Right Wing Lunatic

The government is poking it's collective nose into the business of auto makers and telling them that they need to come up with better fuel efficient cars. The problem isn't the car manufacturers, it's the rules that they need to play by.

For example: The rules currently state that the entire fleet of cars/trucks/SUV's must be at 27.5 and 22.2 mpg. What that means is, is that Ford could come out with a car that gets 100mpg, then sell NINE (9) more cars that get 20mpg and still be above the fleet average for cars.

And guess what? Those 9 cars are going to suck down the gas faster then that 1 100mpg car will ever save. The solution? Require ALL cars, trucks, SUV's to get X amount of mpg. I'm not saying that a full sized truck should get 50mpg, but all passenger cars shouldn't have a problem getting say 35-40mpg and light trucks such as the Ford Ranger getting 25-30mpg and full size trucks/SUV's getting say 20-25mpg.

Change the rules across the board instead of using averages and that will get this nation off of foreign oil quicker then anything.

The other problem is that auto makers like to whine about how it's not possible.

The Senate bill would require automakers to increase the fuel economy of new cars, sport utility vehicles and pickups beginning in 2020 to a fleet average of 35 miles per gallon. It currently is 27.5 mpg for cars and 22.2 mpg for SUVs and small trucks.

Bullshit. You're telling me that Honda and Toyota took longer then 13 YEARS to develop their hybrid technology? I find that hard to believe. Besides auto industry folks are already touting all electric cars such as the Chevy Volt. Now the Volt is still an experimental, concept car, but if manufactured, it would make the rules about mpg moot. Hell, if each car company came out with an all electric car that got around 150-300 mpc (miles per charge), that cost around the same or just a bit more then a regular car, and had a small gas engine for long trips, we'd be getting of of foreign oil faster then OPEC could blink.

I'm one of the few Republicans that actually advocates us getting off of foreign oil that has "walked the walk". It's not so much that I don't want us dealing with nations that harbor terrorists, it's more that I want to take our business elsewhere because you don't treat customers the way the Middle East has treated us over the years. If you went to Target, and they talked about how you're a horrible person and how you murder babies and other bullshit, you wouldn't shop there anymore would you? The same holds true for the Middle East. You treat us like shit, we'll take our business elsewhere.

Travis
travis@rightwinglunatic.com

President Bush has said that he will use his veto power against upcoming spending budgets if they are too much. That's all fine and dandy, but either CNN has a problem or Bush does.

The administration, hoping to appease Republicans who demand fiscal restraint, has pledged to keep overall spending to the level in Bush's proposed budget in February.

If CNN is the one reporting this, it's a blatant attempt at partisan politics and showing their true bias against Bush. If Bush is the one who's doing this to "appease", he's got a major problem on his hands. The Republican party is about smaller government (which it's been guilty of not doing lately), and if Bush is only threatening veto to "appease", then he's lost one of the core values of the Republican party and needs to have his knuckles rapped for it.

Travis
travis@rightwinglunatic.com

So the Arab League is demanding that both sides stop the fighting in the Fatah/Hamas mini war that's going on right now. But where's the same passion for peace when it comes to the insurgency in Iraq? Easy. There isn't one.

It's perfectly ok by them for American's to die, but God forbid there's infighting between rival Arab factions.

Travis
travis@rightwinglunatic.com

Sorry that my posts have been later in the evening folks. I've been slammed at work lately trying to get a ton of work done left and right. Luckily though, things are starting to calm down a bit. I still have a bit to do, but it won't be nearly as bad as it is now. I like to have around 5-7 posts per weekday and have them done by about 10 am my time.

Regardless, I just wanted to let you all know why the posts have been later and later lately. :)

Travis
travis@rightwinglunatic.com

We took a look at Russia's proposal, and said "thanks, but no thanks". It's nice to see the Russian's get all upset by this. Maybe they will start seeing things our way in regards to the Iranian nuclear issue.

I don't know about you guys, but I'm getting sick and tired of having Russia and China poke us in the eye with a stick over and over and over. It's high time we started poking back. It's just like the schoolyard. If you're picked on, the only way to stop it is to retaliate. Then they back off. America is more then willing to extend it's collective hand in friendship, but Russia and China haven't been acting like a friend for some time now. I'd be happy with a healthy respect for one another if friendship is not possible.

But China faces worse problems as it grows. Over population, pollution, oil running low, human rights violations that will get it into trouble are all things that will be magnified because of China's 1.6 billion people. Yes, they've been around for 4,000+ years, but the insane growth they are experiencing now simply can't be sustained. Once they have a recession of a serious order, you'll see them get a bit more friendly with the US.

Travis
travis@rightwinglunatic.com

While I would have preferred to execute them (I'm just old fashioned that way), England jailed 7 people in a plot to detonate a dirty bomb that they knew would kill hundreds or thousands.

You know, if England had a death penalty, these guys would be perfect candidates for it. They know that whatever they do, the worst that London can do is throw them in jail for life. We at least execute people who are a danger to the public. What I'd really like to see happen is have happen to them what happened to the Yorkshire Ripper, being attacked in prison and being afraid of the next moment that may be your last. But then again, I'm just old fashioned that way. :)

Travis
travis@rightwinglunatic.com

There's a article stating that China is arming Iran with small arms, which they know will end up in the hands of insurgents. Most of the Asian population though doesn't think China's growth means that's a good thing and still wants the US to continue providing security against China's growing threat. And on top of that, while we are tightening down the military use technology, China actually had the nerve to ask for it to be loosened.

Does China think we're that fucking stupid? Do they think that we can't put two and two together with their blinding one of our satellites, their continued espionage against us, and their growing banter against Taiwan? They're gearing up for a fight. They want to become a world superpower and the one fly in the ointment is Taiwan.

I'm not even sure if they want a fight with the US, but only want to know what to expect if we come to Taiwan's aid, which they know we are bound to by US law. I'm willing to bet that if that law didn't exist, they wouldn't be as uppity as they have been lately.

So what do we do? Well first we need to get back our debt that China has bought over the years. If that means that we need to radically increase tariffs or make it much more expensive to do business with China, that might be a way to go. I say we expand the ban on exports to include just about anything that can be made useful with their military. I say we commit espionage on them on a grand scale. Let them know we know what they're up to. It's no coincidence that they blinded one of our satellites and then blew up one of their own in a missile test. They know that we depend heavily on satellites for military communications and if they are gearing up for a fight, they know where to hit us. Is anyone else out there as alarmed as I am about this?

Travis
travis@rightwinglunatic.com

Seeing a horrific accident, Randy Mikitko ran towards the car, even with it on fire, and cut a 2 month old infant out of the seat with a knife while the child's father lay dead at the wheel.

Mr. Mikitko could have just called police and waited for them. He could have ran away or just went upon his merry way, but he did what was right and rescued people he didn't know and risked severe injury to himself. It's very important for people to know who REAL heroes are instead of the phonies that you see on TV or people throwing adoration upon people who don't deserve it (Paris Hilton, I'm looking your way).

So let's all make sure that those heroes who are true heroes get the recognition they deserve.

Thank you Mr. Mikitko!

Travis
travis@rightwinglunatic.com

Hey wait a minute. I thought that FEMA royally fucked up everything in terms of giving aid to Katrina victims. Turns out that FEMA may have overpaid storm victims by as much as $485 million dollars.

So which is it folks? Did FEMA over pay people, or did they not do enough? If a person is not qualified to receive aid, they aren't qualified. End of story. If they got money in error, they need to repay that money.

Of course, many people just want to keep the free money that they've gotten:

Crystal Utley, a Mississippi lawyer who coordinates clinics for storm victims, said FEMA should "leave people alone and let them get back on their feet."

No. I want them to get the aid that they rightfully are entitled to, not just free money to spend on whatever. There are people getting aid TO THIS DAY for a storm that happened almost 2 years ago. If you're not smart enough to leave the city that was built under the water line when you are given several days notice, I don't have it in my heart to feel sorry for you. If you're not smart enough to get flood insurance when you live in a city that was built below the water line, I don't have it in my heart to feel sorry for you.

I have insurance on every aspect of my life. The reason? Bad shit happens. It's just a fact of life. I have flood insurance on my home and I'm NOWHERE NEAR WATER!. Why? Bad shit happens. This "free money" isn't free folks. It comes out of the taxes that you and I pay for. That's almost $500 million that could have gone to other areas where people had real life needs instead of people wanting the money and then asking FEMA to "leave people alone".

Maybe I'm coming across as a heartless prick, but when something devastating happens to you, you pick yourself up and rebuild. It should not take 2 years worth of the government supporting you for you to get back on your feet. A few months while you collect your things and find out if you're still employed, sure. Even up to a year I can totally understand. But 2 years is really pushing it.

Travis
travis@rightwinglunatic.com

I think I've found a way to get China to stop pussy footing around when it comes to Iran's nuclear program. We all know that Russia and China have been dragging ass on sanctions or military action against Iran because of business dealings. I am still working on a solution for Russia, but here's my idea for China.

Give nuclear technology to Taiwan.

For years China has been doing everything it can to break into our military systems to gather intelligence and military technology in an effort to become a superpower. They want to know what they are up against because we are by law supposed to defend Taiwan from Chinese attack. They want to know our response, our technology, and our will to help defend the Taiwanese people. Their economy is certainly doing better then anyone ever expected, however, they have national pride that won't let them let go of Taiwan. They have threatened Taiwan with military action if they ever declared independence. Nuclear technology will allow them to have an advantage if they ever do decide to declare their independence.

Now, China will get all up in arms about this and want to go to the UN and bitch and moan about how the US is not playing fair and other such nonsense. We can simply reply with "well you help us with Iran, we'll help you with Taiwan". If China really wants Taiwan back so badly, they will have to think twice about their dealings with Iran.

A Taiwan having nuclear technology for "peaceful" purposes will certainly give China pause and make them wonder "are they really after it for energy or nuclear weapons?" Are the Taiwanese going to declare independence and use a nuclear weapon to keep China at arms length? I want these thoughts going through the minds of Chinese leaders when they think they can just continually try to break into military computers and drag ass on the Iranian nuclear issue simply because they have a great economy. They are becoming emboldened by our lack of response and this will continue until one day it will blow up in our faces.

If China wants to play the "let's let diplomacy work it's course" for almost a year and still want to turn a blind eye to obvious nuclear weapons intentions with Iran almost daily saying that they are accelerating uranium enrichment, then it's time we ratchet up the pressure on those who are dragging ass simply for the sake of money: Russia and China.

Travis
travis@rightwinglunatic.com

Well the final sticking point over the North Korean nuclear program has been resolved. The frozen money has been transferred out of the bank and should be on it's way to North Korea now. If North Korea backs out now, I say we start bombing their nuclear facilities until they are rubble.

Travis
travis@rightwinglunatic.com

You'd think this broad would learn right? You'd think that just a mere 7 MONTHS after Democrats won the majority in both houses of Congress with promises to "end the culture of corruption" that Nancy Pelosi wouldn't ask for additional perks. You'd be wrong.

She's now asking that ADULT CHILDREN of members of Congress be allowed to fly for free. She's asking that they be able to take the spot of a spouse who cannot make the flight. Just knock the shit off Nancy. You lied to the American people with your promises of "reform", but you're doing the EXACT OPPOSITE that you promised. Her spokesman even lies to the public about it within two sentences:

“It has been longstanding policy that, in the absence of a congressional spouse, the adult child of a member of Congress may accompany the member on official U.S. government travel abroad for protocol reasons and without reimbursing the U.S.
Treasury,” Pelosi spokesman Nadeam Elshami said. “Speaker Pelosi believes that a modern policy must reflect the professional responsibilities or health realities that might prevent a spouse from participating, and instead permit an adult child to fulfill the protocol needs of the official trip.”

Pentagon officials say the policy is that the Treasury must be reimbursed at commercial rates for children who accompany members on such trips, often called codels.

He says "it has been longstanding policy", but then says "Speaker Pelosi believes that a modern policy must reflect the professional responsibilities." Well which is it? Is it already a long standing policy or isn't it? The Pentagon says that they must reimburse the Treasury. That means that it's NOT policy. They are trying to slyly imply that it's ok now, so just change the policy, wink wink.

We already pay enough towards the travel of members of Congress, stop trying to take advantage Nancy!

Travis
travis@rightwinglunatic.com

My God people, how about you show Dad a little more love then this please? The guy gets up every morning earlier then you do to earn a living to make sure you have a roof over your head and food in your belly. Don't give him a tie, or cologne, or something stupid like that. Take him to a topless bar. Take him to the Bunny Ranch. Give him cash. Give him a gift certificate at his favorite store. I'm not talking about a cheap $25 gift certificate at Best Buy, I'm talking like a couple hundred bucks. Take a side job, earn the cash, and show Dad that you're not just another leech to feed off of him, you ungrateful bastards. :)

I went to my Grandpa's house and gave him a couple hundred bucks and a nice card that I thought represented my feelings towards the man. You all know the story of my father, so I won't go into it again. I'm just saying, take care of the guy who took care of you.

Travis
travis@rightwinglunatic.com

On one side, we have scientists saying that "peak oil" will be here within 4 years give or take, then you have a company planning the first US refinery in over 30 years. What does that say for our oil dependency? It says that we'd better start doing something soon.

Electric cars, compressed air cars, hydrogen, any other alternative fuels need to be explored with a vengeance and soon. I'm more inclined to believe scientists when they give warnings. Sometimes they are off by a bit, or wrong completely, but it would be foolish to ignore their warnings. Personally, I like the Air car or the Chevy Volt. I am particularly impressed by the Chevy because it allows me to drive my commute almost completely on electricity. I am also impressed that and American car company has gotten off it's ass and engineered something that is innovative and gets us off of oil dependency from foreign sources.

We're simply burning through a resource at a record rate and that resource will eventually dry up. Yes, there's a LOT of oil out there, but you don't want to be caught with your pants down when that happens. Personally, I like Honda cars best because of various reasons, but if Chevy were to bring out the Volt and keep all of the promises on their website, I'd be first in line to get one....as long as it was reasonably affordable. I'm not paying $50,000 for a car that saves me $2,000 in gas. We need oil for various things besides gasoline, so we'll never truly be oil free, but we must start reducing our consumption, otherwise we'll be standing around with our cock in our collective hands wondering what happened.

Now, say you can't afford a new car, most of us can't, what to do? Well there's a ton of things that you've all seen that you can do, but Mythbusters just confirmed that drafting a semi truck does indeed increase your gas mileage. I'm not saying take it as far as they do (well beyond the safety zone), but if you're behind one, use it to your advantage. :) Maybe I'm talking out of my ass, but I don't plan on paying $4 and $5 a gallon for gas and still continue to get 35-40mpg in my Civic EX.

Travis
travis@rightwinglunatic.com

It's really difficult for me to feel anything for these idiots who only want to cause wanton destruction for anyone that they don't agree with. But Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has dissolved the Hamas-led portion of the government and decided it's a state of emergency.

On the other end of the spectrum, Hamas is claiming that they now control the Gaza Strip. Either way, it's not a good situation for anyone involved. It's now getting to the point where you have Iran threatening nuclear activities, the Palestinians are on the brink of civil war with one another, you can imagine that the Israeli's are getting a bit anxious over everything going on on either side of them. You have the potential for an explosive reaction from either side if someone blinks.

You can bet the Israeli's won't pussy foot around though if the shit does hit the fan. Targeted assassinations, bombings of entire neighborhoods if a terrorist is suspected to be in one of the homes, and mass casualties on both sides unless some people start to calm down a bit.

Travis
travis@rightwinglunatic.com

First they are trying to develop nuclear weapons. Then they are actively supporting the insurgency in Iraq. Then they are giving insurgents access to weapons that are easily traceable back to them. Now, they are actively supporting the Taliban in Afghanistan.

They are doing absolutely everything they can to alienate any and all international support they have over their nuclear program and other issues that are of a concern to the international community. One thing is funny though: Iran is in “outright violation” of U.N. Security Council resolutions.

So if that's the case, then we can expect Russia and China to vote for additional sanctions against Iran right? If they oppose them now, it gives credence to the fact that the UN is a toothless organization that is willing to do nothing because they don't want to rock the boat. Russia and China have got to be feeling the pressure to get Iran to see things everyone else's way. If not, they are in for a rude awakening as people are getting tired of Iran's bullshit.

Travis
travis@rightwinglunatic.com

Portland, Oregon Mayor Tom Potter doesn't seem to understand how rules and law work. I will gladly give you a refresher course Mayor Potter. Gather 'round kids, it's time to hear Uncle Travis tell you how the real world works. You see, we as a society have rules that we all live by. They are called "laws". These "laws" govern behavior of the public so that society can function as a whole and people can live in peace and harmony (for the most part).

Now, when these "laws" are broken, the police will come and arrest those who are breaking the particular "law" that they are arresting you for. In this instance, 165 people were committing document fraud and were here in this country ILLEGALLY. Now, if you don't like how the law is written, you do your best to petition the government to change that law. However, breaking the law, regardless of which law is broken, is still wrong and still needs to be punished.

When you are a political leader, you can't say stupid crap like this: "I am angered by this morning's arrest by federal officers of approximately 150 Portland residents who were working at a local produce company. I certainly understand why federal officials executed criminal warrants against three individuals who stole and sold Social Security numbers. But to go after local workers who are here to support their families while filling the demands of local businesses for their labor is bad policy." Why? Because it shows that you aren't going to be fair in your dealings with the rules that govern society. What if someone decides that they don't like the law that prevents them from stealing your car Mayor Potter? Are you going to be "angry" that the person who stole your car for transportation or whatever reason is going to jail? Or are you going to want that law enforced? That's selective enforcement and that never works in society. We ALL have to abide by the rules, all of the rules, or society breaks down and we have a society where the privileged get away with things that others don't.

You notice he doesn't even say he's glad that the police arrested those who were stealing and selling Social Security numbers, and that he only "understood"? Doesn't leave you with a feeling that the Mayor has your best interests at heart.

Regardless of your feelings on illegal immigration, they were committing fraud and they were here illegally. They were rightfully arrested and will be rightfully deported. They were already flaunting the rules when they came here, so what makes you think they'll abide by the other rules we have as a society?

Travis
travis@rightwinglunatic.com

I've said it before, and I'll say it again. If you want to be President, you need a plan and you need to let voters know what it is. Rudy Giuliani certainly speaks well and I do agree with him on a couple of key points, but if he, or anyone else, wants to be President, you need to tell people EXACTLY what you plan on doing. Giving rough ideas is fine, but tell people how you plan on solving their problems.

One of his main points was returning this country to fiscal responsibility. While that's nice on paper, I would like some more details about how he plans on accomplishing that. Now granted, with his past experience in turning New York City around, I will give him a great deal of leeway, but he still must come up with specific things he wants to do to accomplish these goals. If it wasn't for the Gun Control issue, I think I'd be very inclined to vote for him. I'd still vote for him over any Democratic candidate, but the Gun Control issue is one of my major stumbling blocks.

Plus, Fred Thompson is debating on running, and if he does, all other Republican candidates are going to have a very serious contender on their hands. He has name and face recognition, he's popular, has political experience, and is more aligned with Republican ideals which will lead to a greater chance of him receiving the Republican nomination for President.

Travis
travis@rightwinglunatic.com

That's what this guy is insinuating. Jack Idema, who ran an unauthorized jail in Afghanistan, tortured and arrested suspected terrorists, was released from jail today. What I'd like to know is, are his claims true? On the surface his claims do have some evidence to back it up. However, it might all be a ruse for him to get out of trouble with the Afghanistan government.

To tell you the truth, if this guy was catching real terrorists instead of innocent people, I don't know if I'd really care. If he was arresting and torturing innocent people, throw the book at him. If he was taking care of Al-Qaeda members, I'm of the Vic Mackey school of interrogations. Peel the skin off of their bones if it gets you one step closer to Bin Laden, but you'd better be right 100% of the time. If not, you're going about things the wrong way and you deserve to go to jail yourself.

Travis
travis@rightwinglunatic.com

Every time you think things are getting quiet with Syria, they go and assassinate someone. This time is no different. If Syria continues with this kind of thing, they will find themselves staring down the barrel of a gun themselves.

People won't sit around and get picked off one by one. Sooner or later they will get tired of it and start their own targeting assassinations. Then it will get REALLY ugly.

Travis
travis@rightwinglunatic.com

Finally we have some people who have a good head on their shoulders. Just because you have terminal cancer doesn't mean you aren't going to get executed. What happens if the cancer goes into remission? Granted that's pretty unlikely, but wouldn't that be a slap in the face to the victims families? A death sentence is a death sentence. Carry it out even if you know he's going to die a minute before the needle goes in his arm.

Travis
travis@rightwinglunatic.com

Al Gore likes to use Mount Kilimanjaro as an example of global warming that us big, bad humans are doing to the planet. Unfortunately for Al, that's not the case. I'm not saying that global warming doesn't exist and that we shouldn't try to reduce our pollution levels, I'm just saying that if you have an argument and put it on film for the whole world to see, make sure your facts are right. Either you look like a fool who doesn't fact check, or you are an liar.

To tell you the truth, I trust University of Washington climate scientist Philip Mote over Al Gore any day of the week on this subject.


Travis
travis@rightwinglunatic.com

Yeah because before the US actually did something about the problems in the Middle East, the UN was right on top of things. They were a force to be reckoned with. If you were stirring up shit in the Middle East and the UN was around, you got yourself a sternly worded letter to knock it off. And if you ignored that, you got an even more sternly worded letter.

They even have the nerve to condemn us for boycotting the Palestinian government. Well that's the price you pay when you vote in a terrorist group as your leaders. That really says something don't you think? Do you think we'd deal with Britain if they voted in Al-Qaeda? Hell no, we'd bomb the shit out of them, then we'd bomb the rubble. The fact that we AREN'T doing that ought to tell you the insane amount of self control that the US government has.

Here's a couple of points that the author of the report makes:

· The international boycott of the Palestinians, introduced after Hamas won elections last year, was "at best extremely short-sighted" and had "devastating consequences" for the Palestinian people

Well that'll teach the Palestinians that we're not fucking around. You want aid? You want to be taken seriously as a nation? Then stop voting for terrorist organizations. You may have the right to vote in who you want, but that doesn't mean that you don't have the right to have other governments boycott them. Freedom goes both ways.

· Israel has adopted an "essentially rejectionist" stance towards the Palestinians

Can you blame them? They elected a group that puts bombs in night clubs and city buses. I wouldn't deal with them either.

· The Quartet of Middle East negotiators - the US, the EU, Russia and the UN - has become a "side-show"

Ok, and the UN is going to do what about it? Oh yeah, nothing.

·The Palestinian record of stopping violence against Israel is "patchy at best, reprehensible at worst"

Well maybe if they worked at that, then the Israeli's would be more willing to deal with them, the world governments would return aid to them and they would be more like to have their own nation because of it. Stop the bombings and then you have a leg to stand on. Until then, you have no one to blame but yourselves.

Travis
travis@rightwinglunatic.com

Today is a sad day. Don Herbert, known to the world at Mr. Wizard, died today at the age of 89. If you don't know who he is, check his website out at www.mrwizardstudios.com. He brought an entire generation up with teaching them fun ways about math and science. I was one of those in that generation. This was a long time ago when math/science interests were frowned upon in the general world and those who were interested in those subjects were outcasts in society.

Mr. Wizard made sure to make it entertaining and included everyone who wanted to come and made you feel smart and special for the time that you spent watching him. What I can't believe is that I'm sitting here crying over a man whom I've never met and he's the first celebrity I've cried over about their death. Normally this doesn't effect me in the least, but Mr. Wizard was truly a gifted man who made geek kids feel like they didn't have to be afraid of their curiosity and smarts.

Good bye Mr. Wizard. Thank you for the memories.

Travis
travis@rightwinglunatic.com

Indonesian police have captured an important figure in Jemaah Islamiyah today. Abu Dujana was believed to have been involved in a couple of hotel bombings. But what's important to know here is that Indonesia has been getting on the ball about capturing people who want to do harm in their country. Terrorism is more then Al-Qaeda and there are bad guys all over the world. With this guy's capture, the intelligence and tactical blow that this arrest has done will be more valuable then CNN or any of us will probably ever know.

That being said, I still want Bin Laden's head on a pike outside of the White House. It's very important to get him and his inner circle. Find those people and capture or kill them, and it sends a significant message that regardless of what you may say or do, we'll get you eventually. It was the same way with CIA shooter Mir Aimal Kansi. It took us years to find him, but we eventually did and when it was all said and done, we stuck a needle in him and put him down like a rabid dog. As soon as we do that to Bin Laden and his henchmen, I'll sleep a lot better at night.

Travis
travis@rightwinglunatic.com

You know, I really must thank the Democrats. They continue to give me material time and time again. Usually, you can't get this kind of reliability, but they really come through.

They are continuing with their losing ways by asking for timelines in Iraq and threatening to cut off funds if they don't get their way.

Guys, come on, you know damn good and well you aren't going to get your way. I do find it very curious about their timing though. With Iraqi security forces finally starting to get their act together, they won't be need us much anymore in the relatively near future. So Democrats will try to take credit when/if that time comes and the Iraqi's have already taken over the majority of their security. If we're not needed in the area, Democrats will say "see, I told you I'd cut off funding". Kind of like when a murderer is in jail and a cop wannabe tries to take credit for his capture when it was the real cops who got him.

The first, sponsored by Reid and Sen. Carl Levin of Michigan, chairman of the Armed Services Committee, would set a goal of beginning the withdrawal of U.S. troops by April 2008, unless the Iraqi government demonstrated political and security progress. However, President Bush would have the power to waive that requirement.

The second, sponsored by Reid and Sen. Russ Feingold of Wisconsin, would go further and cut off funding for the Iraq war by next April, without giving the president any flexibility to extend the mission.

"On Iraq, we're going to hold the president's feet to the fire," Reid said at a news conference Tuesday afternoon.

Let's face facts here Reid, no you're not. You're not going to do jack because you don't have the votes, you don't have the support of the American people, and you simply don't have the balls to do it. You are a weak willed politician who puts power over the security and safety of others. You don't believe one word of what you are saying, you're just following the polls and that's not what leadership is about.

Travis
travis@rightwinglunatic.com

Even their own is showing signs of worry. "If anybody thinks that we will be a winner out of this fire, I think they're wrong," said Palestinian official Saeb Erakat. "If this fire continues, it will burn all of us. Nobody stands to gain anything."

I'm ok with all of the fighting though. It keeps a known terrorist group busy dealing with yet another group that they've alienated for their tactics and keeps them from planting bombs in civilian areas of Israel. Now only if we can get the same thing to happen in Iran, we can get some real progress going. After all the fighting is done, the only thing left to do is pick up the pieces of those who are worn down by fighting and have no desire to continue.

Travis
travis@rightwinglunatic.com

I was surprised that they even HAD contractors. I mean, come on, this is the CIA. They should have their own employees without dealing with contracting companies. Is it really that big of a deal to have contractors?

I don't know about you, but I want everyone working at the CIA to be government employees. No contractors, no temps, just government people. It was the same way when I used to work for HP. HP would hire temps all over the map to have greater flexibility and save money, but that was for printer manufacturing, not for intelligence work. The CIA should take a good hard look at itself if a full 1/3 of it's staff are contractors.

Travis
travis@rightwinglunatic.com

The Court Of Appeals has ruled (rightfully so) that American citizens cannot be held as "enemy combatants" because it would violate the Constitution.

“To sanction such presidential authority to order the military to seize and indefinitely detain civilians, even if the president calls them ‘enemy combatants,’ would have disastrous consequences for the Constitution — and the country,” the court panel said.

That's true. The term "enemy combatants" only applies to foreign born people who fight against the US without adhering to the Geneva Conventions. Most notably, not fighting for any particular country, attacking and hiding within civilian areas, and murdering prisoners.

While I don't think that this guy should be set free, and the court has said so, it is a fundamental right for US citizens to be tried in a court of law for crimes that they may have committed. You simply can't take away Constitutional rights of the citizens.

Lawyers for al-Marri argued that the Military Commissions Act, passed last fall to establish military trials, doesn’t repeal the writ of habeas corpus — defendants’ traditional right to challenge their detention.

Exactly. The Constitution overrules all other laws. It's as simple as that people. The Constitution protects American citizens, including naturalized ones. If he's a citizen, he has rights. If he's guilty of the crimes he's accused of, stick an needle in him until he stops breathing. Innocent until proven guilty.

Travis
travis@rightwinglunatic.com

Well I guess you can't win them all. Serbian Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica was pissed about Bush's comments about his recent trip to Albania that stated his position about Kosovo's independence. I wonder if Israeli's would be equally pissed if Bush stated that Palestinians would be independent with their own land. Oh wait, Kosovoian's (?) don't plant bombs in night clubs and school buses.

Travis
travis@rightwinglunatic.com

In Albania? But Democrats have said that Bush is the next Hitler. They said that he was trying to harm Muslims everywhere. Well apparently the Albanians, a predominately Muslim country I might add, love him dearly.

President Bush, enthusiastically welcomed as the first U.S. president in this former communist nation, served notice Sunday he is running out of patience with Russia's objections to independence for neighboring Kosovo.

"Sooner rather than later you've got to say `Enough's enough—Kosovo is independent,'" Bush said, telling Albanians what they wanted to hear. He said independence was a certainty.

At home, Bush's job approval rating stands at its all-time low. But here, Prime Minister Sali Berisha said Bush was Albania's "greatest and most distinguished guest we have ever had in all times."

I guess Democrats were lying then weren't they? Everything isn't all doom and gloom with President Bush. I guess we haven't alienated the massive amount of allies that Democrats have claimed.

The insane amount of bullshit from their lips makes me wonder how much of their propaganda they actually believe. Do they honestly think that Bush is not looking out for the safety and security of the American public? Do they think that he really did let 9/11 happen, or was actively involved in it like the "Loose Change" folks claim?

Who knows? But I will tell you this, unless Democrats come up with a definitive plan on what they would do if elected, they don't stand a chance in hell for the Presidency in 2008. Just look at what they "accomplished" since they've been elected to the majority's in both parts of the Senate. A minimum wage hike. That's it. Remember how they said that they'd go a ton of stuff during "their first 100 hours"? Turns out they didn't, and their job approval rating shows it.

But I am getting off subject. This is what I am talking about when I speak of "becoming American friends". With Albania extending their hand in friendship, I have no problem with extending ours in return. America's reputation has taken a beating lately, mainly because of the Iraq war and Democrats relentlessly bashing my home, but it's nice to see that there are still people around the world who love us for who we are: A friend who'll give you the shirt off our backs and will back you up when the chips are down.

Travis
travis@rightwinglunatic.com

Well glad to see you getting on board Joe, but you're a bit later then most people.

"I think we've got to be prepared to take aggressive military action against the Iranians to stop them from killing Americans in Iraq," Lieberman said. "And to me, that would include a strike over the border into Iran, where we have good evidence that they have a base at which they are training these people coming back into Iraq to kill our soldiers."

I've been talking about this for a while now. If you commit acts of war against our country and it's soldiers, you have to be prepared to pay a heavy price. Iran is simply trying to poke around and see what they can get for reaction from us. If we don't retaliate, they will soon find that their actions don't have consequences and that will be a much uglier beast to deal with. If military commanders are worried about a reaction from the Iranian public over an airstrike on Iranian soil, send in the CIA or special forces guys for targeted assassinations. Let them live in fear over what may happen next if they continue with their supporting insurgents in Iraq.

Am I the bad guy for wanting to whip someone's ass who takes pot shots at our guys? You have people waking up with their throats cut or catching a bullet in the back of their head, anyone on the planet will think twice about their behavior.

Travis
travis@rightwinglunatic.com

Rumor has it that North Korean Despot Kim Jong Ill is in need of surgery to fix a heart problem.

Now with the current situation in North Korea about their nuclear program, one has to wonder about how this will effect the negotiations over shutting down the program. If Kim falls ill to the point where he can no longer be an effective leader, will his successor be as much of an opportunistic asshole like Kim was? Will the new guy be willing to be much more open about their intentions?

My best guess would be that the new leader, whenever they may come to power, will be much more willing to work with international groups because the country has suffered so much because of crushing sanctions and little to no economy to speak of. But only time will tell. Now only if Iran's leadership would have health problems we could have a much more peaceful region.

Travis
travis@rightwinglunatic.com