more like a meow) ... I have never seen a network (all jihadi watch all the time) so desperate for traction and so bent on rationalizing everything they do or don't do. ... I guess they have figured out that we are on to them and they are not being seen in a very favorable light anymore. To say the very least. (their numbers probably tell them that as well!) ... They are outraged that Saddam's hanging was done "only hours before a major moslem holiday" yet felt compelled to cover it since all their competitors would be. (a failed attempt at triangulation there?) They were also outraged at the grainy unedited version of the hanging making the rounds on the net by a cell phone who photoed it poorly. (could it be they just can't stand any competition at all, even from the poorest and meekest of the bunch?) ... Anyway, woof, woof (without the benefit of higher platform shoes or more phone books to sit on) goes on rambling his l/w pap trying to get one of his third world spokesmen to poo poo the hanging but really getting no where. ... CNN gives the impression of a dying network in the throes of their death watch."
- #417; "Mary Landrieu is the consonant rat, all she knows is "buy votes at any cost" anywhere, any time. She is a perfect example of the Kennedy type mold of "running all the time" always sloganeering never actually doing anything just ranting and screaming for mo' money. It's been a rat/way of life in LA and DC for years."
4th Place Bahbah
Without doubt the person I look to for play be play when I've missed a show or simply missed the nuances of what has been said. Great analysis and insight, as always.
- #19; "... Since my day begins with Lugar and Vilsack, I may fall asleep with my head on the keyboard."
- #29; "Oh, good grief. Timmy is using Ford's death to relive Watergate."
- #33; "The reliving of Watergate is becoming orgiastic. Timmy is so excited he can hardly contain himself. This is really hard to watch."
- #100; "Lordy, Lugar is just doddering. "Who is being trained?" I would assume they are Iraqis. "Where are the battle lines?" Well, Lugar, they are wherever the "insurgents" pop up. My goodness, do none of them read anything??? He wants the President to describe to him who we are fighting and how do our people go about finding them. Apparently Lugar cannot find any information by himself and has to have the President feed it to him."
- #118; "Apparently, Krauthammer feels that the trial of Saddam should have been trials and should have been used to chronicle his many wrongs and we should have heard more about those wrongs. ... Well, Charles, the media didn't want to report those "wrongs." They just wanted to show Saddam haranguing the court. ... LOL. I agree with Juan. Saddam looked like a loon."
- #163; "John Edwards wants to be your daddy and give you everything. Universal health care, strengthening the middle class, whatever that means and whoever that is. He is really gonna give you a lot of stuff, which he calls 'investing.' Remember who invented that one?"
- #170; "OMG, Wolfie still wants to revisit yet again the notion that going into Iraq was wrong. Joe says 'We did the right thing' and Joe is right."
- #326; "(Edwards was) asking why we are not caring for the desperately poor people in India. ... Really! Then I did not misunderstand him. He wants to save the poor and diseased of the world. Make the lame walk, raise the dead. And he wants our taxpayer money to do it. What a loon. ... I'll bet he gets all excited thinking of video of himself surrounded by the dirty and starving detritus of humanity, gently scruffing wooly little heads. Yuk." (Note: response to OldFriend's post #324)
- #367: "'BLITZER: I want to move on....' I'll just bet he wanted to move on after Lieberman started talking sense."
3rd Place Txsleuth
Sleuth always engages in the best conversations on FR and particularly this thread, not only contributing new info and insight but also highlighting and drawing out the best from others.
- #215; "Specter's whole interview was disgraceful. ... All it did...when talking about his trip to Syria, and his answer about Iraq....was point out that HE wants the power that Pres. Bush has...and even though he knows he doesn't constitutionally have it. ... He will try to tell ignorant people that he DOES. ... BTW...I have never heard Joe Lieberman on a talk show where I agreed with all that he says...today was an exception...he was VERY good."
- #235; "Actually precarious is the word. ... Supposedly, Sen. Tim Johnson, though progressing, the doctors say....is still unconscious... I am sure we would all get a lecture from Harry Reid, were we to question the "right" of the dems in the Senate to try to bully the GOP TOO hard, considering the circumstances. ... But, reality is reality...."
- #344; "Bah...did you see Edwards' interview with Sissy Chrissy the other night?? ... I couldn't watch over a few minutes of it.. but, Edwards said something about how Pres. Bush and others tout 'personal responsibility'....and, Edwards' said, 'that is wrong...it shouldn't be personal responsibility, it should be everyone's responsiblility...to make sure that everyone has health care, that the poorest get college educations...that America is the world leader, but not in war...in helping all nations..' ... You get the drift...and he makes no bones about raising taxes to do it... "
- #459; "You have statistics...but Edwards and the dems have the propaganda DOWN to a fine art...telling Americans that we are a society of the 'haves' and 'have nots'... Edwards tried to use the 'two Americas,' in 2004...and all he has done since then is travel around saying that...and selling a house for MILLIONS... IOW, for over two years he hasn't had to work...and yet tries to tell you and I, we aren't doing enough for the people in New Orleans, Uganda, 'poor city, country'..."
- #478; "I am at the point where I want to go to New York and camp outside of the studios of the different news agencies...and protest their lies. ... Then, I want to go to Washington, and protest outside of the Capitol Building...against their lies.... Americans that don't spend the time (for whatever reason) online like we do...so only get what the MSM feeds them.. or don't pay attention at all...but VOTE.. need the truth, somehow. ... It wasn't that long ago that John Edwards was saying, during campaign speeches that if he and jon carry were elected, the crippled would WALK again, fgs!!! ... And yet...we have Bill Sammon on Brit's show saying positive things about him??? This makes me think the MSM is getting worse, instead of more enlightened and worried about the alt media showing them up!! That is scary."
2nd Place syriacus
Syriacus has been effectively putting this conflict into perspective with increasing frequency and forcefulness the last couple of weeks. Highlighting the distortions and propaganda as it happens is an important part of what we must do to counter their drive for defeat.
- #172; "... Ford died on the same date as Truman. ... And I think Ford was in congress in 1950, when Truman sent our troops to take part in what he called a 'police action' fighting 'bandits' in Korea ... I'd love to know what Ford thought of Truman sending troops to Korea in 1950. ... During Truman's remaining 2 1/2 years as president, 30,000 Americans died for Korean freedom. ... Under Bush fewer than 3,000 died in the same length of time, fighting for Iraqi freedom. ... Did Ford think South Koreans should be under the boot of Kim Jong-Il?"
- #189; "OMG, Wolfie still wants to revisit yet again the notion that going into Iraq was wrong ... I wish Wolfie would consider whether Truman should have sent our troops into Korea. ... 30,000 Americans died in Korea by the time Truman left office, 2 1/2 years later. ... 781 Americans died on 1 date, November 30, 1950, from fighting for Korean freedom under Truman."
- #209; "... I've noticed the MSM is willing to compare the Iraq War to the Vietnam war, which we 'lost,' because of stateside pressure to give up. ... But the MSM never wants to compare the Iraq War to the Korean War. ... Probably because millions of South Koreans have enjoyed freedom for over 50 years, thanks in a big part to 30,000 US deaths in 2+ years. ... To paraphrase some anti-war folks, 'No Koreans piloted planes into American buildings, so why did we go into Korea?' (/sarc)"
1st Place samantha
Dial up? This was done with dial up? As Darth Vader said "impressive, truly impressive!" Lot's of insight, unique info and commentary. I particularly loved the "he is the Morman but" comment!
- #126; "#32, I would say that Lugar has a Jeffords, and Bill Nelson kind of problem, but seriously how on earth could you tell? He always acts, sounds loopy, waaay out of touch. Does he ever get angry with Democrats behavior? Does he ever say anything good about GWB and Republicans that are not RINOS and Suckups like him? I did not think so, what a limp wristed Howdy Doody lookalike."
- #148; "#40, you are right, Schumer knows that Pubbies like Lugar are not tough Guys, and they never will be as long as they keep getting elected with their Casper Milquetoast persona. They need a dose of angry faxes, letter, emails, and Phone calls to their offices to tell them that with their attitude we are very afraid for our Country, and Al Qaeda, Pootie poot, and all the Isalmofascists are watching their chicken $hit behavior."
- #242; "#72, Wallace should not have done the Ford Service last night he sounded like he was trying to fill in a lot of time, and he does not do that well. Brit Hume should have done the coverage, and I am mighty ticked off that I turned off Katie Cowlick on CBS hoping to listen to Brit or someone on Fox that was up to the job and I hear Wallace. It was very frustrating to listen to him mumble, stumble, and sound like he was the United Nations Ambassador/Judge on The Political situation of Ford when he was in the House and how wonderful he was in the Minority. You stupid twit Wallace Jr, Ford was not a fighter, he was a go along to get along like Bob Michael, and that is why he was never Speaker of the House or Majority leader, it took Newt and other Pubbie hard@sses to get the Majority. How about Wallace should have mentioned that Holtzman and The Dirty Dems back then (Watergate era) tried to keep Ford from becoming VP so they could steal the Presidency away when Nixon went down. I would have never known all their horrible treachery if I was not a Pubbie and a Rush type Freeper now. Most people do not have a clue as to what the Rats have been about, and how they kept the Majority all those years. I am waaaay past ready for the Rats... to go down...."
- #256; "... Romney has been out in a lot of States already setting up his campaign committees. He has even been in SC and Florida. I do not see any Pubbie out there that has done anything so far except announce, and who besides Duncan Hunter( no chance in Hell) has even done that. The Primaries are a scant Year off, and if they have not had their Committees lined up in all the States, and the Money Making Fund raisers,Donations planned and set up, they might as well sit down and shut up. Romney has good name recognition from the Olympics dealie, and the Gay Marriage Vote in Massachusetts, both will help him."
- #260; "#85, the Hit Job by the Media especially the Boston Glob tells you that they think Romney will be the Pubbie Candidate, and they are afraid of him. Let's look at it this way, he is the Morman but only has one long time Marriage, and Newt, Rudy, and other Pubbie Contenders have Multiple Marriages and affairs."
- #267; "#94, It is a terrible thing to say, but I truly believe that the Media is almost totally on the side of our enemy. They cry for Killers, Rapists, Despots, but they do not cry for Republicans like Ronald Reagan, and they do not cry about innocent babies murdered by the multi millions over the decades since Roe V Wade was adjudicated. Why do Rats/DBM care about the Poor Murderer on Death Row, but care nothing about the Baby pulled mostly out of the Womb, then stabbed in the neck? I often wonder what goes through their minds, and who raised them to have such callous disregard for decency and innocence, and jump completely on the bandwagon of the scum of the earth."
- #357; "#257, McCain has built a machine that will not get him past the Republican Primary. He has to get through freeper types, and we would have him retire this minute and go haunt a house or something if it were not for a Lib Democrat Governor in Arizona. McCain has mostly support of Rinos and Rats, neither can help win the Primaries."
- #394; "I think you are right about your Romney pick, but I think Rudy will be his pick for Attorney General, not VP. I wish it could be Condi Rice for VP, but I do not think it will be. It may be the Young, Handsome Conservative Governor of Utah, who strangely enough is a Mormon also like Romney. It is a possibility that they may choose Michael Steele for VP, he certainly will be in the Cabinet. There also may be a Darkhorse for VP in the Governor of SC, Marshall clement Sanford Jr who also was a two term Congressman term limiting himself, and is well liked with a warm Southern Personality, and fiscally very conservative. He brought a Pig into the House to point out Pork Spending. I do not believe Gov Rutabaga Richardson will go anywhere even VP, he has a lot of Clinton Baggage and he is really unattractive (and no Abe Lincoln), plus he is known for crooked behind the scenes dealing, and making jobs for his friends at taxpayers expense, and turning the Governor's office into his own Pork-barrel project. He will not get the Spanish vote unless he uses his Spanish Maiden name (LOL) like the Sanchez Sisters from California. He is that devious, but the voters are not that stupid. enough for now..."