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I'm getting the impression that the media in general, and the WaPo in particular are what Uncle Joe Stalin once called "Giddy with success."  In a fit of wish-fulfillment [or is it wishful thinking?] they babble endlessly about the apparent stinging rebuke administered to the President by Justice Stevens's ruling in the Hamdan case.  Sober commentators to whom I turn for guidance, among them Andrew McCarthy writing in National Review Online, do not see any grounds for glee on the Left.  True, the Court's majority, stirring the entrails of an albatross, discovered that al Qaeda goons at Guantanamo have the status of POW's and are entitled to some coverage under the Geneva Convention.  Far from being a clarion call to shut down the holding pens at Guantanamo, the award of POW status entitles the President to hold them as enemy combatants until the cessation of hostilities.  Given what we know of the jihadist mentality, the probable date of a cease fire is well beyond the life expectancy of the youngest detainee.  Their treatment won't get any better under the Convention rules.  Our media haven't noticed, but France today is buzzing with the news that Carlos the Jackal is now suing the Chirac government for better treatment, citing the conditions at Guantanamo as a prime example of the comforts to which he believes himself entitled.  The really big news, that the Supremes forbid trial by military tribunals, is an unimportant side-effect.  If these thugs are legit POWs, they can't be tried in civilian courts either.  The "P" in POW means Prisoner.  Tough.

Posted by John Werntz on June 30, 2006 at 02:09 AM in John_Werntz, Old War Dogs | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack

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More Laughable Left Wing Logic

Newsweek’s Jonathan Alter, in offering the Dems advice on how to beat Cut and Run, makes it clear why he’d better stick to being a lefty shill in a Democrat party propaganda rag rather than try to be a serious advisor to even the most desperate Democrat candidate on campaign matters.

Attempting to bolster his case for why Democrats to don’t have to be ashamed of what he claims is the demon Rove imposed Cut and Run epithet, Alter employs some rather questionable examples to bolster his case. He states, ...

[Read on here.]

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The "Old War Dogs" site I've been scrambling to get ready to take public is Russ's brainchild and he'll be posting there as his schedule permits.

Posted by Bill Faith on June 25, 2006 at 09:06 PM in Old War Dogs, Russ_Vaughn | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

From an email Russ Vaughn sent me a little bit ago. It fits right in with our Old War Dogs plans. Russ is on the road on business right now with a balky laptop but he does plan to start posting his own things here, and on the new site when it's ready.

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Hey, Bill, you ever hear about the old bull and the young bull standing on top of a hill looking down on a herd of plump heifers?

The young bull is stamping his hoofs and snorting while the old bull stands there complacently surveying the scene below.

Finally the impatient young bull can stand it no more and says to his senior, "Hey, Pops, what say we run down there and screw a couple of them heifers?"

The old bull continues to gaze down below and rumbles, "What say we walk down and screw all of 'em?"

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Posted by Bill Faith on June 22, 2006 at 09:11 PM in Old War Dogs, Russ_Vaughn | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Sitrep (Situation Report) from the frontlines in Pennsylvania's 12th district.

Larry Bailey has a reputation. It's a reputation for getting things done, even if he has to do them himself. Working with other Veterans and activists during the last election cycle he had a very noticeable impact on those elections. How did he do it? He went to the people. He went to the streets. He's now doing the same thing in Congressman Murtha's home district. Although he is not a part of the Irey campaign, he maintains regular contact with them in order to ensure that he makes the most efficient use of the time and resources available.

This is what Larry Bailey did during the last election cycle: http://operationstreetcorner.com/osc/list.htm I understand that Mike Bradley of Vietnam Veteran's for the Truth is also supporting Larry in his efforts. This is what they did during the last election cycle: http://www.kerrylied.com/ Although these organizations are no longer active today, Mr. Bailey and Mr. Bradley have joined forces with Iowa Presidential Watch http://www.iowapresidentialwatch.com/ and are working together to do much the same thing in Mr. Murtha's 12th PA district as they did in 2004 on a national level.

Consider the impact that they had during the national elections in 2004 and consider what kind of impact they'll have by focusing their efforts on a single Congressional district. That's pretty exciting, if you ask me! Well, even if you don't ask me, I still think that's pretty exciting. It proves that one person can make a difference. It proves that all of us, as individual American citizens, still possess the power to change the direction of an entire nation. All that we have to do is to get off our butts and do something to change it.

Do you want to see Murtha gone? Do you want to see him defeated in November? First, write a check to "Vets for the Truth" and put it in the mail. (The donations will be covered under Iowa Presidential Watch's 527 status.) Do it today. Do it now. Then ship the items requested below to the address enclosed. After that, just pass the word.

Now, here's what Larry had to say about the current situation in Pennsylvania.

"Folks, here's a general outline of where we are at the moment, as best as I can relate Fundraising: several different lists are being solicited; nothing in hand as yet other than Jack Peevy's generous seed-money. We need money NOW so we can send (people) from across the USA to help District 12 OSC volunteers get started. I'd like to get four or five of these folks up there within 30 days, unless you local folks can get started on your own!

COMMENT: We MUST raise several thousand dollars for travel, copier rental, and other miscellaneous expenses. We should stockpile glue sticks, bumper stickers, yard signs, and the like so volunteers don't have to look for those things on their own.

Contributions should be mailed to me at 103 Pamlico Place; Chocowinity, NC 27817. Checks should be made payable to "Vets for the Truth." Send out our message to your contact lists.

I sent an e-mail to Linda Eddy in Iowa asking for her help in providing cartoon satire. She's GOOD, and she helped us against Kerry in '04.  You can check out her work at http://www.iowapresidentialwatch.com/ Ultimately, I'd like to pay her for her work. Once again, see Fundraising above.

Organizational: I'm setting up a "Vets for the Truth" bank account this morning at First South Bank's local branch. Later today or early tomorrow I'll get started on the PayPal capability. I'll provide info to those who need to know.

Administrative: First item of business is to get our website up and running in a credible way. Amanda Prewett Doss of Texarkana, TX, who handled the '04 campaign, has been engaged to be our website manager, and she has already purchased our domain name http://www.murthalied.com/ What we need to do now it to develop the download folder from which our volunteers will obtain the flyers that they will post on their display boards. PLEASE keep your eyes open for ANYTHING that could be used (to defeat) Murtha. For the time being, send what you find to me; I have asked a very literate friend to stand by to extract the most salient quotes for posting in large font on our display boards.

Listen, folks! Operation Street Corner will WORK, and I think its effect will, after the election, be measurable. We just need to start small and build to a crescendo in October and culminate in a Rally or some major event just before the election."

Larry Bailey can be contacted via email here: murthalied@cox.net

To support Mrs. Diana Irey, Murtha's experienced and able opponent, go here: http://www.irey.com/

CORRECTION: I have just been informed that Mr Bradley and Larry Bailey have nothing to do with the Irey Campaign. I do apologize for the mistake.

- Bones on 6/23/06 @ 6:10 AM

Posted by Warren Bonesteel on June 22, 2006 at 08:11 PM in Old War Dogs, Warren Bonesteel | Permalink | Comments (4) | TrackBack

George "Rurik" Mellinger is no stranger to my regular readers. He's been emailing me essays and posting worthy comments for months. And, finally, he's started posting directly to the site himself! George will be moving to Old War Dogs with the rest of us as soon as I get my act together and get the place ready for business.

Posted by Bill Faith on June 22, 2006 at 05:54 PM in Old War Dogs, Rurik | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

T. F. Boggs may not be the best known of the milbloggres, but he is one of the best. He always tells the unvarnished truth, sometimes writing about what is going well, and sometimes what is wrong. Anybody who has been in service knows that some aspects of military life suck. And Boggs is an articulate nobody's mouthpiece. But if he sometimes has hard words for the military bureaucracy, its nothing to what he says about the media.

Why exactly do I detest the coverage the media provides about Iraq and Afghanistan? Why do I often blame them for encouraging terrorists to continue fighting? Why is it that I believe most media types are unfit to report on the military? Why do I cringe when I watch the news and read papers? There is one simple answer for all of these questions: Those reporting on the military have no clue what they are talking about because they have never been in the military.

Continue reading here

In this case, Boggs might have noted the particular hypocrisy of the media. The same people who send out reporters unable to distinguish between a battleship and a battalion, are the very ones most likely, except for their Academic brethren and sistern, to insist that, of course, men cannot cover a "women's issue" story, and that White people cannot understand racial minorities. Because they lack the special perspective. The fact is, Boggs is right, and not a hypocrite, and the pointey-heads are hypocrites and wrong. We are ceaselessly reminded that people, black and white, and also tan, are fundamentally the same beneath the skin color. And though men and women do differ significantly, both sexes grow up in close and continuous proximity with each other their entire lives. The childless may speak on child-raising issues, because they were once children themselves, and are almost certainly surrounded by neighbors and Friends with children. Race, sex,age, these are aspects of the human condition, accessible to anyone - which is why literature and drama are possible.

But the military, particularly in war is different. First there is the arcane technical language, understandable only to those who have served, or studied deeply, the principle which leads the media to send special science and health corespondents to cover some stories. Second, and even More to the point. the basic reality of daily military life is far removed from civilian reality, even in peacetime or in non-combat zones. That is one reason recruits spend months training. Most of the technical skills could be taught in a matter of days. The essential aspects are the physical and mental conditioning, The mental conditioning most of all. New troops must learn to obey distasteful orders, to take risks, and to function under conditions of extreme pressure and fear, and with very vague and contradictory information. And to do so without hesitating to mull and consider. Here is an example.  And with a high price for failure, paid sometimes by others and sometimes by one's self. The extraordinary aspect of war is also why soldiers need time, and occasionally special help, to readjust to peace, and to reintegrate themselves with their families and communities. And even then leaves traces, god and ill, that remain a lifetime. Unlike being Black or female, being a warrior is a highly distinctive experience. Big city policeman probably shares some of these special characteristics, and maybe thoracic surgeon. These characteristics go agaisnt the grain of everything that is a modern reporter. Boggs is right.

Posted by George Mellinger on June 22, 2006 at 04:41 PM in Old War Dogs, Rurik | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

We've been hearing from the Chicano invaders that they should have a right to come in and dominate the American southwest because it was a "traditional part of Mexico", but a few radicals have proclaimed their intent to reclaim the entire North American continent and get rid of all "Gringos". Who should we believe,and what should we do. Can the rest of the country safely ignore the illegal alien controversy as a bit of Southwestern regional paranoia? Is the problem just a bunch of paranoid racist Gringo Cowboys?

Hazleton is not usually considered a part of the Southwest; it is located in Northeast Pennsylvania, never a part of the Aztec empire.

HAZLETON, Pa. - With tensions rising and its police department and municipal budget stretched thin, this small northeastern Pennsylvania city is about to begin what the mayor calls one of the toughest crackdowns on illegal immigrants in the United States.  But read this...

"Illegal immigrants are destroying the city," said Mayor Lou Barletta, a Republican. "I don't want them here, period."

Continue reading here 

It sounds to me as if Northeastern Liberals tend to wake up when they have to show the same tolerance they prescribe for Southerners and Westerners.  Welcome the the real America Amigos.

- Rurik

Posted by George Mellinger on June 22, 2006 at 03:36 PM in Old War Dogs, Rurik | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Please remind me how we should welcome our ununiformed invaders from south of the border because of their wholesome family values.

Another job only a migra will do  and see here

Of course the Libertarian Party hardcores will tell me that Enrique has a right to come here if he wants, and  do whatever drugs he wants, and have whatever consensual sex he wants.

Beam me outta here Scotty, and crank up the phaser setting to "extra crispy".

-Rurik

Posted by George Mellinger on June 22, 2006 at 03:28 PM in Old War Dogs, Rurik | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

At Protein Wisdom , a poster called "Rusty" gives the best analysis of the mid-term elections that I've seen:

"Proof positive that nobody is behind the wheel of the democratic clown car. Damn that’s some funny stuff. November is going to be a riot. All those goofy democlowns jumping out of the little car. propeller hats turning, big red noses going beep-beep-beep.

And the best part? They’re absolutely serious. It just keeps getting better and better."

Posted by Warren Bonesteel on June 22, 2006 at 01:17 AM in Old War Dogs, Warren Bonesteel | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Jack Kelly at Real Clear Politics had this to say about Mr. Murtha's Iraq strategy:

"Rep. Jack Murtha (D-Pa), imagines himself to be the scourge of the hawks in the Bush administration. Many journalists do, too, because they keep inviting him to appear on talk shows.

So why were the targets of Mr. Murtha's wrath doubled over with laughter during his appearance last Sunday on NBC's "Meet the Press?" Rep. Murtha's newfound fame is a product of his call for immediate withdrawal from Iraq, or in the dishonest way he likes to phrase it, "redeployment" from Iraq."

In closing, Mr. Kelly said this:

"Because he is a retired Marine Reserve colonel who served in Vietnam, Rep Murtha is regarded as one of the Democrats' leading strategic thinkers. This, sadly, may be the case.

Mr. Murtha sounds less like a Marine colonel these days, and more like a male Cindy Sheehan. Has he become senile? Or was he always this stupid?

In either case, voters in his district should take a close look at Diane Irey, the Republican who hopes to put an end to the embarrassment to Pennsylvania Jack Murtha has become."

Go read the article! The real meat is in the middle...

Posted by Warren Bonesteel on June 21, 2006 at 07:27 PM in Old War Dogs, Warren Bonesteel | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack