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Top Ten for Sunday, January 7, 2007

Tenth Place Gritty

«Great posts, including these two which stand out. The first one nicely wraps up the problems with this weeks shows (playing off of a post by maica) and the second lays out the issues we truly are facing (but are being ignored by the DBM)

#209; "'After about 200 posts it is obvious that we did not miss a thing... We are now like those congressmen who get all their info from staff, not from first-hand study and exposure.' ... Boy, have you diagnosed that right! ... Most of these shows are now dreadfully unwatchable, totally predictable, and little more than Sunday exercises in Liberal self-pleasuring which is their substitute for going to church." (Note: response to maica's post #38)
#428; "'Currently, they are drunk with power, but wait until they start raising taxes, on the middle class. for pay-go and then see how the American Public feels about them.' ... Been there, done that. From 1954-1994 the Dems controlled Congress with the same old socialist agendas and power politics (call it the New Deal, Fair Deal, New Frontier, Great Society, whatever). It took that many decades to get rid of them the first time. ... Americans put up with it then. They likely will now. Especially with our McCain-Feingold Campaign Reform Laws stacking the deck for incumbents and the MSM enthusiastically acting as their campaign propaganda organ. ... And back then there weren't 100 million ~~illegal aliens and their families~~ newly minted voters from failed 3rd World cultures, narco-states, and Islamic hellholes, either - many of them looking for free handouts, compensation for past slights, or the desire to vote themselves into imagined riches on the backs of the native Americans who for so long kept them from their just due! ... Guess who will vote to keep that party going?" (Note: response to Arizona Carolyn's post #426)

Ninth Place Morgan in Denver

«From the middle of the disaster area that is the American West (don't you love global warming?) MiD still manages to contribute important posts (even if he can't count)

#303; "Is the surge on for sure? I thought this was still under consideration. But, I'll make three points. ... One: If we'd let our guys kill the enemy easier and faster, without reading them Miranda Rights, it might be done quicker. ... Two: More US troops in Iraq means more targets for the enemy. ... Three: Any "surge" would be more effective if the Iraqi troops did it with our support. ... Four: (Yeah, I know I said three) Whatever we do the media has to be compromised before we do it and the Democrats have to be silenced somehow. The anti-war crowd is going to go nuts if this happens."
#383; "... This is exactly why Democrats ignore polls when they are losing. IF they can get to 51% on anything they hammer the other side, hoping to create a me-to effect to grow the numbers. They will also use any slight partial agreement for a position to claim overwhelming support as they claim the other side has changed and now agrees with them."
#403; "I agree with you. If they perceive being attacked they retreat and accept anything in defense. ... Although it IS fun to tease. I told an environmentalist that environmentalism should not be taught in schools because it's a religion. Wow. Talk about confused." (Note: response to maica's post #400)

Eighth Place rodguy911

« Great insight and commentary, multiple interesting links and snappy banter... what's not to like?

#20; "... I know you will enjoy this one if you haven't already seen it. ... Victor David Hanson is one of my favorites. ... He just did a piece on creating a new political system on the ground in Iraq vs. old style carpet bombing. It's an excellent piece. Hope every take the time to peruse it." (Note: corrected link to original article at Washington Times)
#52; "Excellent stuff I was just about ready to post a similar link at black five: ... But yours has everything one would need. ... GW is placing it all on the line. ... Too bad much of the country cannot see this struggle for what it is, a near endless campaign against terror and terrorists wherever they are. ... And by the way they are in Thailand as well. ... The counter terrorism blog has a great piece on 80- days after the coup in Thailand. How the terror types over there are pitting the militant muzzies against those moderate guys once again. If it sounds familiar it should. ... The link is 50 yards long so you will just have to dig it out." (Note: response to anita's post #34)
#77; "That was my only worry, defunding, and quite frankly they don't have the stones. Even Hillary couldn't spin her way out of that one." (Note: response to Miss Marple's post #65)
#275; "I'm glad we are doing the surge and it is big news, but from my standpoint this has always been a WOT, not just in Iraq, and long term. I expect ups and downs within the scope of the time frame, which will be 'long.'"
#280; "You and I both know what the ratstream press understand, the war for them is nothing but another issue to demagogue and for their brethren to run on. It really does not exist in their minds."
#318; "I think it's wiser just to ignore the rat stream press! Let them yell! Fewer people hear them all the time. Your other points are well taken but as one of our buddies(MNJ) has so often pointed out, we are stuck fighting an unusual asymmetrical war."
#414; "I respect Lieberman for his stand with Israel and he does stand by them all the way. Other than that his voting record speaks for itself. ... Too bad more people can't separate Israel's right to survive from other politics. ... I still say many Dems could care less about any war anywhere unless it provides political opportunity for them.(or at least a talking point)"

Seventh Place Txsleuth

« Strong running commentary and analysis, with informative insights and external references.

#298; "Boxer and Lott on Wolfie's show. ... Boxer wants the Congress to have to VOTE on any new moves in Iraq...she says Warner wants to... Now, Lott is trying NOT to agree with Boxer, but just did agree. ... Boxer just invoked Warner's name again, saying there should be a "pause" before they send in more troops and try something new!! ... DIDN'T they just run on a platform of needing a new strategy?? ... Now that Pres. Bush is going to give one...she is saying we have to PAUSE... Wolfie asking Lott about McCain's idea of needing more forces.....Lott: I tend to agree with him, but we need to look into what that would mean. ... Can Lott sit on a fence any more than he is?? ... He uses more words to say less than Biden does."
#315; "I think Babs Boxer just accused Gen. Petraeus a liar. ... She said that she thinks that Bush got rid of Abizaid and Casey because they wanted the US to leave Iraq to the Iraqis...but, the Pres. Bush went Gen. shopping to find one that agreed with him. ... However, in the next breath she said that she had talked to Petraeus in Iraq, and he had said that the US needed a smaller footprint in Iraq, not a larger one. ... I am as confused as she is, now."
#341; "You would have been very proud of Joe Lieberman the other day. ... When he and McCain were giving their speeches re: Iraq, it was Joe that pointed out that 'we musn't separate the war in Iraq from the wider war on terror'... Which is EXACTLY what the dems want to do...because to do otherwise makes them in favor of letting the terrorists run the world, but they can still blame Pres. Bush for HIS nefarious war."
#362; "The left must have been sent a list of "reasons" why Pres. Bush chose Petraeus... and they could pick whichever one they want. ... Of course these same people didn't like Abizaid until they chose to misconstrue some things he said in a hear, and make it sound like HE wanted to leave Iraq. ... Now that he is being replaced, HE is the smartest man in the military. ... I thought I heard that Petraeus was chosen partly because of his work in training Iraqis..."

Sixth Place Miss Marple

« Examples of almost every type of post that I like, ranging from sharp hits at those on the shows who deserve it to strong and illuminating analysis. Well done!

#14; "Biden vs. Graham....A SMARMY-FEST!!! ... Quick, change the channel before the controls become too oily to work!"
#65;"Rep. Artur Davis is on Fox and Friends right now. Black democrat from Alabama, very well spoken. Says the democrats aren't stupid enough to try defunding the Iraq mission. (We will see.)"
#81; "That was my main worry, too. A second concern is the time that will be taken up with 'investigations,' aka 'Kangaroo courts.'" (Note: response to Rodguy's post #77)
#194; "I suspected McCain's people were advocating just such a thing...and herein lies the explanation of why Campaign Finance Reform got passed and signed." (Note: response to TomGuy's post #169)
#226; "Thank you for an interesting and important historical reference. ... I would also point out that we are close to having a similar, though so far non-violent, situation in this country. ... Between the constantly changing and dangerous posturing of the democrats (not to mention their lies), the angry rhetoric from the left and the far right, and the media's total lack of responsibility in coverage of the war and the news in general, American public opinion is fractured, confused, and (in many cases) simply withdrawing from the discussion (witness me and my sudden interest in cooking shows). ... I don't know how to wrest control of the podium from the left, but we have to figure out a way to frame the discussion so that we aren't always either on the defensive or shouting in anger." (Note: response to shrinkermd's post #221)

Fifth Place shrinkermd

« An important and insightful post drawing on one of the more interesting (yet obscure) voices of the 20th century. Where else but FR?

#221; "I guess the Pubbies are finally concluding that the RATS want us to lose in Iraq. Krystal on Fox News Sunday proved it by reading Reid et al's letter to the President. Juan then went on to prove it by demanding it as a requirement of public opinion. ... On the subject of public opinion that is just the problem Iraq faces. I know the ordinary pundit of the left seldom reads anything but the NYT and the Washington Post but he or she may profit from reading Jose Ortega y Gasset's The Revolt of the Masses. On page 127 of the paperback edition Ortega y Gasset in 1930 nailed the problem in Iraq which is: ... '...What happens is at the times public opinion is nonexistent. A society divided into discordant groups, with the forces of public opinion canceling one another out, leaves no room for a ruling power to be constituted. And as 'nature abhors a vacuum' the empty space left by the absence of public opinion is filled by brute force... ...forthright, commonplace; there can be no rule in opposition to public opinion.' ... I do hope West Point still has Machiavelli on their reading list and can only hope they might add Jose Ortega y Gasset. ... In Baghdad we must restore order, overcome the brute force being used by all parties and find a common public opinion sufficient to permit orderly rule. Leaving things to drift will ennoble savagery and pillage as an alternative to civilized living."

Fourth Place Chuck54

« Great commentary on the shows and a valuable external link that adds the kind of extra dimension that makes this thread so important (even when the shows themselves fall down on the job worse than they normally do!)

#22; "... Just saw a blurb about Biden/Lindsey appearing and the blurb said the two would be discussing more troops or not more troops in Iraq. ... Of course Biden (forget the plagiarizing, I'm still running for President) will be on the Sheehan side, and Graham will be on the McCain side. ... Graham's position is subject to change if John McCain's position changed overnight."
#55; "Graham is going on and on about how the current policy in Iraq is a failure, BUT his (McCain's) policy of more troops should be given a chance. ... Biden is having none of this and wants to just 'get out' but is not saying this in a 'cut and run' manner."
#86; "Looks like someone has given Biden a great lesson on the Constitution, especially about who the Commander in Chief of this country really is. ... Hint: It's not some bloviating Senator with hair plugs or comb over." (Note: in response to Bahbah's post #71)
#229; "This article (At a Crossroads) by Jules Crittenden is a great read.... Hat tip to Glen Reynolds at Instapundit..."
#290; "Boxer on Blitz says she wants a vote on whether to surge troops. ... Hey Box, you don't get a vote unless you run for Prez and win. Otherwise shut up. The vote that counts right now belongs to GWB. ... If you want to cut funding, go for it. Idiots."
#316; "I've gotta cut down the HD signal or go to the bedroom for a smaller TV size. Boxer is absolutely scary today. She is scaring Lott. Poor guy has to sit right next to her. ... Serves him right for all the blah, blah, blah he is spouting."
#323; "... The Sunday Shows are slow learners. ... The Democrats have been using Juan Williams on FNS as their "crash test dummy" on the coming weekly talking points for quite a while now."

Third Place anita

« Great analysis, as always, and some very biting wit as well this week. I look forward to the ever valuable Media Nuggets as one my favorite posts each week and this weeks was especially strong.

#11; "... In Russert's world, these are the "talented" like him. Because they are opposed to everything Bush... Though McCain is absent, his proxies - Graham & Lott are there. But from now on, they SHOULD be VERY CAREFUL because 2008 primary just started & we will be watching them 'carefully'."
#17; "Looks like Pelosi-Palooza still continues. Fox reported that Major ~~Embarrassment~~ Garret got exclusive access to report the proceedings. So, he decided to avoid reporting some "interesting" moments that even liberal Dana Milbank couldn't avoid: Some of those escaped while Garret was cheerleading for the dems. ... Worth reading in full. ... Some bits about Robert Byrd, Ted Kennedy, Clinton (Bill) & of course, Harry Reid. Did you know that when Reid spoke, there was no quorum (# of members present)? During Reid's speech, only 20 senators remained on the floor. When Reid started talking about the framers of the Constitution, Clinton left the room-- and most of the remaining spectators followed him. When he yielded the floor after 30 minutes, only three senators remained, and the half-dozen spectators lingering in the public gallery included Reid's wife."
#34 "Victor David Hanson is one of my favorites. ... Mine as well, Rod. This DEBKAfile Exclusive Report beats all our media reports & without any bias. Bush Poised to Stake His All on Iraq Victory."
#146; "Dee Dee Myers' husband Todd Purdum in Russert's wife's Vanity Fair profiles McCain - Prisoner of Conscience. ... Given his popular status as a maverick war hero, John McCain has a good shot at winning the 2008 presidential election - if he can get his party to nominate him, writes the former NYTimer. ... Please read if you didn't already, McCain concedes that media is his base. See how he allows his advisers to "mold" him. Of course, NBC & MSNBC is his second home, as Hugh says."
#151; "This Sunday's Media Nuggets..." (Note: 15 nuggets this week, all well worth purusing)
#198; "Ethics talk with breachers Conyers & Mollahan as committee chairs. Why these talk show hosts never challenge the dems about these? ... Their quest to destroy embyos is even more deplorable. Just read this story about ... The tiniest survivor of Katrina. Baby being born this month once was frozen embryo rescued by officers. ... They can pass the federal funding to kill embyos, only that they will be vetoed. Last time the so called 15 "moderate" republicans voted for it & LOST their seats."

Second Place maica

« Great posts this week, with a bit more cynicism than usual, accompanied by some great zingers and some very insightful comments.

#27; "The esteemed (in their own minds) senators have not listened to each other in committee hearings for years, so now they didn't even have the courtesy to remain in the Chamber for the opening session! I wonder how (badly) they will act during the SOTU speech."
#38; "It is extremely easy to wean from the Sunday morning habit with this thread. After about 200 posts it is obvious that we did not miss a thing. One or two remarks will be referenced by our few remaining viewers - for whose commitment I am very grateful - just enough to summarize entire hours of programming. ... We are now like those congressmen who get all their info from staff, not from first-hand study and exposure."
#66; "McConnell just told Brit that he said to Harry Reid: Let's see how far we can get on an hospitable basis. ... I think McConnell's staff are going to be hearing from me on a regular basis. ... First, I want him to stop using the word 'majority' to refer to Democrats. The Dems rarely to never used that word in public statements the entire time that Frist was Majority Leader. They said 'Republican Leader' and 'Democratic Leader.' ... Our side has to learn to play the language game."
#100; "No he's not a pushover. It's just that the dems are ahead of us in the 'image' department. ... When the Senate was virtually 50/50 the dem spokesmen never called themselves 'minority.' We should do the same now. In reality, poor Senator Johnson is a virtual Jeffords, and the 'majority' is really balancing on a knife-edge. If the word 'minority' becomes the accepted reference in all news articles referring to the Republicans in the House and Senate, we have ceded rhetorical ground that becomes accepted perception. All of the political writers will use the term with relish, of course, as payback for their years of humiliation when dems were the Minority, and Ranking Members. ... I just want our spokesmen not to call themselves the minority, just to set a different tone. We have to use language, because use of words has been one of the dems most powerful tools for years. ... Example: Right now the dems are selling 'pay-go' as a euphemism for tax increases. Who can 'feel' bad about the idea of paying as we go?"
#375; "... In my car on cspan radio, I just heard about ten minutes of 'dialogue' between Steffi and the new Dem Chairmen Rangel, Obey and one other. ... Rangel only wants 'cooperation' and 'moving forward in accord with the wishes of the American people.' Yadayadayada...ad infinitum."
#378; "... We have three potential scenarios. ... Civil war/anarchy ... Submission to democrat platform, ie increased socialism, etc ... Conversion of enough Americans to conservative political positions to overcome the power of the dnc media." (Note: response to shrinkermd's post #221)
#379; "The dems are still proclaiming that the Bush Admin tax cuts "cost" the budget a trillion dollars over ten years. They absolutely refuse to acknowledge that cutting tax rates will increase revenues to said tax collection agency."
#400; "To leftists anything that they feel is right IS right. So a 51% majority in their favor is a mandate. At the same time the use of the 60-40 vote in the Senate for any item distasteful to them is okay. ... Feelings trump thoughts in our brains, because feelings cannot be argued. ... We have to train ourselves to use the 'feelings' approach to leftist positions. ... 'Peace is Patriotic' is a popular lawn sign in my neighborhood of yuppies. I can't say 'No, it's not, you are asking for surrender!' But I can say, 'how do you feel about giving in to tyrants?' When I see a quizzical response in the neighbor's eye, I follow up with 'how do you feel about muslim prayer rooms in American public schools?' knowing that this particular neighbor takes pride in sending her children to the local public school. ... I am only trying to introduce some thinking synapse activity in her brain, but cannot start by 'offending' her with a 'do you think' question. She will hear that as an 'attack' on her feelings."

First Place Bahbah

« Valuable commentary that plucks out the important points from the shows and highlights the more absurd abuses by the DBM and their guests. It was apparent this week that fewer of us actually watched the shows and these posts spawned some excellent discussions that were on point and pulled out value from what otherwise looked like wasted programs.

#44; "Russert is picking up Chrissy Matthews thread that the dems must at least try to stop the sending of more troops to Iraq. Biden admits there isn't a whole lot he can do about it."
#57; "LOL. Biden is up to his old trick of creating more syllables for words. 'Again...neh' now has 3."
#71; "Biden just said there is no one over the past four years [than him] who has been more supportive of what the President is trying to do in Iraq. Huh!"
#83; "Biden either ate spinach this morning and didn't brush his teeth or he needs dental work on his lowers. ... Tim is trying to get the dems to cut off funding (which Matthews is trying to do as well), but Biden thinks it can't be done. Biden is giving Timmy a lesson in Constitutional law and how the Prez is commander in chief. What Biden wants is for pubbies to go to the Prez and say they don't support him anymore. That's how they want to work this."
#94; "Biden: The hanging of Saddam was Abu Graib again."
#148; "First to bring up Viet Nam is Judy Woodruff and she switches to the word 'escalation.'"
#175; "What a pleasure to have Brit Hume doing the interviewing on Fox this morning."
#201; "The Alternative Minimum Tax is going to hit a whole lot of people who are going to be very unhappy about it. Brit points out that it will be hard to fix that with "pay-go" in place. Hoyer tap dances around that like a typical dem."
#204; "Hoyer doesn't think they can override a veto of federal funding for embryonic stem cell research. I hope not. ... Hoyer it appears intends to legislate based on polls."
#247; "I am a real estate attorney and have done lots of landlord/tenant work. I second everything PD said, and in particular the no verbal communication admonition. I shall now refer to it as the Pukin Doctrine." (Note: nominated for a special award by rodguy911 in post #271)
#248; "I think Brent Scowcroft is an example of a person who manages to sound very profound and informed while not actually knowing or understanding anything. John Warner is another."
#277; ":) By the way, John Burns is telling Wolfie that more troops in Iraq just might work, and the look on Wolfie's face tells me he does not like hearing this. ... Do they really not understand the price of failure? It would be catastrophic...which is the strongest word I can think of just now."
#291; "Boxer wants a vote on whether to 'escalate' in Iraq. She has been told to use the word 'escalate' and only nearly slipped up once, saying 'surge' and then correcting herself. ... Lott slips into cliches...'We need to support our troops, blah, blah.'"
#295; "Okay, here is the dem plan. They will agree to fund just enough money to support the troops that are in Iraq, They will attempt to choke off any funding for more."
#302; "'Can Lott sit on a fence any more than he is?? ' ... I wish it would cause him as much discomfort as sitting astride an actual fence. He is not much of a man." (Note: response to Txsleuth's post #298)
#328; "Lawrence Korb just said the most ridiculous thing...that the Admiral was appointed because no one in the Army or Marines would do what the President wants. Joulwan and the lady from the AEI try to shoot it down, but Korb hangs tough, says he doesn't actually know this for a fact, but there can be no other explanation."
#334; "I like this Danielle Pletka. 'I think Larry is confused. We are not in Iraq as a favor to the Iraqis. We are there because it's in our national interest.'"
#406; "'have you heard of any changes in the AMT for 2007?' ... There have been none, and without a change, the AMT will hit an additional 23 million families this year, and they are families who will not consider themselves rich. The dems are in a bit of a fix right now, having passed their phony "pay as you go" measure. They can't take the anticipated revenue away from anything else. They never do that. So a tax increase will be required to offset the revenue loss. Who will they tax, I wonder? If nothing is done, those 23 million families are going to be very, very angry and the dems will be trying to figure out a way to blame it on the other party" (Note: response to Getsmart64's post #404)