An Old War Dogs Satellite Site


Saturday, 30 June 2007
 

A Quick Index To Today's Posts, Quick Hits, Open Post

Click here for a handy "most recently updated posts at the top" listing of the posts on this page. Click here to see a similar listing for the Old War Dogs site.

Some things worth knowing about that I didn't devote separate posts to:

Please feel free to use this post for comments and trackbacks not related to other posts on the site. If you leave a trackback your post must include a link to this one and, as always, comments claiming the sun will rise in the west tomorrow, Chimpy McHitlerburton lied, etc. will be deleted without ever appearing on the site. ("Jorge McKennedy" is another matter.)

Contributed by Bill Faith on June 30, 2007 at 11:58 PM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBack

When good Eagles go bad.

The best way I know of to introduce the subject of this post is to have you go read The Gray Dog's post here and Rurik's response here. (Do that before you read the rest of this post.)

Personally, I became disenchanted with the loss of focus at the GOE blog and forum weeks ago and just quietly faded away, to use The Gray Dog's phrase. Having done that, I was unaware of some of the more recent happenings there until he alerted me to them. The distinct impression I get, from his posts and emails and from other sources I won't go into, is that after 3/17 the original senior management left GOE in what they thought were good hands and didn't stay involved in day-to-day management of the organization to the extent that maybe they should have. Since then there's been a lot of "mission creep," at least in the blog and forum, to the point where I no longer consider it worth the bother to go there and try to dig out the little bit of information still there pertaining to GOE's original purpose. That being the case, I've followed The Gray Dog's lead in removing the prominent GOE button from the sidebars at Bill's Bites and at Old War Dogs. I feel like leaving them there under the circumstances would be misleading.

I understand the left wing crowd is organizing another anti-war protest for September 15. I don't know whether the people currently running GOE on a day to day basis will try to put together a counter protest similar to the one in March or if they'll be too busy with more important things. If the grown-ups manage to regain control of the organization long enough to organize a counter-protest I'll be more than happy to help publicize it.

Contributed by Bill Faith on June 30, 2007 at 05:05 PM in Gathering of Eagles | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

More jihad in the UK

2 Arrested After Car on Fire Rams Glasgow Terminal

GLASGOW, Scotland —  Two men rammed a flaming sport utility vehicle into the main terminal of Glasgow airport Saturday, crashing into the glass doors at the entrance and sparking a fire, witnesses said. Police said two suspects were arrested.

There were no reports of injuries but the airport — Scotland's largest — was evacuated and all flights suspended, a day after British police thwarted a plot to bomb central London, discovering two cars abandoned with loads of gasoline, gas canisters and nails. ...

[T]he green SUV barreled toward the building shortly after 3 p.m., hitting security barriers before crashing into the glass doors and exploding, witnesses said. Two men jumped out of the burning vehicle, one of them engulfed in flames, they said. ...

Michelle Malkin has more, as do Allahpundit and Captain Ed. ... Allahpundit has more here and here. Baldilocks has a good roundup here as well.

See also:

Contributed by Bill Faith on June 30, 2007 at 12:35 PM in Great Britain, Islamism Delenda Est | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

The shamnesty is dead. Where to from here?

Actually, that's not that hard a question. They're still illegal. It's time for our masters in Washington to start enforcing the laws that are already on the books whether they like it or not. I'm not confident George Bush is smart enough to realize it but the best thing he can do at this point to improve the chances of the illegals he cares so much about eventually getting the legal right to remain in this country is to get serious about getting a border fence in place. If, if, significant progress is made during the remainder of his term and he's succeeded by someone the public trusts, a lot of people who aren't willing to talk about any sort of legalization now might be willing to in another couple of years. I for one, and I know I'm far from alone, will continue to do everything I can to block any sort of legalization process till I've seen proof that Washington is willing and able to control our borders. In the mean time it's past time for DHS to start making life very unpleasant for the executives of any company employing illegal aliens.

My personal prediction, which I don't like one bit, is that the only thing that's going to get the Bush administration to get serious about immigration enforcement is a major terrorist attack on American soil, carried out by jihadis who slipped across our border with Mexico. It will happen some day, the only question is when.

Bush urged to fund security
By Stephen Dinan

Democrats and Republicans who blocked the Senate immigration bill this week say it's now time to focus on immigration law enforcement, and say President Bush should still find a way to pump $4.4 billion he promised into border security.

"There is a consensus that we must secure our borders and enforce our laws. So let's start there," said Sen. Elizabeth Dole, North Carolina Republican; while Sen. Wayne Allard, Colorado Republican, said Congress should "find common-sense solutions to the labor concerns we face in the agriculture industry and start doing what we all know needs to be done — secure the border and enforce our existing laws." ...

Below the fold:

  • Failure of Senate Immigration Bill Can Be Lesson for Congress, Experts Say

See also:

Failure of Senate Immigration Bill Can Be Lesson for Congress, ...

WASHINGTON, June 29 — Congress can learn important lessons from the demise of the Senate immigration bill, and those lessons should inform future efforts to tackle the issue, experts on immigration said on Friday.

The Senate tried to do too much in one bill, said immigration lawyers, researchers, former government officials and other experts.

Demetrios G. Papademetriou, president of the Migration Policy Institute, a nonprofit research organization, said the bill was “a classic overreach.” ...

Contributed by Bill Faith on June 30, 2007 at 12:52 AM in Immigration | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack


Friday, 29 June 2007
 

A Quick Index To Today's Posts, Quick Hits, Open Post

Click here for a handy "most recently updated posts at the top" listing of the posts on this page. Click here to see a similar listing for the Old War Dogs site.

Some things worth knowing about that I didn't devote separate posts to:

  • Democrats demand Bush close Gitmo
    Bryan Preston: It’s interesting. Democrats are big spenders on everything but national security, decade after decade, during peace or during war. Propose cutting almost any government program at any time and Democrats will scream and caterwaul until you’ve gone deaf. But they consistently lead the charge in cutting funding to DoD during peacetime and now, trying to cut funding for the war and Camp Delta at Gitmo. ...
  • Coleman, Thune To Block Fairness Doctrine In Senate
    Ed Morrissey: Yesterday, Mike Pence won bipartisan approval for his amendment blocking the FCC from reinstating the Fairness Doctrine. That amendment is attached to the appropriation for the agency, which requires a companion amendment in the Senate. Just a few moments ago, Senators Norm Coleman and John Thune announced that they have proposed an identical amendment in the Senate: ...
  • Reflections on a Memorable Day
    John Hinderaker: I was in Washington today for a combination of business, politics and pleasure. I met with a number of Republican Congressmen and Senators, attended a press conference, and followed events on the Senate floor. Here are a few random thoughts on the day's events. ...

Please feel free to use this post for comments and trackbacks not related to other posts on the site. If you leave a trackback your post must include a link to this one and, as always, comments claiming the sun will rise in the west tomorrow, Chimpy McHitlerburton lied, etc. will be deleted without ever appearing on the site. ("Jorge McKennedy" is another matter.)

Contributed by Bill Faith on June 29, 2007 at 11:58 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Jihad in Londonistan

Official: Defused Bomb in Central London
Would Have Caused Significant Damage

LONDON —  Police thwarted a terror attack Friday near the famed Piccadilly Circus in the heart of London, defusing a crude bomb made of gasoline, propane gas, and nails after an ambulance crew spotted smoke coming from a silver Mercedes outside a nightclub.

A British government official told FOX News that a number of people "were seen making their way away from the car," leading Scotland Yard to believe detonation would have been accomplished remotely. ...

See also:

Note: I screwed up and posted a couple of links here that I meant to post here. If I left a trackback on your site but you don't see a link here it's in that post.

Contributed by Bill Faith on June 29, 2007 at 12:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

2007.06.29 ¡¡La shamnistía es muerta!! Roundup

See previous: 2007.06.28 "No Illegal Left Behind" Roundup. With a little luck that will be the last of my NILB roundups and I my even start finding some time to blog about other things.

Junior GOP senators defeat old guard
By Stephen Dinan

The immigration-reform bill was supposed to be a defining moment for the old guard.

Sen. Edward M. Kennedy could establish a new civil rights legacy to rival his brothers'; Sen. John McCain could show leadership and accomplishment by standing up to his party's base; and President Bush could secure a major domestic achievement for his second term.

Instead, the young guns — a small, wily group of junior Republican senators, most of them with less than a full term in the upper chamber — sent the bill into a tailspin, tying Democratic leaders into legislative knots and earning enough opposition among senators to block the Senate bill, culminating in yesterday's vote to kill the measure. ...

Below the fold:

  • Immigration Bill Dies in Senate
  • Immigration bill quashed

See also:

Immigration Bill Dies in Senate
Bipartisan Compromise Fails To Satisfy the Right or the Left
By Jonathan Weisman, Washington Post Staff Writer

The most dramatic overhaul of the nation's immigration laws in a generation was crushed yesterday in the Senate, with the forces of the political right and left overwhelming a bipartisan compromise on one of the most difficult issues facing the country.

With 53 senators against moving on to a final vote and 46 in favor, supporters fell dramatically short of the 60 votes needed to overcome the delaying tactics and parliamentary maneuvers that have dogged the bill for weeks. With no way to cut off debate, Senate Majority Leader Harry M. Reid (D-Nev.) pulled the bill from the Senate floor for the second time this month, and this time it is not likely to come up again before a new president comes to power. ...

In truth, opposition to the bill was far more complex than proponents were letting on. In crafting a delicate compromise, the bill's 12 architects created a measure that was reviled by foes of illegal immigration, opposed by most labor unions and unloved by immigration advocates. Opposition came not only from radio hosts such as Rush Limbaugh and Michael Savage but also from the American Civil Liberties Union and the AFL-CIO. ...

Immigration bill quashed
By Stephen Dinan

The on-again-off-again immigration bill took a fatal blow yesterday as a majority of senators voted to block it, responding to millions of e-mails, phone calls and faxes from voters furious over a measure they saw as amnesty.

The vote to block the bill was 53-46 — a crushing defeat given that supporters fell 14 votes shy of the 60 needed to limit debate and set an up-or-down vote. It also represents a major loss of support from just two days earlier, when 64 senators had voted to resurrect the bill from its first defeat three weeks ago.

"The message is crystal clear that the American people want us to start with enforcement, both at the border and at the workplace, and don't want promises," said Sen. David Vitter, Louisiana Republican. "They want action, they want results, they want proof because they've heard all the promises before."

It was a devastating defeat for President Bush, who invested a tremendous amount of political capital into immigration reform.

Contributed by Bill Faith on June 29, 2007 at 12:10 AM in Immigration | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack


Thursday, 28 June 2007
 

A Quick Index To Today's Posts, Quick Hits, Open Post

Click here for a handy "most recently updated posts at the top" listing of the posts on this page. Click here to see a similar listing for the Old War Dogs site.

Some things worth knowing about that I didn't devote separate posts to: 

Please feel free to use this post for comments and trackbacks not related to other posts on the site. If you leave a trackback your post must include a link to this one and, as always, comments claiming the sun will rise in the west tomorrow, Chimpy McHitlerburton lied, etc. will be deleted without ever appearing on the site. ("Jorge McKennedy" is another matter.)

Contributed by Bill Faith on June 28, 2007 at 11:58 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

2007.06.28 "No Illegal Left Behind" Roundup
-- Special "Clay Pigeon or Dead Duck?" Edition

!!!Yo, Jorge! Up yours! Cloture failed!!!

See previous: 2007.06.27 "No Illegal Left Behind" Roundup

It's make or break time, maybe. If the Masters of the Universe can come up with 60 votes for cloture on the Jorge McKennedy No Illegal Left Behind bill this morning there's no chance of it not receiving the 50 votes it needs for final passage by the end of the week. If they can't, Dirty Harry says the bills finished for good. Just like he said 3 weeks ago. He was lying then and he he may well be again. Regardless of how the vote goes we'll end the day with a damned good list of bogus Republicans to work against in next spring's primaries, or maybe even in next fall's general election if they're running against Blue Dog Dems. Personally I'd rather just hang the sons of bitches with brand new Mexican ropes but I don't guess that's likely to happen.

*** 2007.06.28.09:30:

Michelle Malkin's live blogging the cloture vote here. I may not do anything but read what she writes for a while. *** Ed Morrissey is also live blogging *** 53 votes against!  Road kill! ***

***

Senate immigration bill suffers crushing defeat

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Opponents effectively killed President Bush's long-fought and emotion-laden Senate immigration bill Thursday when members voted against advancing the controversial legislation.

The tally was 46 to 53, 14 votes shy of the 60 needed to end debate.

The president, who visited the Capitol this month to push hard for overhauling the nation's immigration laws, delivered a brief statement shortly after the vote saying he was "sorry" Congress could not reach agreement, calling its "failure to act" a "disappointment." ...

Awww, poor Jorge's disappointed. Well boo frickin' hoo. Cry me a damned river. There are a whole bunch off people who voted for Jorge in the last election who are way past disappointed in the way he's helped try to shove the shamnesty bill down our throats up our asses. Maybe he needs to move south where he'll be among people he cares about.

Below the fold:

  • Now What?
  • Illegals bill loses support in Senate
  • Immigration Measure Appears Imperiled Again

See also:

Now What?

Ed Morrissey

The immigration bill is dead, yet again, after the Senate rejected cloture by fourteen votes. In the end, the compromise could not even gain a majority in support of what conceptually may have been a passable compromise, but in reality was a poorly constructed, poorly processed mass of contradictions and gaps. Many of us who may have supported a comprehensive approach to immigration found ourselves amazed and repulsed by both the product and the process of this attempt to solve the immigration problem.

So what should happen now? The problems of immigration did not disappear with the failure of the cloture vote a few moments ago. Congress needs to act to resolve them -- but they need to do so in a manner that respects the processes of representative democracy, and in a manner that builds the confidence of Americans rather than fuel their cynicism. ...

Illegals bill loses support in Senate
By Stephen Dinan

The Senate immigration bill lost supporters yesterday and hangs on by a thread heading into this morning's showdown vote, after lawmakers voted down amendments making illegal aliens show roots to get legal status and cutting off their path to citizenship.

This morning's vote is on a parliamentary question about limiting debate, but it boils down to a vote to block the bill.

Just two days ago, 64 senators voted to revive the bill, with many saying they wanted to give the Senate a chance to improve the bill through amendments. But after a messy day in the chamber yesterday, with dozens of objections, arguments on the floor and five amendments defeated, at least a half-dozen senators said publicly or privately that their patience has run out. ...

Read the whole thing. Dinan's been providing excellent coverage on the situation all along and if he's predicting the cloture vote will fail I'd say there's a very good chance it will.

Immigration Measure Appears Imperiled Again
Defeat of Amendments Briefly Raised Hopes
By William Branigin and Jonathan Weisman

The Senate yesterday turned back a series of amendments from both parties aimed at substantially altering controversial immigration legislation, but the bill shed supporters as it became mired in procedural hurdles that left backers concerned about its prospects.

The legislation faces a make-or-break vote this morning when senators will decide whether to cut off debate and move to a final vote tomorrow. If it does not get the 60 votes necessary, Majority Leader Harry M. Reid (D-Nev.) has said he will pull the bill, all but dashing hopes for any meaningful legislation this year.

Top legislative aides in both parties predicted today's vote would be very close but would fall short of keeping the proposal alive. ...

Contributed by Bill Faith on June 28, 2007 at 12:09 AM in Immigration | Permalink | Comments (3) | TrackBack


Wednesday, 27 June 2007
 

A Quick Index To Today's Posts, Quick Hits, Open Post

Click here for a handy "most recently updated posts at the top" listing of the posts on this page. Click here to see a similar listing for the Old War Dogs site.

  • Indefinite light blogging, or maybe permanent. My recent chronic case of the givashits got a lot worse yesterday morning and may be here to stay. Not to mention that I'm worn out from the time I spent out playing with the kids yesterday.

Some things worth knowing about that I didn't devote separate posts to: 

Please feel free to use this post for comments and trackbacks not related to other posts on the site. If you leave a trackback your post must include a link to this one and, as always, comments claiming the sun will rise in the west tomorrow, Chimpy McHitlerburton lied, etc. will be deleted without ever appearing on the site. ("Jorge McKennedy" is another matter.)

Contributed by Bill Faith on June 27, 2007 at 11:58 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

What summers are for

... or, why I didn't get much blogging done yesterday.

I mentioned before that my ex and our grandson were in town for a few days. He informed her a couple of days ago that she'd better take him someplace where there were other kids or he was going to be mad at her. (Bossy little twerp; can't possibly have gotten it from my side of the family.) So, yesterday we borrowed two of my sister's grandkids for a couple of hours ...

The young man in the middle is my grandson Ian (aka Julian Michael), who'll be 5 in August. Maddyson will be 4 a few days before he's 5, and Noah will be 3 in December.  I have more pictures and some videos I'll try to get up on my old pre-blog web site when I can but I'm beginning to think I'm going to have to call tech support for help to figure out why I can't update it right now.

Personal to my daughter: That picture was taken after he fell out of the tree. He's smiling, see? The only thing the fall damaged was his pride and that recovered quickly.

Contributed by Bill Faith on June 27, 2007 at 12:23 AM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBack

2007.06.27 "No Illegal Left Behind" Roundup
-- Is the Republican Party even worth saving?

Color this old dog heap highly pissed. I'm going to have to choose my words very carefully lest I end up with Los Federales on my doorstep. I'm not a whole long way from bein' ready to call for armed revolt -- easy enough for me to say since on a good day I can walk almost a quarter of a mile before I have to sit and pant for a few minutes. And that's if I ain't carryin' nothin'. Been hearin' a lot of talk about startin' a third party. Bad idea. Not that I have much use for either of the two existin' major parties, but to go from a standin' start and build up to controllin' enough legislative seats to matter could easily take so long there's nothin' left worth savin' by the time it happens, just Mexico del Norte. Our only realistic hope is to dethrone a bunch of bogus "Republicans" and install real honest to God patriots in their place. "Red Dogs" maybe. (Yeah, I think I like that.) Regardless of whether the Jorge McKennedy shamnesty bill ends up passin' or not, by the end of Thursday we're going to have a damned good list of people who've forgotten how to dance with the people what brung 'em and need a quick trip home. The time to start makin' plans for makin' it happen is Friday morning, if not before.

Senate votes to revive illegal-alien bill
By Stephen Dinan

The Senate voted yesterday to resurrect its immigration bill, overcoming opposition from conservative Republicans and setting up a week of showdown votes on amendments and passage.

The vote was 64-35 to revive the bill, four more than the 60 needed, but many senators said they may change their minds and vote to block the measure in the next key test, scheduled for tomorrow. Overcoming a blockade would again require 60 votes. ...

Even if the bill survives the Senate this week, the House may be a bigger challenge for Mr. Bush, who faces a full-scale revolt in his own party on the issue.

House Republicans voted 114-23 yesterday to pass a resolution disapproving of the Senate bill, a stark move that sends a signal to Mr. Bush, House Democrats and Senate Republicans.

House Minority Leader John A. Boehner, Ohio Republican, said he gave a "heads-up" to the White House that the vote was coming and "they weren't happy about it."  ...

"They weren't too happy about it." Aww, cry me a frikkin' river. Those Founding Father dudes had a pretty good idea allocating seats in one house of Congress in proportion to the populations of the various states and giving each state the same number of seats in the other, but it's becoming pretty clear to this ol' dog that they really blew it allowing any congresscritter go more than a couple of years without facing the voters. When they crown me Top Dog that's one of the first things I'll change, right after I ship about 20 million illegal aliens back where they came from.

Cloture Cometh
Ed Morrissey

It looks like the Senate will attempt to pass cloture on the comprehensive and incomprehensible immigration reform package tomorrow morning. Thanks to an unexpected failure to kill an amendment, the cloture vote will most likely come in the morning, perhaps as early as 10:30 am ET: ...

See also:

Contributed by Bill Faith on June 27, 2007 at 12:12 AM in Immigration | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBack


Tuesday, 26 June 2007
 

A Quick Index To Today's Posts, Quick Hits, Open Post

Click here for a handy "most recently updated posts at the top" listing of the posts on this page. Click here to see a similar listing for the Old War Dogs site.

  • Indefinite light blogging -- Just found out the cloture vote on the shamnesty bill wasn't even close; the good guys only came up with 35 votes. I'm disgusted enough that I probably wouldn't get much done the rest of the day anyway, but on the bright side my ex and my grandson will be here before too much longer and playing with my grandson has priority over blogging anyway.

Please feel free to use this post for comments and trackbacks not related to other posts on the site. If you leave a trackback your post must include a link to this one and, as always, comments claiming the sun will rise in the west tomorrow, Chimpy McHitlerburton lied, etc. will be deleted without ever appearing on the site. ("Jorge McKennedy" is another matter.)

Contributed by Bill Faith on June 26, 2007 at 11:58 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Bloody Hands

Contributed by Bill Faith on June 26, 2007 at 12:54 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

2007.06.26 "No Illegal Left Behind" Roundup

2007.06.26.20.03: I missed a lot of what happened as it developed to spend some time with my grandson, only the second opportunity I've had in over a year, then spent some more time offline due to a storm system rolling through. I'll try to get some links posted soon, then try to do a better job of catching up later.

Just read 'em (The newest entries are at the top):

d

Contributed by Bill Faith on June 26, 2007 at 12:18 AM in Immigration | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack


Monday, 25 June 2007
 

A Quick Index To Today's Posts, Quick Hits, Open Post

Click here for a handy "most recently updated posts at the top" listing of the posts on this page. Click here to see a similar listing for the Old War Dogs site.

Some things worth knowing about that I didn't devote separate posts to:

  • Baqubah: The Noose Tightens
    Michael Yon gives us another update from Operation Arrowhead Ripper, and he tells us the US and Iraqi forces have come close to liberating Baqubah. Yon also reports that the Iraqi Army has performed well in the operation, but that the Iraqi police leave a lot to be desired: ...

Prince Charles fights global cooling
Last year, the Prince of Wales produced 3 million pounds of carbon dioxide, the Times of London reported. That is great news in the battle against global cooling. The news comes less than a week after Professor Timothy Patterson of Carleton University announced that global warming has ended and that a period of global cooling lies ahead. Wrote Patterson: ...

  • Reality Check for the Antiwar Crowd
    LT Pete Hegseth: As an Iraq war veteran who participated in combat operations and political reconciliation efforts, I take issue with some of the arguments repeatedly being made on Capitol Hill. Most recently I was bothered by statements from Sen. Carl Levin (D-Mich.), who cited three common antiwar arguments in his June 21 op-ed, " Lincoln's Example for Iraq," all of which run counter to realities on the ground in Iraq. ...
  • Iwo Jima flag-raiser dies
    Michelle Malkin: Another hero of the Greatest Generation passes: Charles W. Lindberg, one of the U.S. Marines who raised the first American flag over Iwo Jima during World War II, has died. He was 86. Lindberg died Sunday at Fairview Southdale hospital in the Minneapolis suburb of Edina, said John Pose, director of the Morris Nilsen Funeral Home in Richfield, which is handling Lindberg’s funeral. ...

Please feel free to use this post for comments and trackbacks not related to other posts on the site. If you leave a trackback your post must include a link to this one and, as always, comments claiming the sun will rise in the west tomorrow, Chimpy McHitlerburton lied, etc. will be deleted without ever appearing on the site. ("Jorge McKennedy" is another matter.)

Contributed by Bill Faith on June 25, 2007 at 11:58 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

2007.06.25 "No Illegal Left Behind" Roundup

Muchas gracias, Sen. Graham-nesty
Michelle Malkin

Over the weekend, one of Mickey Kaus’s readers proposed that shamnesty opponents use YouTube to deliver a message to open-borders senators up for re-election. Bryan and I whipped up our first one–a quick, straightforward Hot Air negative ad with Lindsey Graham’s name on it:

Muchas gracias, Señor Graham (click to play): ...

The following 12 senators are leaning against the bill itself but so far are leaning toward the cloture motion — which means, in reality, that they would be helping pass the amnesty, because if the bill comes to a final vote, it will pass. These are the Senators whose decisions will likely determine whether the amnesty passes or not: ...

Below the fold:

  • Illegal Immigrants Targeted By States

See also:

Illegal Immigrants Targeted By States
Impasse on Hill Spurs New Laws

Frustrated with Congress's inability to pass an immigration overhaul bill, state legislatures are considering or enacting a record number of strongly worded proposals targeting illegal immigrants.

By the time most legislatures adjourned in May, at least 1,100 immigration bills had been submitted by lawmakers, more than double last year's record total, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. This year's total is expected to grow as the issue continues to dominate debate in statehouses still in session.

These laws limit illegal immigrants' ability to obtain jobs, find housing, get driver's licenses and receive many government services. They also empower state law enforcement agencies to inquire into an immigrant's legal status and hold for deportation those deemed to be here illegally. The idea is to make life so difficult for illegal immigrants that they will leave the state -- if not the country. ...

Contributed by Bill Faith on June 25, 2007 at 12:11 AM in Immigration | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack


Sunday, 24 June 2007
 

A Quick Index To Today's Posts, Quick Hits, Open Post

Click here for a handy "most recently updated posts at the top" listing of the posts on this page. Click here to see a similar listing for the Old War Dogs site.

Some things worth knowing about that I didn't devote separate posts to:

  • Bottle babies
    Don Surber: SF Mayor Mayor Gavin Newsom’s ban on bottled water throws another fad in reverse. It smacks of trendy activism. Hollywood types and others popularized drinking bottled water to the point where it is now a $10 billion industry in the USA. It became so popular that the trend-setters have determined it is a bad thing. ...
  • George Bush: 'Worse than Fascist Dictators'
    Tom Elia: Former Washington Post sportswriter, Seinfeld writer and executive co-producer, and television comedy writer Peter Mehlman has written something for The Huffington Post that might qualify as the most hyperbolic nonsense written by a member of the Hollywood Left, a 'progressive' -- or whatever appellation they are giving themselves these days -- in at least the last week.

Please feel free to use this post for comments and trackbacks not related to other posts on the site. If you leave a trackback your post must include a link to this one and, as always, comments claiming the sun will rise in the west tomorrow, Chimpy McHitlerburton lied, etc. will be deleted without ever appearing on the site. ("Jorge McKennedy" is another matter.)

Contributed by Bill Faith on June 24, 2007 at 11:58 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

2007.06.24 Decision '08 Roundup

Republican Fred Thompson aims for blogger-in-chief

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - If Republican Fred Thompson enters the presidential race next month as expected, the actor and former senator will be aiming to add another title to a crowded resume -- blogger-in-chief.

Thompson has been contributing frequently to conservative Web sites as he gears up for a 2008 presidential bid, posting thoughts on topics ranging from the French election to the Middle East and the immigration debate.

While the Internet and blogs are a basic cornerstone of any modern campaign communications strategy, Thompson has been notably enthusiastic about expressing his thoughts online.

"The guy actually likes blogging. Before he decided he was going to take the plunge on a presidential race, he cruised the blogs. It attracted him," said Roger Simon, co-founder of the Pajamas Media Web site, where Thompson frequently wins a weekly Republican straw poll. ...

See also:

Contributed by Bill Faith on June 24, 2007 at 11:55 AM in Decision '08, Fred Thompson | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

2007.06.23-24 "No Illegal Left Behind" Roundup

(Updated and bumped. Original timestamp 2007.06.23.01:39)

“Return of the Amnesty Monster”

Below the fold:

  • GOP Seeks More Immigration Enforcement
  • Bloggers, radio reshaping bill on immigration

See also:

GOP Seeks More Immigration Enforcement
By Julie Hirschfeld Davis, Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON (AP) - New requirements to track down, deport and permanently bar people who overstay their visas would be added to a broad immigration bill under a GOP bid to attract more Republican support.

The amendment, which also would prevent illegal immigrants from gaining lawful status until they pass a background check, is one of those the Senate will consider next week when it returns its attention to the immigration measure. The bill is likely to see a final vote by month's end. ...

Read the whole thing, and don't miss Ed Morrissey's related comments.

The increased enforcement is a step in the right direction but why not just pass those provisions in a separate bill? The simple fact is that no matter how much enforcement the bill calls for it's still up to the Executive branch to actually do the enforcing and we have a Chief Executive who'll drag his feet all the way. If there's no hope for an enforcement only bill right now it's better to just not do anything and hope this whole fiasco has enough people upset enough to elect some congresscritters and a Chief Exec who actually believe in enforcement next year.

Bloggers, radio reshaping bill on immigration
By Stephen Dinan

The top Senate Republican negotiator on immigration said he has heard the complaints of conservative talk-radio show hosts and bloggers, and will try to change the immigration bill to accommodate them.

Sen. Jon Kyl, the Arizona Republican who wrote the bill with Democrats and the Bush administration, said he is making moves to stiffen immigration law enforcement when the Senate bill returns to the floor next week.

"All of the concerns from our constituents and some in the media have been listened to, and incorporated," said Mr. Kyl, who is drafting new provisions in an amendment he hopes to offer. ...

Contributed by Bill Faith on June 24, 2007 at 01:01 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack


Saturday, 23 June 2007
 

A Quick Index To Today's Posts, Quick Hits, Open Post

Click here for a handy "most recently updated posts at the top" listing of the posts on this page. Click here to see a similar listing for the Old War Dogs site.

Some things worth knowing about that I didn't devote separate posts to:

Please feel free to use this post for comments and trackbacks not related to other posts on the site. If you leave a trackback your post must include a link to this one and, as always, comments claiming the sun will rise in the west tomorrow, Chimpy McHitlerburton lied, etc. will be deleted without ever appearing on the site. ("Jorge McKennedy" is another matter.)

Contributed by Bill Faith on June 23, 2007 at 11:58 PM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBack

Bastante es bastante.

I've linked to this in the past but I'm pretty sure this is the first time it's appeared on this site.

Bastante!
Russ Vaughn

[Spanish to English, bastante adj.: 1. enough  adj.]

We’re with you, George, through thick and thin
We support you still in the mess you’re in,
But enough’s enough and as they say
Bastante! down old Mexico way.
We’re sick of our laws being totally ignored
As our torero, George, you’re getting gored,
Sly foxes laired south of our border
Have reversed the natural feeding order.

This lawlessness on the Rio Grande,
Now threatens us throughout our land,
[Read on.]

Contributed by Bill Faith on June 23, 2007 at 04:31 PM in Immigration, Poetry, Russ Vaughn | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

The high point of my summer

You might have noticed I didn't spend a lot of time blogging yesterday. At least this time I had a worthy reason. My ex is in town for a few days and brought my grandson Ian along; it'd been just over a year since I'd seen him. I'll try to get some pics up on my grandson page before too long but first I have to figure out why I had trouble updating it last night.

It doesn't take a lot to wear this old dog out any more. Even with my nephew's help entertaining I ended up getting a lot more heat and humidity than I really needed then spent the rest of the day recuperating. 

If things go as planned my daughter and her husband will be up over Labor Day weekend and I'll get to see Ian again then. It remains to be seen whether I'll manage a trip to Texas sometime between then and winter; as much as I miss them I'm not sure my body's up to it any more.

Contributed by Bill Faith on June 23, 2007 at 12:52 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack


Friday, 22 June 2007
 

A Quick Index To Today's Posts, Quick Hits, Open Post

Click here for a handy "most recently updated posts at the top" listing of the posts on this page. Click here to see a similar listing for the Old War Dogs site.

  • Indefinite light blogging (Way lighter even than most days, I hope. My ex is in the area and has my grandson, whom I haven't seen in just over a year, with her. They're supposed to come by this afternoon but I don't know for how long.)

Some things worth knowing about that I didn't devote separate posts to:

  • Attaboy, AP
    Jules Crittenden (H/T):  I don’t know what got into the AP.  They had some perfectly good mosque bombings to lede with, and they bury that to focus in undisparaging fashion on U.S. and Iraqi forces kicking al-Qaeda ass from Baqouba to Baghdad, with the help of erstwhile Sunni insurgents.
  • Vice President Steele?
    Lorie Byrd (H/T): Even though the 2008 presidential campaign is in full swing, I have not heard a lot of talk about who the most likely vice presidential candidates will be. So far that talk has been largely limited to discussion of the second (and third) tier presidential hopefuls who have been getting exposure through the debates. I expect my favorite though, Michael Steele, will be getting plenty of VP buzz as the election nears. ...
  • A stunningly dishonest piece of advocacy writing about the Supreme Court
    Bookworm: In an earlier post, I pointed out how much more informative talk radio is than its MSM counterparts (including NPR), because the former has a discursive, adversarial style that allows ideas to be developed and aired, while the latter works within a tight format aimed at pushing a specific (usually political) viewpoint. Occasionally, though, even the narrow MSM format is insufficient to repel an opposing viewpoint, and those situations see the media plunge into outright dishonesty. ...
  • Gallup Poll: Flower or Coffin? 
    Bruce Kesler: H.L Mencken said, “A cynic is a man who, when he smells flowers, looks around for a coffin.” I choose to look at the Gallup poll of the low and falling public repute of most of our public institutions as a “flower,” from which a better state of governance may grow. ...

Please feel free to use this post for comments and trackbacks not related to other posts on the site. If you leave a trackback your post must include a link to this one and, as always, comments claiming the sun will rise in the west tomorrow, Chimpy McHitlerburton lied, etc. will be deleted without ever appearing on the site. ("Jorge McKennedy" is another matter.)

Contributed by Bill Faith on June 22, 2007 at 11:58 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Press 1 For English

Boomer thinks you should see this. I sorta like it too:

Contributed by Bill Faith on June 22, 2007 at 01:22 AM in Immigration | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

2007.06.22 "No Illegal Left Behind" Roundup

Email from The Gray Dog:

Hello,

I just signed U.S. Senator Jim Inhofe's online illegal immigration petition, and I'm sharing the link because I think you might be interested in signing, too.

The U.S. Senate will soon be reconsidering the comprehensive immigration reform bill that was defeated earlier this month.  If passed in its current form, the bill will grant amnesty to millions of illegal immigrants and ignore the most pressing immigration issue: securing our borders.

The petition, "Secure Borders Now," is a website where Americans can unite and voice their support for increased border security by enforcing existing immigration laws and opposition to amnesty for illegal immigrants.  Senator Inhofe has been a leader on the issue of immigration reform and border security, and he's going to use signatures from this petition to help remind his fellow Senators what the American people want.

Will you please take a moment to sign the petition?  Visit www.SecureBordersNow.com

Sincerely,

TGD

I signed the petition yesterday but I didn't give it as much publicity as I should have. Please do some old dogs a favor and go sign it for us.

Below the fold:

  • Grassley admits amnesty mistake

See also:

Grassley admits amnesty mistake
By Stephen Dinan

It's not often a politician admits to making a mistake, but that's exactly what Sen. Charles E. Grassley says he did when he voted for the 1986 amnesty for illegal aliens.

Twenty-one years later he has become one of the most steadfast opponents of amnesty and the strongest critic of the federal government's ability to handle a new legalization program.

"I was fooled once, and history has taught me a valuable lesson. Amnesties just don't work," the Iowa Republican wrote in a letter to his colleagues yesterday,  ...

Contributed by Bill Faith on June 22, 2007 at 12:35 AM in Immigration | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack


Thursday, 21 June 2007
 

Milblogger project: Send an e-mail of support

[I'll keep this at the top of the site through at least Thursday. Please scroll down for newer posts.]

Email from Blackfive this (Wednesday) morning:

With combat operations in Iraq as kinetic as they've ever been, the Marinescould use your support.  No links, just please use the info below at your discretion.

At Blackfive, we have been trying to improve our relationship with the Public Affairs Officers in Iraq and Afghanistan.  Not surprisingly, the Marines have begun a really intense exchange of ideas with us.  One Marine Combat Commander embraced our offer of support.

One of the requests that they had of *us* was to attempt to get 6,000 positive and supportive emails - one for each Marine, Sailor and Soldier in the Marine Regimental Combat Team - 6.  Grim, our resident thinker and former Marine at Blackfive, has taken responsibility for this project.

From Grim's interview with Marine Colonel Simcock, Commander of RCT-6: http://www.blackfive.net/main/2007/06/roundtable_with.html ...

Go read that post, people then get busy.

Also linking:

Contributed by Bill Faith on June 21, 2007 at 11:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

A Quick Index To Today's Posts, Quick Hits, Open Post

Click here for a handy "most recently updated posts at the top" listing of the posts on this page. Click here to see a similar listing for the Old War Dogs site.

  • Indefinite light blogging (Even lighter today than normal. I missed my BP medicine yesterday and I'm paying the price today.)

Some things worth knowing about that I didn't devote separate posts to:

  • Australians 'repelled Iran navy'
    Iranian naval forces in the Gulf tried to capture an Australian Navy boarding team but were vigorously repelled, the BBC has learned. The incident took place before Iran successfully seized 15 British sailors and Marines in March. ...
  • Lebanon army 'wins camp battle'
    Lebanon says a military operation against Islamist fighters based in a Palestinian refugee camp has ended after a month-long battle.  Defence Minister Elias Murr said all of Fatah al-Islam's positions in the Nahr al-Bared camp had been destroyed. ...

Please feel free to use this post for comments and trackbacks not related to other posts on the site. If you leave a trackback your post must include a link to this one and, as always, comments claiming the sun will rise in the west tomorrow, Chimpy McHitlerburton lied, etc. will be deleted without ever appearing on the site. ("Jorge McKennedy" is another matter.)

Contributed by Bill Faith on June 21, 2007 at 11:58 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

2007.06.21 Decision '08 Roundup

Good News about CAIR
Fred Dalton Thompson

I've talked before about the Council on American-Islamic Relations -- most recently because it filed that lawsuit against Americans who reported suspicious behavior by Muslims on a U.S. Airways flight. Better known just as CAIR, the lobbying group has come under a lot of scrutiny lately for its connections to terror-supporting groups. This time, though, The Washington Times has uncovered some very good news about the group. ...

Read the whole thing or listen to Fred read it.

Contributed by Bill Faith on June 21, 2007 at 01:13 PM in Decision '08 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

2007.06.21 "No Illegal Left Behind" Roundup

Kay Bailey Hutchinson Is A No
Ed Morrissey

The vote count on immigration reform has drawn plenty of interest from backers and opponents of the compromise bill. The compromise coalition needs only 15 Republican swing votes in order to gain cloture on the latest version of the bill, and the focus has fallen on a narrow band of Republicans that have offered moderate views on immigration in the past.

One of the key Senators in that group is Kay Bailey Hutchinson. Being from Texas, one of the border states most affected by immigration issues, her input on this bill may carry significant weight on the rest of the undecideds. If so, the bill's backers may have a real problem on their hands. A Senate source told me a few minutes ago that Hutchinson intends to vote against cloture, and will have a statement to that effect later today. ...

See also:

Contributed by Bill Faith on June 21, 2007 at 10:22 AM in Immigration | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

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