Passing Thoughts In Life's Rearview Mirror

The Month That Was

Editor's Note: Thomas's commentary is in blue and Marcie's is in purple.

Welcome back to the not-so-famous column idea that garnered us little attention. Just kidding. We came up with this idea two years ago, and after a brief hiatus we decided to make its return right here where it garnered a bit of attention due to our unique style of assembling it. This is where we go over the month's big stories, or those not so noticed by the MSM. We are adding two new pieces to this; those would be an update on the surge/war on terror, and a running update regarding the 2008 election. So, let us begin ...

John McCain Steps In It, Again

After his Vanity Fair piece where he honked off the conservative base further with his ill-fated quote ("I'll build the g*d-damned fence if they want it), he's stepped in the cowpie again. In a recent campaign stop he stated that the primary concern he has when (more like IF) he becomes President is to repair the damage to America. That being, an attempt to get rid of the "ugly American" image, and kiss and make-up with a couple of our so-called allies. Now the allies we have in this war appreciate our leadership, and the only ones that seem to be irked by us are nations like France, Russia, and Germany -- the same nations who were opposed to us going into Iraq; afraid that we'd find their dirty little secrets. Senator McCain has made a name for himself as being a hawk on the war, and he should stay on that subject. It will be the driving issue of 2008, and all others will take a back seat. Hell, repairing our "image problems" should be in the trunk, as far as we're concerned.

The Surge Shows Continued Success

Despite Congress's continued interference in the war, the surge proposed by President Bush is working, and quite effectively. (For regular updates on this success, check back with Bill Roggio's on-the-ground reporting for The Weekly Standard.) The Mahdi Army has been broken, and it's militants have either been rounded up, or they beat feet out of Dodge along with Moqtada al-Sadr. (He is still be in Iran right now.) The US and Iraqi forces discovered and destroyed two chlorine gas labs. These processing centers had been where the chlorine gas car-bombs were being made, and once they were taken down such bombings ended. In fact, car-bombings are down across both Baghdad and the Anbar province. Additionally, so are the executions carried out by Islamic militants in Iraq. The extra security in Baghdad has reinforced the civilians belief that success is occurring, and many are beginning to return. Their tips to our forces are up in terms of frequency and accuracy, and they are being acted upon. The Democrats can claim that our efforts there are a waste, but the evidence of success is unmistakable.

The Song Remains The Same

We thought with Kooky Uncle Kofi leaving the UN that some things would change there. You know, transparency and accountability? Not so declares Claudia Rosett. Yes, the same hard-nosed investigative journalist that broke the UN's Oil-For-Food scandal wide open has cracked another one, only this time it concerns North Korea. The United Nations Development Program has been handing over real money to the Kim regime while North Korea has been handing over counterfeit currency to the UNDP. The US slapped economic sanctions on Kim for that a couple years ago when we found out he was making funny money. Instead of investigating this new development in the ongoing North Korea saga, new Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has swept this under the carpet, claiming the UN will investigate it. Isn't that a little like letting the fox watch the henhouse? It's clear to us by Ban's unenthusiastic lip service that while the leadership may change, the ineptitude in the UN remains the same.

Quit Making A Mountain Out Of An Ant Hill

This month, under instructions from President Bush, Attorney General Gonzales fired eight US attorneys. According to reports, the firings occurred because these people were lax in their jobs. A couple were supposed to be investigating possible election fraud in Washington State (over the Governor's race in 2004), and in New Mexico (where voter fraud was alleged). US attorneys serve at the pleasure of the president, and under 28 USC 541, they may be dismissed at any time for virtually any reason. But the Democrats are threatening to subpoena Karl Rove and Harriet Miers, in addition to their confidential correspondence with the Justice Department, to determine if anything improper occurred. Let us just say that if they felt that eight attorneys being fired was improper, where were they when Bill Clinton fired ninety-three of them in 1993? Presidents prefer to have their people in these roles, not holdovers that think they can tell their superiors what they will and will not investigate.

This Hardly Signifies "Success"

On 23 March, the House of Representatives took up a war supplement package that was supposed to be $124 billion in extra funding for our war effort, and the surge the President laid out in January. The Democrats wanted to insert a withdrawal timetable in the measure, along with benchmarks both the US and Iraqis would have to meet. But they had a small problem. They lacked the votes to get it passed. So, the "kung pao Democrats" (named so due to the pork supplements in the package for shrimp and spinach industries) decided to resort to outright bribery of their colleagues to bring them on board. They succeeded in passing the measure, sending it on to the Senate where it will likely be defeated by a solid Republican caucus and Joe Lieberman. And even if by some miracle it passes the Senate, the president will veto the measure. The Democrats don't have the numbers to override him. But in doing this, and using the underhanded pork bribes, the Democrats have shown America exactly what they're all about. Their platform has nothing to do with success, but rather it has every earmark of defeat.

They Did Not Learn From Their First Mistake

Pakistan, our supposed ally in the war on terror, has done it again. Yes, they have negotiated with the Taliban, and ceded another area of Pakistan's tribal regions to them. The last time they did this it was in South Waziristan and the results were disastrous. (TIME Magazine recently did a piece on "Talibanstan".) Taliban fighters swept through the region, and into North Waziristan, killing any tribal leaders who opposed them. Additionally, this provides the Taliban with the ability to open up a new front against US and NATO troops in Afghanistan. President Musharraf is either stupid beyond comprehension, or he is capitulating out of fear; afraid of what the Taliban might incite in his country if he does not give in. It is not wise to negotiate with terrorists because the ransom or blackmail will always keep increasing. If this keeps up, it will not be long before the Taliban demands his resignation. That is not a prospect that we would care to see as Pakistan is a nuclear nation. The last thing we want to see is a weapon of mass destruction in the hands of Islamic radicals.

Confessions Of A Broken Terrorist

Khalid Sheik Mohammed recently had his Combatant Status Review Tribunal at Gitmo, and during the proceedings he was given an opportunity to speak. In the transcript, on pages 17-19, Mohammed admits to thirty-one separate acts of terror he either planned or participated in. Critics of Gitmo claim they can't buy his confession because there is a possibility he was tortured for it. Um, we don't torture people, folks. We're not our enemy. We're better than that. Furthermore, we sincerely doubt that strong-arm tactics were used. Mohammed knows that he is facing death, and that his seventy-two virgins aren't going to be waiting for him. This confession was more like a boast -- an opportunity for him to make sure the world knows who he is and what he's done. That may seem simplistic, but if you were staring into the empty eye-sockets of death, wouldn't you like the record to show your accomplishments? I would if I had an ego, but that's beside the point. He's plead guilty, and made his statement before the tribunal. All that remains now is for his sentence to be passed. And, of course, for the history books to record his cowardly deeds.

The Gathering Storm Of Patriots

Over St. Patrick's weekend, 30,000 hardcore American patriots descended on Washington, DC to show their support for the war and the troops. It was not simply a gathering for show. Word had come out that the antiwar nuts would be out in DC, as well, and the last time they paid a visit to the nation's capitol, they engaged in acts of vandalism. The Gathering of Eagles, as it was called, ensured that such acts would not occur again. Not to worry because the antiwar types did not even come close to the numbers of the Eagles there. Though the MSM did it's best to spin the numbers, most bloggers/alternative media correspondents on site said the antiwar protesters numbered around 1000, if they were lucky. Other protests across the country were also covered, and again the numbers were paltry compared to the Eagles. This ought to cal into question the numerous polls touted that over half the nation hates the war and wants us out of Iraq. With such minuscule showings across the country, I am beginning to wonder what new machine the MSM is using to create these poll numbers.

March had it's ups and downs. We seem to be gaining ground in the war while the Democrats fritter away their time as the majority party. The DC Circuit Court of Appeals handed down a landmark decision regarding the Second Amendment -- declaring it is an individual right -- which sets the stage for the USSC to weigh in, if it so chooses. And the blogosphere lost an important member as Cathy Seipp died of cancer (she will be sorely missed, and was honored by a great majority of the blogosphere). But one thing remains constant and that is that we are just cruising down the highway of life with all the news passing by in the rearview mirror ...

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