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:: MAX BLACK ::

"Of all tyrannies, a tyranny sincerely exercised for the good of its victims may be the most oppressive. It would be better to live under robber barons than under omnipotent moral busybodies. The robber baron's cruelty may sometimes sleep, his cupidity may at some point be satiated; but those who torment us for our own good will torment us without end for they do so with the approval of their own conscience." --C.S. Lewis

"The Swiss pocket knife of conservative thought on the web..." - Eli Kardrakian

"Bookmark Max and dump your subscription to the newspaper; if you don't have a birdcage you really don't need it anyway..." - Shirley St. James

:: Sunday, October 31, 2004 ::

Reading the Tea-Leaves

Marginal Revolution has a primer on how to read polling results, taking into consideration the 3% "margin of error". This person obviously is in posession of the mathematical facts, something MSM has been light on in this election cycle--don't miss it.

Via Pejmanesque [>]

:: Max 9:57 PM [+] ::
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Remember

American Digest has a terrific photomontage of what you are voting for on Tuesday. Start your week off right with 50 pics that remind us what is at stake in this election (lest we forget).

:: Max 9:51 PM [+] ::
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Sour Grapes

The condescending, pretentious 'snots' are already spinning the election outcome--and blaming bloggers is, apparently, going to be the focus of their misplaced vitriol. Jeff Jarvis has thoughtful word or two for all those who would malign the emergent phenomenon of grass-roots journalism--what's his take?

"oh, shut up scooter".

:: Max 8:36 PM [+] ::
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"Kerry Must Be Stopped"

"The great issue in the 2004 election--it seems to me as an Englishman--is, How seriously does the United States take its role as a world leader, and how far will it make sacrifices, and risk unpopularity, to discharge this duty with success and honor? In short, this is an election of the greatest significance, for Americans and all the rest of us. It will redefine what kind of a country the United States is, and how far the rest of the world can rely upon her to preserve the general safety and protect our civilization."

Dang, makes me all teary-eyed--by all means, old chap, read the whole bloody thing.

Tony Blair saw this coming--he really is an American hero.

:: Max 7:55 PM [+] ::
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BeeCee By a Length?

Roger Simon is hanging his hat on The Horserace, a nice blog that lends some order to the wild swings in election polling. If you're confused about the crazy numbers Zogby and his peers are dishing (and you would have every right to be) drop in to Horserace Blog for a little clarity.

:: Max 7:29 PM [+] ::
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Who Really Loses?

If Bush wins, who really loses? The answer is not as obvious as you might think-- Go here for the answer [>]

CLUE: Courage

Update: It's a meme! [>]

(Speaking of 'getting a clue', maybe it's obvious to everybody BUT those who should know better)

:: Max 7:18 PM [+] ::
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Kerry to sue for presidency regardless of outcome?

You can thank Al Gore for this:

Democrats already have filed some 35 lawsuits in some 17 states. And if Kerry goes down to defeat on Election Day, there almost certainly will be an avalanche of lawsuits claiming that the Democrat somehow was cheated out of the presidency.

[T]he reality is that the rash of election-related litigation precipitated by Kerry and the Democrats is doing lasting, perhaps irreparable, damage to the democratic process in this country.

Indeed, Doug Lewis, executive director of the Election Center, a nonprofit organization, told the Associated Press this week that all the legal wrangling is "disastrous for fundamental faith in the system" by which presidents have been elected since this nation's founding.

RCP via Powerline [>]

:: Max 11:27 AM [+] ::
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Bin Laden

OK, so I was wrong--he's alive. I'll say this for the guy, his timing is absolutely impeccable.

:: Max 11:17 AM [+] ::
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Loons'n Mooks'n Dem's Oh My!

So I'm talking to a Liberal friend and I brought up the matter of the election. He was cautious, looking into my eyes for a glimps into my intentions and then said "have you been listening to Pacifica?" I said, 'yea, I listen once in awhile-- for laughs'. He responded with a twitchy, eye-bobbing, nervous fidget and then said nothing. I looked at him with a quizzical grin and said 'Bob, you believe Bush and Chaney organized 9-11 don't you?' to which he said "yes". Now, although we had never discussed politics much, I had some suspicion that my friend was a Liberal which is OK by me--but I didn't think he was a moonbat! When he told me that he actually thought that Bush and Chaney had conspired to bring down the World Trade towers I just shook my head, laughed and said 'Bob, that's a ridiculous, irrational, conspiracy theory that is simply impossible to believe--could you tell me how Bush could possibly benefit from such an action--what possible motive could the President of the United States have for blowing up the World Trade Center? All he said was "it goes deeper than that". At this point, I realized I was talking to a madman, dropped the subject and moved on. As I walked away, I thought to myself, how could liberals actually believe this garbage? I was under the impression that these fantastic conspiracy theories were limited to the realm of the arch-rightwingers--the survivor-guys who live in tar-paper shacks in Montana.

But then I wake up and read the news today and I see that even some people in very high places, people who should know better, actually believe this kind of insane BS.

(I hope Karl Rove isn't monitoring the secret transmitter that he planted inside my tooth--it always gives me such a horrible headache!--oh no--there it goes again!...)

:: Max 10:44 AM [+] ::
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Count All the Votes?

Not if you're a likely Republican serving in the military. This from the Philadelphia Enquirer via Wizbang:

Two soldiers from Pennsylvania serving abroad filed a motion in federal court yesterday to force the state to accept overseas absentee ballots received after Tuesday's election.

Without an extension, U.S. Army Specs. Matthew J. Schramm of Schwenksville, Montgomery County, and Steven J. Reitz of Venango County, probably won't have their votes counted, according to the court petition filed by lawyers with the Republican State Committee.

Of course, these two soldiers have had to initiate the lawsuit because they have yet to recieve their absentee ballots from Pennsylvania and Democrat Governor Ed Rendell has refused to extend the deadline for ballots from the soldiers recieved after the deadline. This is about as dispicable as it gets, but par for the course for Democrats--extraordinary.

:: Max 9:18 AM [+] ::
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Pipsqueak

"People of the Planet Earth America, I remind you of the weighty words of our leaders, Zarak of the Planet Kandar Osama bin Laden and the evil and omnipotent Dr. Ayman al-Zawahri, that what took place on Sept. 11 was but the opening salvo of the global war on human civilization America," said Starforce Battalion Commander Macadam of the Tarmac Azzam. "And that Super-X-Force Allah willing, the magnitude and ferocity of the powerful brain-melting-Diaper Hats what is coming your way will make you forget all about Sept. 11."

Oooo...as we say here on Earth, Azzam, 'you be baaaad'...

:: Max 9:07 PM [+] ::
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Moore Muckraking

Great White Whale sighting in Florida (what took him so long?).

Note to Jesse Jackson: The big, fat white-guy is coopting your...um...territory.

:: Max 7:57 PM [+] ::
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"roarback"?

Ann Althouse, guest-blogging for Glenn Reynolds posts this interesting quote by William Safire on Larry King:

"Let me ... see if I can move the story of this story al Qa Qaa forward a little bit.

We now know from CBS's admission that CBS planned to broadcast this story, which we call in journalism, a keeper, one that's kept for its greatest impact. They planned to broadcast it next Sunday night, 36 hours before the polls opened. That is known as a roar back. That's a last-minute, unanswerable story, and it would have been all over the papers Tuesday morning as people went to the polls. Now, I think that's scandalous.

What happened, because "The New York Times" was working with CBS on the story, and I don't work on the news side of the "Times" at all, so I'm speculating, the "Times," either--probably from a combination of ethical and competitive standards decided, no, we're not going to hold this story. We're going to go with it now. And they went with it on Monday. And -- but just think for a minute, if the plan had gone ahead, we wouldn't have had this debate this week where it's possible we could shoot some holes in this story or focus on the attack on the integrity of the examination by the troops that were there.

And instead, we would have had a last-minute manipulation of the election."

Safire, the last honest voice at the NYTs...

:: Max 8:58 AM [+] ::
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What's the New York Times Smoking?

Looks like maybe it's another exploding cigar...

:: Max 8:50 AM [+] ::
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Jeb Failing Election Test

Whether you're a Democrat or Republican, you should be concerned that the Govenor of Florida, Jeb Bush, didn't have the election mechanism defragged before the '04 cycle kicked in. I'm sorry, but can't feel sorry for the GOP when sh*t like this is allowed to happen, especially after the 2000 Gore debacle. It's obvious somebody's dropped the ball an my scapegoat of choice is Jeb Bush--he's blowing it.

Goofy rube (sheesh) what a friggin' loser...

(what is it with the Republicans--hmmm?--can't get an absentee ballot to a loyal constituent? Stoopid, incompetent goofballs!)

Ugh...

:: Max 10:36 PM [+] ::
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UN Meddling In US Election?

When GWB dropped both of his cowboy boots into the filthy rats-nest that's the UN, we should've all been prepared for them to react and it appears they've done so. Go to Powerline right now and check out this post which links to two great articles on this revolting situation.

If you ever wanted proof that John Kerry is a coward, this is it. Think about it for a moment, he'd sooner side with the venal crooks that inhabit the UN and a complicitous, dishonest media than his own country in a time of war (deja vu all over again?). I really despise John Kerry--he's a gold-digging, back-stabbing, cowardly weasle of the first order--a pretentious, phoney, empty suit of a man--certainly not someone who should be a hairsbreadth from the oval office--God what a pig.

I really try not get too hot about this stuff when I'm blogging but, given what appears to be happening here--THE UN ALTERING THE COURSE OF A US ELECTION!-- I'm having a little trouble keeping my composure.

:: Max 5:18 PM [+] ::
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Party Affilliation, Voting Records of Top Reporters Revealed by Lexis-Nexis Search

This is interesting I guess, but I'm certainly not surprised (Judy Woodruff is a Democrat?!--nooo.)

:: Max 5:05 PM [+] ::
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Al Gore or Uni Bomber--you decide!

This blogger asks you to take the test--don't miss this one.

Link courtesy Pejmanesque [>]

:: Max 3:41 PM [+] ::
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"Besieged by Chaos"

The Palm Beach Post is reporting widespread chaos at early voting sites:

Orange County Supervisor of Elections Bill Cowles, president of the state elections supervisors association, wrote Bush on Friday that his office had been "bombarded with phone calls, e-mails and correspondence from the voters because of the harassment they are enduring" at early voting sites at public libraries.

Likewise, LePore said her staff has frayed nerves as a result of being verbally and physically abused. One worker wearing her identification badge around her neck was throttled by an irate person "who tried to choke her with it."

"They're just ugly to staff, ugly to voters and everybody else," LePore said of some of the campaigners. "It's absolutely disgusting."

Link courtesy of the inimitable Florida Cracker (keep your eye this blogger for the inside skinny on election hijinks in the sunshine state).

:: Max 3:29 PM [+] ::
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Iowa Electronic Market Update

The IEM is narrowing--maybe a result of Al QaQaagate? Hmmm...

:: Max 10:05 AM [+] ::
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Terrorists Focus on US Election

And they ain't rooting for Nader (the way this election is shaping up, they ought to just waltz over the Mexican border and vote for Christsake).

:: Max 9:52 AM [+] ::
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Pandora's Can of Worms

(I know--I've mixed a metaphore but I think it's apt given the context)

Powerline reports on the lawsuits the Mooks have already filed in Florida--hope the system can cope with the ensuing chaos (or all the king's horses and all the king's men will be crying over the spilled milk while attempting to put Humpty together again under the watchfull eye of the international observers, Jesse Jackson, Dan Rather, Michael Moore, Jimmy Carter....).

:: Max 9:02 AM [+] ::
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New York Times bombs with 'October Surprise'

N.Z. Bear has a nice shakedown of the NYTs 'coverage' of the so-called 'missing weapons' story; Polipundit has already run a poll to name the new scandal; And Roger Simon thinks this is a bigger scandal than the Jason Blair meltdown.

My opinion? MSM will continue to run this bogus 'story' until November 2nd--they're utterly shameless.

:: Max 9:11 AM [+] ::
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Here we go...

Ann Althouse, pinch-hitting for Glenn Reynolds, has this report from her son who stopped by Madison, Wisconsin's City Hall to vote:

"No one ever asked for my ID, and in fact, I asked two different people if they wanted to see my ID, and they said no. So, anyone who wanted to could go in and write down somebody else's name if they knew their address, and vote for them."

Reports like this portend havoc on November 2nd--Republicans are going to have to turn out in record numbers to counter this wholesale attack on the system.

:: Max 8:47 AM [+] ::
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Dangerous Experiment

This journalist wanted to find out what would happen if he wore a Bush/Chaney tee shirt into the heart of Kerry/Edwards country.

:: Max 1:56 PM [+] ::
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Revolution?

Jay Rosen over at PressThink has some questions about the radical changes in media--here's the list:

Political attacks seeking to discredit the press and why they're intensifying
Scandals in the news business and the damage they are sowing
The era of greater transparency and what it's doing to modern journalism
Trust in the mainstream media and what's happening to it
Bloggers, their role in politics, their effect on the press: their significance
How the Net explosion is changing the relationship between people and news
The collapse of traditional authority in journalism and what replaces it
Amateurs vs. professionals; distributed knowledge vs. credentialed expertise
The entrance of new players of all kinds in presidential campaigning
The producer revolution underway among former consumers of media
Jon Stewart and why he seems to be more credible to so many
"He said, she said, we said" and why it's such an issue this year
The "reality-based community" thesis and the Bush Administration
The political divide and the passions it has unleashed this year
Why the culture war keeps going, this year reaching the mainstream press
Why periods of intense partisanship coincide with high involvement
The problem of propaganda and the intensity of its practice in 2004
Why argument journalism is more involving than the informational kind
Assaults on the very idea of a neutral observer, a disinterested account
And then there's this: the separate realities of Bush and Kerry supporters

Via Instapundit [>]

:: Max 7:41 AM [+] ::
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Poll Wrap

Pejman Yousefzadeh has a nice concise wrap of polling data. Dems...eat your heart out [>]

:: Max 11:34 PM [+] ::
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Whaaa?

Got an email from a friend today that said in so many words "what's a blog?" I was...um...speechless.

Tom Biro, over at the Media Drop has a nice post on how blogging is continuing to rock MSM internationally. Drop in to see how the Japanese bloggers are stacking up against their MSM counterparts.

(good God almighty...what's a blog?...ugh.)

:: Max 11:09 PM [+] ::
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Happy Saturday

If news of the Dem thuggery has got you down in the dumps, this report oughtta cheer you up.

:: Max 1:14 PM [+] ::
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The Stakes are Immense--If Bush Loses Zarqawi Wins

This guy's got it right [>]

:: Max 11:47 AM [+] ::
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Early Voter Intimidation

Democrat bullies intimidate early voters all over the country. When they can't win in the arena of ideas, they'll resort to base thuggery--they are trying to steal this election and they just might succeed--(better take your mace if you're going to vote early).

Where in the hell are the Republicans on this?

Via Drudge

:: Max 11:28 AM [+] ::
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UNSCAM Update

Claudia Rossett has written yet another excellent column on the UN Oil for Food scandal--don't miss it [>]

:: Max 8:10 AM [+] ::
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Commies for Kerry

OK, I'm not making this up; the Cubans are manning the telephones for Kerry--really--go see for yourself [>]

Hat tip the Corner.

:: Max 7:50 AM [+] ::
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OBL-RIP

I've been saying for a long time that Osama Bin Laden is dead. As there appears to be mounting evidence that the Sheikh has vanished--no sighting or communication from him for many months--would at least lead one to reasonably conclude he's toast. Today, Instapundit points to the Belgravia Dispatch that chronicles the recent history of bin Laden's complete lack of video and audio communications and by this account, it certainly doesn't look good for the Sheikh.

Update: OK already, I know...the guy is alive and I was wrong but judging from the content of the tape, he's singing a different tune (yeah, like quoting Michael Moore, John Kerry and the DNC talking points?!).

:: Max 1:06 AM [+] ::
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Iraqi Blogger Alert

Iraqi blogger Sam is warning that the terrorists are working overtime to influence the outcome of the US election. He rightly concludes that although increased violence will likely drive more Americans into the Bush GWOT camp it might have the opposite effect on Iraqis and others living in close proximity to the bloodshed.

:: Max 9:47 PM [+] ::
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Intimate Moments

The Breck Girl primps for the camera--an unrehearsed but poetic moment for the "cute one who exhibits boyish charm" (there's a lesson to be learned here--always check to see that the camera is turned off before you whip out your hairspray and compact).

:: Max 11:07 PM [+] ::
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'Army Brat' Speaks Out

Laura Armstrong, a self-described Army brat gave a wonderful speech at a Vietnam Vets for Truth rally last month. Powerline's Deacon posted this somewhat edited version of the original:

"I am SO very proud to stand with you today, before our nation’s great capitol. Aren't you awed by the power and the tone of the messages we've heard? I know many of you have similar stories of unbelievable valor and sacrifice, just like our speakers. If only America could hear you all.
I wasn't in Vietnam, but I've been a military observer and participant all my life. Army brat, Marine wife, I worked also as a civilian journalist for a Navy newspaper in Pensacola. My brother was a CH-46 pilot in Desert Storm. I've been a widow for 11 years now, but, happily, there's a Marine serving out there who's on his way home to us this week, after more than a year away, so stakes are high for me personally when it comes to electing the next commander in chief.

My earliest memories however are of you, our wonderful men and women of the U.S. armed services. I was that Army brat who waited for you--and then cried when you finally returned home after a long hitch overseas. It took awhile sometimes, for us to recognize you. You guarded my gates. Double-timed outside my schoolhouse window. You unfurled the American flag each morning. You played taps each evening. You decorated my parade grounds on all the special occasions, and delivered Santa Claus in your Hueys. When I fell off my bike, riding to the post school, you picked me up, brushed me off, and told me to carry on. For years, I thought captain was a first name, and I still hit the rack each night at bedtime.

I learned early to cherish the traditions of the service, and knew enough about the world to be very proud when my dad told me he was going to a place called Vietnam so other kids could be freed from the threat of communism. When Dad was gone on his first tour, he was already my hero. I'd imagine him giving Hershey bars to little kids--he said he always carried some in the leg pocket of his flight suit, because little girls like me didn't always get enough to eat. He was a kind and decent person, even in war. And in spite of war.

I'm certain I don’t have to tell YOU how honor and service are revered in most military households. But for others listening I want to emphasize this--when you grow up knowing the meaning of mottos like Ex Libre Oppresso and Semper Fidelis, when you learn as a kid that freedom is not free and you see the direct and sometimes tragic toll it takes on your friends and neighbors, people you know and love, you realize that intangibles like honor and duty and trustworthiness aren't just from political speeches.

To military families, our honor is sacred. And when a tragedy happens, whether in combat or a routine training accident, sometimes our honor is all we have to hold onto. . .My dad helped me to understand this. He was a career soldier, an aerial rocket artillery pilot. A quiet patriot, raised up on a cattle ranch at the foot of Mt. Hood in Oregon. His adventurous spirit took him to the Army, where he loved the flying and the men with whom he served as much as he loved his family. I think some of them are here today. . .

Black Bart, my dad, distinguished himself in the battle of the Ia Drang first in 1965, when he was Charlie Battery commander for the 2nd of the 20th First Air Cav. . . .Like so many of you, Black Bart volunteered for a second tour and served as Battalion Cmdr. of the 4th of the 77th 101st Airborne. Just before Thanksgiving, 1968, we learned he was shot down and reported missing while taking out an enemy gun emplacement. That dreaded knock on the door came during The Macy's parade, the memory of that seared forever in my brain.

And speaking of SEARED, ironically, dad's funeral was held almost the same time a young John Kerry was seeing the doc about a splinter, and requesting his first purple heart.

Please let me emphasize...there are worse things than losing your dad in a war.
I soon realized that the myths and lies created by people with political agendas can be far more hurtful. It was bad enough to hear our dads criticized by those who hated the military, but to hear Kerry and his radical veterans distort the truth and tarnish every honorable action caused a righteous hurt and anger. Their lies dominated in the American dialogue, while your stories of valor went untold. Sound familiar?

What John Kerry and his political backstabbers did in the early '70s took no courage. It simply took a ringleader with access to Teddy Kennedy and the willingness to sacrifice truth and honor. More than any other person, that ringleader, Kerry, was responsible for the atmosphere of hatred and disdain you all came home to.

I believe you didn't complain because nothing like this had occurred before you. Kerry’s traitorous testimony in '71...was an unforgettable moment that cut deep through the ranks, as we've heard here today. But you all had lives to build, and so you did, putting the past behind you. You tolerated the lies and stereotypes all these years. But today, this guy has made it this far in the political process--and we stand here to object.

Let's remind Americans this is NOT a squabble between America's veterans, as so many talking heads want people to believe. This is about the CHARACTER AND JUDGEMENT OF one man--John Kerry. This is about holding him accountable for his actions, especially now in a time of war and when the well-being of our military is at stake. There is no statute of limitations when the honor of a generation has been grievously stomped upon.

While debates might rage about Kerry's short tour of duty, we're only concerned here with irrefutable facts. This is not my opinion...these are facts:

Donna Rowe saved a beautiful baby girl.
Jim Warner overcame 6 years of captivity by the enemy.
Some daddies didn't come home.
And Lt. John Kerry flew out of Vietnam after just a few short weeks in combat, Super 8 film in the can, and testified that those with whom he served were ALL murderers, rapists and criminals.
That’s on the record.

We are not here to re-fight the Vietnam war or even defend it. We are here to tell America that John Kerry did not have to attack the warriors to protest a war. Whatever his motivations back then, he showed he believes the means justify the ends, and everyone else be damned. Is this the kind of president we need today?

And we're here in solidarity with our newest soldiers. We don't want them having to salute a commander in chief whose respect for the troops is proven to blow with the political winds. We need a leader, not a weathervane.

It's worth repeating over and over. We are motivated by a deep concern for our country. We are NOT playing politics, but venting our hearts. . . .Here's a man who claims to be pro-military, yet his life's work has shown otherwise. It cannot be denied or spun or revised by journalists.

When Lt. Kerry left the battlefield and betrayed you, he chose his path--weak on defense, anti-military. And he carries on, alternately boasting and bashing, voting for and against. In fact, his lies about the troops are perpetuated even in his NEW book "Tour of Duty", written just last year. Listen to this line, from page 211 that expresses his attitude towards Cobra gunship pilots: "It disturbed (Kerry) that even a few trigger happy American yahoos considered killing Vietnamese civilians a sport."

TRIGGER HAPPY YAHOOS, MR. KERRY? How could anybody who really understands our military, say that about these fine young pilots?

So the pattern is clear: Kerry is the architect and perpetrator of one of the largest continuing slanders against American troops. He smeared you then, he is smearing the Swiftees today, and he will call us all liars tomorrow. His deceit and vindictiveness are fact.

I want you to know, some of us never questioned the character of the Vietnam veteran. You are the protectors--the heroes from everyday America who answered your country's call. And you've earned your right to speak, even 35 years later.

When Kerry supporters say you should be silent, America should stand up for you. They owe you. They should stand up and say --
Kerry was wrong to abandon you, both physically and in spirit.
Kerry was wrong to attack your honor based on lies and hearsay.
Kerry was wrong to paint that horrid imagery for the entire world to feast upon.

Those of us lucky enough to know this new generation of warriors understand they've been strengthened by the sacrifices you all made both in Vietnam and later. It’s their reverence for your sacred honor, DESPITE the John Kerrys of the world, that calls them to duty. Their clarity was forged by images of 9-11. But their courage is inspired by you.

Right-on...

:: Max 10:08 PM [+] ::
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Online Financial Market Manipulation

Donald Luskin has updated his post on the apparent manipulation of the Tradesports Futures Market on the Presidential election. Luskin makes a good case that the person manipulating the market is billionaire Kerry supporter George Soros. Luskin speculates why Soros might want to tinker with the futures contracts (to rock the stock market) and offers technical details on how you, yes you can profit handsomely if the chief Mook financier, Soros, pulls this expensive stunt again. If you are into playing the market, I suggest you hop on over to Luskin's blog and get the details. You certianly won't break Soros but you might clip him for a few grand with little personal risk. Go for it [>]

:: Max 4:16 PM [+] ::
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New Blog

The Truth About Iraq via LGF

:: Max 11:02 AM [+] ::
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Chicago Tribune Endorses Bush

The Trib's endorsement is concise, to-the-point and accurate:

"A President Kerry certainly would punish those who want us dead. As he pledged, with cautiously calibrated words, in accepting his party's nomination: "Any attack will be met with a swift and certain response." Bush, by contrast, insists on taking the fight to terrorists, depriving them of oxygen by encouraging free and democratic governments in tough neighborhoods. As he stated in his National Security Strategy in 2002: "The United States can no longer solely rely on a reactive posture as we have in the past. ... We cannot let our enemies strike first."

Bush's sense of a president's duty to defend America is wider in scope than Kerry's, more ambitious in its tactics, more prone, frankly, to yield both casualties and lasting results. This is the stark difference on which American voters should choose a president.

There is much the current president could have done differently over the last four years. There are lessons he needs to have learned. And there are reasons--apart from the global perils likely to dominate the next presidency--to recommend either of these two good candidates.

But for his resoluteness on the defining challenge of our age--a resoluteness John Kerry has not been able to demonstrate--the Chicago Tribune urges the re-election of George W. Bush as president of the United States."

If you would like to see the war on terror relegated to a policing matter (and higher taxes), you will vote for John Kerry. If you want the fight taken to the terrorists (and lower taxes), you will vote for George W. Bush.

It's refreshing to see a major urban newspaper take a controversial but soundly-reasoned position on such a critical matter.

:: Max 10:23 AM [+] ::
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Mr. Peanut Update

Powerline's John Hinderaker thinks Jimmy Carter has crossed the line. Read a few excerpts from this Scottsman interview with the former President and decide for yourself.

Jimmy Carter's a seditious, cowardly bum.

:: Max 10:01 AM [+] ::
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Presidential Election Futures Contracts

For what it's worth, the IEM gap is widening--Bush is way up [>]

:: Max 9:43 AM [+] ::
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Ignorance Incarnate

Put down that coffee big guy, this'll make you hurl [>]

:: Max 11:36 PM [+] ::
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GroupThink

This is how bad it's gotten--these people are truly deceiving themselves and if you think they're rattled now, if Bush wins re-election...

...dad-burn-it, I don't know what they'll do--group hand-wringing?

The New York Times has become...well...anachronistic, pedantic, predictable, dishonest, uninteresting, superficial, solipsistic, self-important, disconnected, pretentious, tedious...unnecessary...

:: Max 9:44 PM [+] ::
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South Park Republicans

I'd probably qualify--if you're curious though, here's the manual.

:: Max 9:59 AM [+] ::
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Athena in Syria

Athena is blogging from Syria. Her weblog Terrorism Unveiled is a fascinating account of a blond-haired, blue-eyed, Christian, Neo-Liberal walking the streets of Amman. Where else you gonna get reporting like this--CBS? BwaaHawHaw....

:: Max 11:58 PM [+] ::
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Osama Bin Laden is Dead

I've been saying for a couple of months now that I think OBL is dead. I mean, how could this egomaniac possibly resist issuing highly publicized edicts on Muqtada al Sadr, the election in Afghanistan or the American Presidential election for that matter? Get real--if he were alive he'd be sending Michael Moore feature length video tapes to humble and humiliate George Bush but no--not a word from the Sheik. I say he was vaporized in Tora Bora and now others seem to be coming to the same, obvious conclusion--he's dead [>]

:: Max 11:00 PM [+] ::
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Soros Manipulating TradeSports?

Donald Luskin is watching TradeSports and reports someone is making carefully timed trades to influence the market:

"There is now no question whatsoever that the Bush re-election futures contract at Tradesports.com is being manipulated. Yesterday the price of the futures were sold down from about 55 (indicating the market's estimate of a 55% probability of Bush's re-election) to 10 (indicating on a 10% probability) with a single 10,000-lot order entered by a single trader. An order that size represents twice the normal volume of an entire typical day's trading. Within moments after the order was completed, the price recovered back to the low-mid-50's.

He surmises it's probably George Soros (Theresa maybe?...nah, couldn't be).

Related: Steven Den Beste returns (briefly) with an examination of the RCP plot of the presidential polls and he finds some interesting anomalies. Check it out [>]

Via Instapundit [>]

:: Max 9:51 PM [+] ::
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Believing The Lie

For twenty years, the Democrats, with the assistance of the liberal media have portrayed conservatives as bigots, homophobes and narrow-minded intolerant rubes. When John Kerry--in an akward and inappropriate response to Schieffer's question--crassly invoked Chaney's daughter in the last debate, it revealed something very important about how liberals think. It revealed that they actually DO believe the lie that Republicans are the cranky, anachronistic, stereotype that they have unfairly conjured.

Ironically, this kind of thinking is the very definition of bigotry. It was almost as if Kerry had said "now I want to be clear about this, I think there is nothing wrong with the fact that the Vice President has a lesbian daughter and I think it commendable Bush actually has two negroes, three Jews, and a Mexican in his administration" oh really?!

In view of the intolerant and vulgar tactics of the left this election cycle, and given Kerry's intemperate debate remarks, the Democrats are finally exposing their achilles heel; an insidious and subtle bigotry that they wield to pander to the ignorant and uninformed souls they hope to capture this November.

:: Max 4:33 PM [+] ::
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Broadcast Media Propaganda

Ted Koppel's outrageous program regarding the Swiftboater's allegations of Kerry's service record is just another nail in the coffin of broadcast news media. Powerline post's John O'Neill's response to Nightline's blatant and obvious propaganda:

While I have a tremendous amount of respect for Ted Koppel and ABC News I was appalled to learn that ABC News would go to the lengths of traveling to Vietnam to interview three Viet Cong communists in yet a third attempt by ABC to corroborate John Kerry’s version of the events that took place on February 28th, 1969.

I would only ask the American people: "Who do you trust more, three members of a communist regime that tortured and killed our American troops or a group of more than 280 highly decorated American veterans, who proudly served their country and are now responsible members of their respective communities?"

The number of veterans who support John Kerry's accounts of his military service would not fill one Swift Boat. But instead of sitting down to interview some of the 280 plus members of our Swift Boat organization, ABC News chose to travel to Vietnam taking extraordinary and highly suspect steps to find someone to corroborate John Kerry's story.

ABC News Nightline has now dedicated three separate programs to this one incident while ignoring John Kerry's now discredited Senate testimony that he spent Christmas in Cambodia, his receiving a purple heart after all three of the officers required to approve such an issuance rejected his application, or his constantly changing account of the circumstances surrounding his remaining medal, a bronze star.

Further, one has to wonder why ABC News will not address the serious questions as to why John Kerry only received an honorable discharge through the act of then President Carter, seven years after his discharge, and had to have all of his military citations reissued, on the same day, when he became a United States Senator in 1985. And, finally, why has Nightline found it of no interest to permit any POWs to come on their program to explain why they believe John Kerry betrayed their nation, caused them to be incarcerated for an additional two years and caused them tremendous additional hardship and suffering.

Mr. O'Neill asks "who do you trust more". If you are still getting your news fix from the talking-heads, you're totally out of the loop--the credibility of ABC, CBS and NBC is utterly bankrupt and it's so obvious that it's, frankly, embarrassing.

:: Max 6:41 PM [+] ::
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Kerry's Credulous Foreign Policy Intentions

Dan Drezner's 'P Value' had him drifting toward Kerry--until he received this severe response from "a former US diplomat who served in both the Clinton and Bush administrations":

"I don't dispute some of Kerry's criticisms of the current Administration's conduct of foreign policy. But KE04 presents no actual solutions on foreign policy from which we can derive a reasonable belief that his performance would be better than the current White House. In fact, it just might be worse.

Many of Kerry's policy proposals on foreign affairs strike me as nastily disingenuous. His "fair trade" mantra raises the specter of protectionism at a time when America's continued global economic engagement remains a lynchpin of the "soft power" Kerry so ardently wishes to use as leverage in the war on terror. His fulminations on a lack of allies in Iraq don't pass the red face test -- French, German and Russian interests are now clearly arrayed in a classic balance of power position against the U.S. This will not change with Kerry in the White House. As for other allies (minus the UK and Australia), we're the victims of our Cold War success - most participants in Iraq are already projecting about as much power as they possibly can, having comfortably atrophied under our security umbrella for the past 60 years. This is the burden of hegemony, and I'm not quite sure Senator Kerry, whose mind still fully inhabits the Vietnam paradigm, is up to the task of bearing it forthrightly.

Kerry's respect for multilateralism should not be praised, but questioned, given the changing nature of international politics today. The days of America being able to win a kitchen pass from UN members on any number of issues have come to pass. The Cold War is over, and as your U of C colleague Mr. Mearshemier warned back in 1990, multipolarity will make us outright miss the Cold War. But Kerry hasn't grasped this fundamental change. He hasn't comprehended that the UN, as well as other multilateral institutions, has stopped being a preserve of internationally agreed rules and collective action backed by broad consensus. These institutions have become, instead, vehicles for the pursuit of narrow self-interests by any number of major regional powers which aspire to great power status. (France, Russia, Germany, India, Brazil, China). This is a drastically different international order from the one Kerry presumes to know.

You also have to ask yourself, who is going to carry out Kerry's multilateral approach? And on that score, things simply get worse. A Kerry White House would mean the Madeleine Albright B Team moving into senior foreign policy positions. And, with the notable exception of Richard Holbrooke (his hair may be on fire, but he gets things done), this would be disastrous. These are the same folks who fiddled for 8 years on counter terror, negotiated a terrifyingly naive nuke deal with North Korea, and generally treat foreign policy as a rhetorical exercise. This is a team who has demonstrated, in past position of influence, an alarming propensity to get rolled by their foreign counterparts. Let's pick just two: Susan Rice? Jamie Rubin?! Are you serious?? During her sojourn as assistant secretary for Africa in Albright's State Department, Rice had to be consistently bailed out of trouble by career diplomats. As for Rubin, he is anti-gravitas. He's Edwards-lite.

Think about Kerry's foreign policy track record and his much ballyhooed commitment to "multilateralism". Think if that reflects accurately the state of world politics today. Think about the people who would occupy senior Cabinet, NSC, State and DoD positions under Kerry. Then think about your vote again, please.

It's a good bet that if Kerry's elected we're going to see the Clinton foreign policy team resurrected with all of the trappings, including Yasser Arafat chilling his heels in the Rose Garden--look for a Jimmy Carter 'special-appointment' to the UN 'Security Council'.

(Imagine all the people...)

Hat Tip to The Corner's Rod Dreher [>]

:: Max 2:49 PM [+] ::
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How to Cheat

The Denver Post has published an 'instruction manual' on how to commit voter fraud and predicts a post election train-wreck in Colorado. If the election is close, and problems like this repeat in other states, such as Florida, it could be months before the Presidential election is resolved. It's time we hold our election officials responsible for implementing orderly, lawful and reliable elections before the whole system is thrown into suasage-machine of politically motivated litigation. We deserve better.

:: Max 9:16 AM [+] ::
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2004 Voter Fraud

Instapundit points to Bill Hobbs who is keeping tabs on reports of voter fraud nationwide--drop in for a visit [>]

I just checked in and was redirected to Vodkapundit's excellent observations on the subject. Here's a little excerpt but read the whole thing--it's spot on:

"I don't mean to say that Republicans haven't used dirty tricks, or won't in the future. But I have yet to see them pull anything as crass as replacing a losing candidate with a more-popular one just weeks before election day, and in violation of state law. I have yet to see Republicans calling on the world's most corrupt international organization, run largely by apparatchiks from the world's most brutal dictatorships, to pass judgment on how we run our elections. I have yet to see the Republicans encouraging their own to commit fraud by shouting "Fraud!" where none yet exists, putting at risk everything we've built here in the last 228 years.

Because, in the end, that's what the national Democrats are doing: They're trying, however inadvertently, to destroy the Republic in order to rule it.

I really do believe the Democrats would not hesitate to destroy the Republic to regain their power--they can't win at the polls, they can't win in the arena of ideas so they trash the freakin system. When in 2000, Gore unleashed his lawyers in Florida, I thought it was the begining of the end--that he'd opened Pandora's box--God I hope I'm wrong.

:: Max 5:00 PM [+] ::
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Dems to sue for the election?

Nothing will get me into a polling-booth quicker than the thought of this happening!

I'm telling you the Democrats are going to try to steal this election and if it's close, they might succeed. You are forwarned.

And Kerry has a friggin' trial-lawyer on the ticket!

:: Max 11:47 AM [+] ::
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Newspapers Inflate Circulation Stats?

Drudge has had the Circ Stat teaser up for the last 24 hours, but now the NYT's is reporting that the SEC is investigating the practice of print-media inflating circulation numbers to bolster ad revenues. Not that I distrust them or anything, but maybe it's time someone looked into the Neilsen ratings for similar manipulations by the broadcast media--just to be thorough, mind you.

:: Max 9:24 AM [+] ::
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Moral Clarity

Roger L. Simon points to this eloquent essay by a liberal Jew who explains why she will be "voting with more passionate conviction than I have ever mustered in a lifetime" for George W. Bush. Here's an excerpt:

"Senator Kerry has decried "the rush to war," stating that America "has lost its moral authority" because we overthrew Saddam without a sufficient number of allies. 34 countries joined us in our military endeavor there; Senator Kerry preferred to wait until we secured the co-operation of France, which means we would still be waiting today.

If we went to Iraq too early to please Senator Kerry, we are now lingering too long for his taste. Dismayed by the hopeless "quagmire" he perceives, he has declared his intention to bring our troops home as soon as possible, preferably in six months.

Too early, too late: It's never quite the right time to do battle on Senator Kerry's calendar. There is always another ally to consult, resolution to be passed, conference to be convened, process to be perfected, obstacle to be avoided.

And yet history has appointed the hour of our challenge, and however much we wish to turn back time, our moment has come. When the World Trade Center was attacked the first time in 1993, we chose to ignore the true seriousness of its implications. But on September 11th, 2001, with the Pentagon in flames, the World Trade Center collapsing, and a hijacked plane speeding towards Congress, we finally began our generation's rendezvous with destiny.

"You can not escape the responsibility of tomorrow by evading it today," said President Lincoln at another decisive moment in our nation's history. The War on Islamic Terror must be waged fully, humanely, and successfully. This monumental battle is both our burden and our privilege, for as Thomas Paine said when our country was born, "If there must be trouble let it be in my day, that my child may have peace."

On November 2nd, I will choose to honor my heritage as a Jew and as an American by voting for George Bush.

RTWT [>]

Related: Powerline has a nice post on why the Palestinians DO NOT want a seperate, independent Palestine state. The article illuminates why the never-ending peace-talks have proven to be futile. Should Kerry be elected president, look for more Arafat glad-handing in the Rose Garden with Jimmy Carter as chief negotiator--a return to the good-old-days?

:: Max 6:38 AM [+] ::
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