Degree of Madness

Dana Perino vs. Helen Thomas

Helen Thomas, way past her sell by date, got smacked down today by White House Press Secretary Dana Perino.  Here's the transcript via Ian Schwartz:

HELEN THOMAS: Does the President want no troops out from Iraq on his watch? I’m talking about all the troops.

MS. PERINO: Well, 5,700 troops will be home by the end of the year, so that is some troops coming home. The President said that troop levels are going to be made by commanders on the ground, and that we’re going to have to talk about –

THOMAS: Why should it be? Why can’t the American people have a say?

MS. PERINO: — return on success. The American people have had a say. They elected a President who is their Commander-in-Chief and is making decisions based on what his commanders on the ground are telling him.

THOMAS: And you think that was the vote of the American people?

MS. PERINO: They elected a Commander-in-Chief, and the President is bringing home 5,700 troops, based on the recommendations of his commanders on the ground and based on return on success. Hopefully in the future we can bring home more, but it’s going to depend on what General Petraeus reports and remember he will come back in March.

THOMAS: Why should we depend on him?

MS. PERINO: Because he is the commander on the ground, Helen. He’s the one who is making sure that the situation is moving –

THOMAS: You mean how many more people we kill?

MS. PERINO: Helen, I find it really unfortunate that you use your front row position, bestowed upon you by your colleagues, to make such statements. This is a — it is an honor and a privilege to be in the briefing room, and to suggest that we, at the United States, are killing innocent people is just absurd and very offensive.

THOMAS: Do you know how many we have since the start of this war?

MS. PERINO: How many — we are going after the enemy, Helen. To the extent that any innocent Iraqis have been killed, we have expressed regret for it.

Q Oh, regret. It doesn’t bring back a life.

MS. PERINO: Helen, we are in a war zone, and our military works extremely hard to make sure that everyone has the opportunity for liberty and freedom and democracy, and that is exactly what they are doing.

I’m going to move on.

Ian also has the video, it's a beauty (Helen is not shown).

Hillary Clinton, the new Forrest Gump

She just keeps popping up everywhere:

"Well, you know, what I did during those eight years-- in partnership with obviously my husband and people like Madeline Albright-- was to try to be the face of American policy in a lot of different places," she said.

She cited 82 countries she visited as First Lady. She quoted her line from a famous speech in China, in which Clinton equated women’s rights with human rights.

Then she added a new line-- that she had a role in the Irish peace process. "I was deeply involved in the Irish peace process," Clinton said. "And I know it’s frustrating. It took years before the Catholics and the Protestants before Sinn Fein and you know, the DUP would even talk to each other," she added referring to the once-warring parties.

"I mean George Mitchell sat at a table sometimes for hours and nobody would say a word or if they would they would say: 'would you tell him this?' Or 'here's what I think'. And that went on for years. But eventually there were breakthroughs. You could build enough trust and connection."

Deeply involved.  Why haven't we heard about this before I wonder?  Next thing you know she'll claim she received the Medal of Honor from President Johnson.  But I don't care what she says, I know for a fact she never played football at the University of Alabama.

***Update 11-28***

A commenter has helpfully noted that Hillary Clinton also helped Al Gore invent the Internet.  She may be having second thoughts about that.

Fred Thompson, the most consistently conservative candidate

From Mark Levin's interview with Fred Thompson (Listen here):

Mark Levin: What’s annoying me Senator, and I’m going to be perfectly honest about you… I’ve talked to most of the candidates off the air..excuse me, on the air -you’ve got a firm grasp of policy, you have a firm grasp of the Constitution, which is what matters to me - which should undergird all policy. I mean I’ve talked to you, and you talk –very easily about the commerce clause, about federalism, about the Second amendment and the right to bear arms, about abortion.. you talk about this stuff easily, freely, you’re easily accessible, and yet I keep hearing the same damn thing - ya know he’s lazy, he’s not out there, look at New Hampshire… Ah.. I think they’re scared of you. To be honest with you, because I think you are the most consistently conservative candidate.

Across the board, Thompson is clearly the most consistently conservative candidate.  Investor's Business Daily:

Former Sen. Fred Thompson...has managed to gain the endorsement of the National Right to Life Committee (a key stamp of approval from social conservatives) while at the same time espousing the boldest of economic solutions on both Social Security and tax reform.

Thompson would solve Social Security's insolvency by giving Americans voluntary control of their own personal retirement accounts. He'd keep the Bush tax cuts, and he announced last weekend that he'd let taxpayers choose between the present, complex tax code and a simplified system with only two rates: 10% and 25%.

The movie star politician also proposes a Reaganesque rebuilding of our Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines.

The Republicans running for the 2008 presidential nomination are often accused of being unconvincing actors in repeatedly invoking the name of Ronald Reagan. Funny how the one real actor among them seems to understand what Reaganism is.

In the interview with Mark Levin, Thompson talked about his tax plan.  I was relieved to hear him say his plan was a "move toward a greatly simplified tax plan and major tax reform which this country desperately needs".  I took that to mean his plan was a first step toward real tax reform.  As a fan of the Fair Tax I would like to see the current tax code abolished, along with the IRS, but maybe that's unrealistic.  Thompson's plan could be a step in that direction, however.  We still need to get much more support from our representatives in Congress to make the Fair Tax a viable option. Right now Mike Huckabee is the only one of the top-tier presidential candidates who has endorsed the Fair Tax but as a social and fiscal conservative I could not support Huckabee on just that issue alone.  John Hawkins:

...the downside of Huckabee is that he's essentially George Bush with charisma when it comes to domestic issues. He is not a small government guy or a fiscal conservative, he doesn't seem to be a movement conservative, and he's not someone who can be trusted to be tough on illegal immigration.

How Huckabee is moving up in some polls is a mystery.  He's a funny guy and certainly better than any Democrat running...but is he the best candidate?  His record as Governor of Arkansas would suggest the answer is no.

I read a comment yesterday suggesting two big issues for conservatives would be illegal immigration and gun control.  I agree these are central issues for conservatives.  How can it be then, that the current front-runner for the Republican nomination is a man, who as Mayor of New York acted clearly in opposition to the views of most conservatives (and the Constitution I might add)?  For crying out loud, he sued two dozen gun manufacturers and distributors.  America's Mayor is also at odds with conservatives regarding gay marriage and abortion, including partial-birth abortion.  In 1999, Giuliani had this to say:

“I’m pro-choice. I’m pro-gay rights,” Giuliani said. He was then asked whether he supports a ban on what critics call partial-birth abortions. “No, I have not supported that, and I don’t see my position on that changing,” he responded.

He should define "gay rights", by the way.  I've checked the Constitution, including the Bill of Rights, and as far as I can tell gays are not excluded.

As for the most important issue, Thompson know what it is:

National security will be the biggest issue facing the United States during the next president's term, said Republican Fred Thompson, who is campaigning to be the one in the White House then.

Thompson said the Soviet Union used to be the biggest threat to America. Now, it's al-Qaida and other groups, including ''rogue nations in various stages of nuclear capability,'' he said.

''Iraq and Afghanistan are the current front in a much bigger global conflict that we're engaged in,'' Thompson said during a news conference before a $100-per-plate Mississippi Republican party fundraising dinner.

An actor and former U.S. senator from Tennessee who served on the Intelligence Committee, Thompson said dealing with national security will require a commitment and a constant dialogue between the president and the American people.

Fred Thompson is a serious and impressive candidate.  Conservatives should not right him off too soon.

It’s time for people who believe that they have a stake in Western civilization and its traditions to get a little backbone — even if it offends somebody.

Move America Forward: Honoring Heroes at the Holidays Tour

 The tour is coming through Alabama December 6th and 7th:

Join Move America Forward for the “Honoring Heroes at the Holidays Tour” this November 26th - December 16th as we cross this nation holding pro-troop events in 40 cities across America to honor and salute the men and women of the U.S. military who will be thousands of miles away from their homes and families during this holiday season.

Along the tour we will be collecting more than 100,000 Christmas, Hanukkah and holiday greeting cards for our troops that we will deliver to them in Iraq and Afghanistan. Get your kids involved, and invite local schools to participate! On the outside envelope be sure to write either: “Christmas Card for Our Troops” or “Hanukkah Card for Our Troops” or “Holiday Card for Our Troops.”

Here is the schedule for Alabama:

Thursday, December 6, 2007

4:00 PM Birmingham, AL Pro-Troop Rally
Kelly Ingram Park, 1600 6th Ave N, Birmingham, AL - CLICK HERE for MAP
Bring your family, flags and signs that thank our troops, express support for our troops.  And of course be sure to bring Christmas, Hanukkah and holiday greeting cards for our troops - we’ll gladly accept them at the event and deliver them to our troops in Iraq and Afghanistan.

7:30 PM Arrive at Courtyard Marriott Hotel in Montgomery, AL
5555 Carmichael Road, Montgomery, AL 36117 - CLICK HERE for MAP
Members of the press may cover the tour’s arrival and interview participants.  Also, members of the public are invited to bring Christmas, Hanukkah and holiday greeting cards for our troops.

Friday December 7, 2007

9:00 AM Montgomery, AL Pro-Troop Rally
The Band Shell @ Oak Park, Montgomery, AL - CLICK HERE for MAP
Bring your family, flags and signs that thank our troops, express support for our troops.  And of course be sure to bring Christmas, Hanukkah and holiday greeting cards for our troops - we’ll gladly accept them at the event and deliver them to our troops in Iraq and Afghanistan.

3:30 PM Mobile, AL Pro-Troop Rally
The Fountain @ Bienville Square, 150 Dauphin St., Mobile, AL - CLICK HERE for MAP
Bring your family, flags and signs that thank our troops, express support for our troops.  And of course be sure to bring Christmas, Hanukkah and holiday greeting cards for our troops - we’ll gladly accept them at the event and deliver them to our troops in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Hillary Clinton, comfortable in the kitchen...Yeah, right

"Who is the one who does the dishes and gets the kids everywhere?"  Hillary Clinton, according to Beulah Miller, 76, of Onawa, Iowa. 

Blue-collar women see hope in Clinton:

Hillary Clinton's campaign is capitalizing on an overlooked strain of feminism in blue-collar women - nurse's aides, factory workers, farmers, and single mothers - to help fuel her strength among the Democratic candidates for president.

Even many working-class women who have spent their lives in traditional roles at home and work have been animated by Clinton's effort to shatter what she has called "the highest, hardest glass ceiling."

In recent interviews, some of these Clinton supporters say that they have been impressed enough by her advocacy for healthcare and children to jettison their previous views of her as a brash, ambitious lawyer and politician. Some said a female president would do things not just differently, but better.

So it doesn't matter what kind of person Hillary Clinton is as long as she cares about the children.  It doesn't seem to register with these women that we are electing the leader of the free world, the Commander-in-Chief of our armed forces, not the National Nanny. 

It would be interesting to find out just how much time Hillary has spent washing dishes and getting the kids everywhere (in her case, kid).  Regardless, I don't think being an able dishwasher will come in handy when dealing with Iran's nuclear threat or any of the critical national security issues we face.

I remember reading an article in a magazine just before the 2004 election.  The writer was interviewing people, asking them about their choice for President.  One woman, a single mother and small business owner, said she couldn't vote for President Bush because he didn't do enough for her "as a single mother".  I don't know what kind of business she runs, but with a mindset like that, I doubt it's successful.   For millions of Americans who believe the world owes them a living, the Democrats have much to offer.  Free health care, child care, universal Pre-K, paid time off from work, free college, free money for your mortgage payments.  That so many would give up almost complete control of their own lives, and the lives of their children, to a bunch of socialist lawyers in Washington is extremely troubling.   

Ann Lewis, Clinton's top adviser on women's outreach, attributed the candidate's success with blue-collar women to her history of working on healthcare and children's issues, as well as her personal story.

"They know she's been a good mother, and that's very important to them," Lewis said. "Here's someone who's juggled a job, raised a family, and volunteered. That's what they think people should do."

Of course, the public picture of Clinton's life is more complicated. The fact that she stayed with a husband who cheated on her remains on the minds of many female voters, sometimes to her detriment, particularly among better-educated women who believe she betrayed the ideals of feminism.

"She's basically letting him walk on her," said Hope Grenier, a packager at the Burdick chocolate factory and mother of three who decided to support Obama after his visit there. "What does that say about her family values?"

But that struggle helped make Clinton "a strong, strong woman," said Beulah Miller, 76, of Onawa, Iowa, who saw Bill Clinton at a local high school.

Miller calls herself a "farm wife." And she loves the idea of a female president.

"Who is the one who does the dishes and gets the kids everywhere?" she said. "Women have been underestimated for years."

Sounds like a fine reason to support someone running for President.  Of the PTA.

Three suspects re-arrested in Natalee Holloway disappearance

Two and a half years after Natalee Holloway's disappearance, there may finally be a real break in the case.  From the AP:

Three young men who were previously detained as suspects in the disappearance of American teenager Natalee Holloway have been re-arrested in the case, the Aruban public prosecutor's office said Wednesday.

Dutch teenager Joran van der Sloot and two Surinamese brothers, Satish and Deepak Kalpoe, were arrested on suspicion of involvement in manslaughter and causing seriously bodily harm that caused the death of the 18-year-old American, the prosecutor's office said in a statement.

Authorities have new evidence, they're not saying what that evidence is but since the charges are manslaughter and causing serious bodily harm that caused her death they must have some evidence she is dead.  Tragic news for the family, but not unexpected. 

"The public prosecutor's office has ordered their renewed arrest because further investigation into the disappearance has led to new incriminating evidence," the prosecutor's office said in the statement.

Van der Sloot was arrested in the Netherlands, where he is attending a university, and is expected to be extradited to Aruba. The Kalpoe brothers were arrested in Aruba.

From CNN:

Aruban prosecutors said a team of detectives from the Netherlands has been reviewing the Holloway case at the request of authorities in Aruba, and had been on the island as late as last month to complete the investigation.

The Kalpoe brothers were being interrogated by Aruban police Wednesday, Aruba prosecutor Dop Kruimel told CNN. They will appear before a judge Friday for a preliminary arrest hearing, in which the judge determines whether the arrest was credible, she said.

The judge can then authorize their being detained for eight more days, meaning police have that much time to produce evidence. The suspects then go before a judge again, she said.

Van der Sloot was arrested in Arnhem, the Netherlands, by Dutch police, Kruimel said. Aruban authorities have asked for him to be extradited to Aruba within eight days.

Because they were not familiar with the case, Dutch police were not questioning Van der Sloot, she said. He will be questioned when he is brought back to Aruba, she said. However, he will appear before a judge Thursday in Arnhem.

I hope and pray the Aruban authorities finally get this right. 

Jeri Thompson on The O'Reilly Factor

Laura Ingraham, sitting in for Bill O'Reilly, interviewed Jeri Thompson, wife of Republican Presidential candidate Fred Thompson.  I thought the interview went very well but of course Laura had to bring up the "lazy" charge.  (No criticism of Laura, it's out there and must be addressed.)

Here is what the Editors at National Review had to say about Fred Thompson (my emphasis):

Fred Thompson may have started his presidential campaign late, but he is the first candidate in either party to come out with solid plans to reform Social Security and immigration. And while most candidates have called for increasing the size of the military, Thompson laid out a detailed plan to achieve that end in a Tuesday speech at the Citadel Military College. On these issues, Thompson has set a standard for specificity, conservatism, and soundness that we would like to see the other Republican candidates measure up to.

[...]

It’s obvious why conservatives see something to like in Thompson. He has offered clear, conservative ideas on fixing Social Security, policing immigration, and expanding the military. We encourage the other candidates to follow his lead.

Follow his lead. 

I guess if you can't find anything substantial to criticize, or take the time to offer "clear, conservative ideas", your best bet is to play the lazy card.

Here is the video of Jeri's appearance with Laura:

Fred Thompson discusses the War on Terror

Pajamas Media's first conversation on the War on Terror was with Republican Presidential candidate Fred Thompson.  Roger L. Simon and Bob Owens conducted the interview and although I am biased, I thought Thompson did very well.  I just do not get all the criticism coming from conservatives, that he's not energized, has no "fire in his belly", I really don't know what people expect.  Should he jump up and down and shout hallelujah?  Maybe people expect more from him simply because he waited so long to announce he was running.  That's unfortunate.  I believe he's a very impressive, and serious, candidate.

Here is the video. 

Click To Play

“Tell the Christians to come home to their country Iraq.”

Michael Yon.  Come Home:

A Bishop came to St John’s Church in Baghdad today, 15 November, where a crowd of locals welcomed him home. They were joined at the service by soldiers from the 2-12 infantry battalion, many of whom had fought hard to secure these neighborhood streets. Members of the hard-fighting Iraqi Army 3rd Division were also here for this special day.

Most Reverend Shlemon Warduni, Auxiliary Bishop of the St. Peter the Apostle Catholic Diocese for Chaldeans and Assyrians in Iraq officiated standing directly beneath the dome under the Chaldean cross. Speaking in both Arabic and English, Bishop Warduni thanked those American soldiers sitting in the pews for their sacrifices.  Again and again, throughout the service, he thanked the Americans.

[...]

Today, Muslims mostly filled the front pews of St John’s. Muslims who want their Christian friends and neighbors to come home. The Christians who might see these photos likely will recognize their friends here. The Muslims in this neighborhood worry that other people will take the homes of their Christian neighbors, and that the Christians will never come back. And so they came to St John’s today in force, and they showed their faces, and they said, “Come back to Iraq. Come home.” They wanted the cameras to catch it. They wanted to spread the word: Come home. Muslims keep telling me to get it on the news. “Tell the Christians to come home to their country Iraq.”

Thank you, Michael Yon, for helping spread the word.

Michael Yon does not receive financial support from any network, movie, book or television deals at this time. He is entirely reader supported. He relies on his readers to help him replace his equipment and cover his expenses so that he may remain in Iraq and bring you the stories of our soldiers. If you value his work, please consider supporting his mission.

The Earth also rises

And sets:

Japan’s space agency today released the first high-definition video of the Earth rising and setting over the Moon's horizon.

The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) said it had worked with the country's public broadcaster NHK to achieve the feat.

The stunning footage, taken by Japan’s Kaguya probe, shows a distant Earth, a brilliant blue globe with a white top at Antarctica, slowly coming into view against the backdrop of pitch black space as the lunar surface revolves below the space craft.