What Kerry Wants Us to Forget
Instapundit reminds us that Kerry has more things for us to forget, like anti-war pamphlets that claim US troops rape and torture or that he claims to have thrown his medals over the fence at the White House.
Josh Poulson
Posted in category “Politics” Tuesday, Aug 31 2004 07:48 PM | Permalink | No comments | No trackbacks
Governor, Veto AB50
We all must ask Governor Schwarzenegger to veto AB50. He is speaking tonight at the RNC, but he must hear the cries of gun owners that more bans are not the answer and more government regulation that wastes taxpayers money is not the answer. He may be a moderate, but he must recognize that bills should be judged on their effects and not how they make some people feel.
Josh Poulson
Posted in category “Guns” Tuesday, Aug 31 2004 04:44 PM | Permalink | No comments | No trackbacks
Chechen Black Widows Strike Again
Soon after two Chechen women are linked to the bombings of two Russian jets, another bombs the subway in Moscow.
She "decided to destroy herself in a crowd of people" in a busy area between the subway station and a nearby department store-supermarket complex, Luzhkov said, adding that her bomb was packed with bolts and pieces of metal.
"There was a desire to cause maximum damage," he said.
That Islamic terrorists use female suicide bombers should not be a surprise after the incidents in Israel in past years, but the credibility of the Black Widows is soaring. The BBC article from September 2003 includes these statistics:
Of seven suicide attacks by Chechen separatists on Russia in the past four months, six have been carried out by women. In total the attacks have killed 165 people.
Obviously these women are motiviated by deep hatred based on the loss of loved ones. Be grateful that such things do not happen here.
Josh Poulson
Posted in category “Terrorism” Tuesday, Aug 31 2004 02:56 PM | Permalink | No comments | No trackbacks
Gen. Tommy Franks Endorses George W. Bush
We hear from Power Line that Gen. Franks told blogger's row at the RNC that he will endorse George W. Bush.
Josh Poulson
Posted in category “Politics” Tuesday, Aug 31 2004 02:50 PM | Permalink | No comments | No trackbacks
Senator Kit Bond Yesterday at the RNC
Via The New England Republican we find reference to a speech yesterday by Senator Kit Bond:
Ladies and gentlemen, we have seen a concerted effort by the Democratic smear machine attacking the President. We have heard accusations repeated as if they were the truth. The Senate Intelligence Committee has worked for over a year to find the truth. And if John Kerry had paid attention, and if John Edwards had ever showed up, they would have known the truth too. The truth is that the President's statement was "well-founded" about Iraq's intentions regarding Weapons of Mass Destruction. And there was never pressure put on analysts to change their assessments on Iraq.
Josh Poulson
Posted in category “Politics” Tuesday, Aug 31 2004 02:35 PM | Permalink | No comments | No trackbacks
Upgraded to MoveableType v3.1
Today they released MoveableType v3.1 to the public.
So I upgraded my site. That didn't take too much effort. Most of the work was just being careful to clean up afterward. Few of the new features are of use to me yet, although sub-categories might be interesting. I don't have categories working the way I want yet anyway...
Josh Poulson
Posted in category “Blogging” Tuesday, Aug 31 2004 01:44 PM | Permalink | No comments | No trackbacks
Break-Action Semiautomatic Shotgun? Beretta UGB25 Xcel
Well, it's an interesting beast to look at, but Beretta has released the UGB25 Xcel which features a break action for safe carry in competition. As a bonus, it's a semiautomatic that has its magazine as a open area outside of the receiver so you can see if it's got another round ready to go. Obviously magazine capacity is low.
Josh Poulson
Posted in category “Guns” Tuesday, Aug 31 2004 11:04 AM | Permalink | No comments | No trackbacks
Bush Moves Above the Line in Electoral College
Today's news from the electoral vote predictor, based on Strategic Vision polls, is that Bush has 280 electoral college votes, above the 270 mark needed to win. This is the first time since June that he's had winning poll results. This poll was from before the convention, so it may be related to Swift Vets more than a normal convention bounce.
Josh Poulson
Posted in category “Politics” Tuesday, Aug 31 2004 08:15 AM | Permalink | No comments | No trackbacks
Giuliani's Best Joke
Full transcript here but let's boil it down to a good joke:
Maybe this explains John Edwards' need for two Americas—one where John Kerry can vote for something and another where he can vote against the same thing.
The speech seems good to me, better than McCain's, but I don't know if that's just because I don't like McCain for supporting Gun Show Bills in Oregon.
Josh Poulson
Posted in category “Politics” Monday, Aug 30 2004 09:23 PM | Permalink | No comments | 1 trackback
McCain's Speech
We've got transcripts, Cap'n:
It's a fight between a just regard for human dignity and a malevolent force that defiles an honorable religion by disputing God's love for every soul on earth. It's a fight between right and wrong, good and evil.
Boy, that'll warm Tammy Bruce's heart.
But there is no avoiding this war. We tried that, and our reluctance cost us dearly. And while this war has many components, we can't make victory on the battlefield harder to achieve so that our diplomacy is easier to conduct.
And that will annoy the appeasers.
He ordered American forces to Afghanistan and took the fight to our enemies, and away from our shores, seriously injuring al Qaeda and destroying the regime that gave them safe haven.
He worked effectively to secure the cooperation of Pakistan, a relationship that's critical to our success against al Qaeda.
He encouraged other friends to recognize the peril that terrorism posed for them, and won their help in apprehending many of those who would attack us again, and in helping to freeze the assets they used to fund their bloody work.
That will probably annoy the diplomats.
After years of failed diplomacy and limited military pressure to restrain Saddam Hussein, President Bush made the difficult decision to liberate Iraq.
Those who criticize that decision would have us believe that the choice was between a status quo that was well enough left alone and war. But there was no status quo to be left alone.
The years of keeping Saddam in a box were coming to a close. The international consensus that he be kept isolated and unarmed had eroded to the point that many critics of military action had decided the time had come again to do business with Saddam, despite his near daily attacks on our pilots, and his refusal, until his last day in power, to allow the unrestricted inspection of his arsenal.
Our choice wasn't between a benign status quo and the bloodshed of war.
It was between war and a graver threat. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise. Not our critics abroad. Not our political opponents.
And that will annoy the French.
And certainly not a disingenuous film maker who would have us believe that Saddam's Iraq was an oasis of peace when in fact it was a place of indescribable cruelty, torture chambers, mass graves and prisons that destroyed the lives of the small children held inside their walls.
Michael Moore is a reasonable target of rhetoric. He's been left alone too long.
But remember we are not enemies, but comrades in a war against a real enemy, and take courage from the knowledge that our military superiority is matched only by the superiority of our ideals, and our unconquerable love for them.
Can't we all just get along?
Josh Poulson
Posted in category “Politics” Monday, Aug 30 2004 08:05 PM | Permalink | No comments | No trackbacks
Rip Van Winkle Campaign—Kerry Asleep for Twenty Years
Captain Ed is at the national convention of the RNC, and overheard a great item from Ken Mehlman of the Bush Campaign:
Here's the thing. If you spent the last twenty years raising taxes, voting 350 times for higher taxes, and you spent the last twenty years voting against the weapons systems that were the key to winning the cold war, that are key to winning the war on terror, you missed three out of four Intelligence Committee meetings, then voted to pull five billion dollars out of intelligence; when you say that a girl in school need parental consent to get [unintelligible] but not for an abortion—if that's your record, you'd also run from it.
From the beginning, their campaign has been the one where the last twenty years didn't happen, [they're] going to talk about thirty-five years ago, because you can't defend the last twenty years. It's the Rip Van Winkle campaign—they've been asleep for the past twenty years.
These days I'd suspect the “unintelligible” part was “aspirin.” but certainly not “a condom.”
Josh Poulson
Posted in category “Politics” Monday, Aug 30 2004 01:55 PM | Permalink | No comments | No trackbacks
Giving Bush Credit for the Effects of Tax Cuts
You know I like graphs. From the Detroit News we have this summary of the effects of the Bush tax cuts. The tax burden shifts a little more towards the rich (not the middle class) but everyone has benefitted by lower taxes.
Josh Poulson
Posted in category “Politics” Sunday, Aug 29 2004 10:14 AM | Permalink | No comments | No trackbacks
Explosive Found in Second Russian Jet
This pretty much settles it. With the same explosive, hexogen, found in both jets it's pretty obvious that the Russian airliners were downed by terrorism. With the death of a package bomber today in the Chechen elections it's also clear that the "disrupt the election" strategy of terrorism is alive and well over there.
Many of the 9/11 plotters originally were going to Chechnya but were redirected by Bin Laden to anti-American activities. While Bin Laden has focused on us, there are plenty that want terrorism in Chechnya.
Josh Poulson
Posted in category “Terrorism” Sunday, Aug 29 2004 09:41 AM | Permalink | No comments | No trackbacks
Two Arrested for Plotting Subway Bombing
Via Captain Ed we discover the arrest of two conspirators looking to set off bombs in the New York subway. The Captain believes this is the beginning of a large sweep to get all the known conspirators of various plots before the convention.
Josh Poulson
Posted in category “Politics” Sunday, Aug 29 2004 09:30 AM | Permalink | No comments | No trackbacks
Sportsmen for Kerry Edwards
The Sportsment for Kerry Edwards? web site is a great resource for gun owners should not support Kerry, or Edwards. Edwards is more likely to skip a vote than vote against gun owners, but that's hardly friendly either, eh?
Josh Poulson
Posted in category “Guns” Sunday, Aug 29 2004 09:25 AM | Permalink | No comments | No trackbacks
Another Non-Profit Tries to Eat Itself
I forget where I learned this definition, but I've long believed that politics is the art of generating consent. I watched the implosion of the Libertarian Party of Oregon over factionalism (eventually one side gave up because the fight was emotionally exhausting), I have left a board because they black-balled a new member because of his association with another organization, I have been involved in the form of a Bylaws committee member trying to fix some dreadfully written bylaws, by trying to save ASLET from giving too much power to a faction which selected a powerful executive director.
In all of these cases the problem can from elevating personal interests over the interests of the membership. In all of these cases I was close to the only one that understood Roberts Rules of Order, and the principles behind them, in that the rules are there in order to preserve the rights of minorities as well as the rights of the membership. In every case I heard myself say, more than once, that it would be inappropriate to perform some radical action without the consent of the membership because otherwise authority would be exceeded.
In only one case did things go to the legal arena. From what I've seen of the judge's reaction to the cases (there were several) I have been correct in what I knew the principles were.
The latest implosion I am observing is that of KMPRO, an organization dedicated to the profession of knowledge management. I know I keep an eye on a lot of professions (business administration, project management, software engineering, et al.) but this was an interest of mine after reading The Fifth Discipline by Peter Senge. I took the plunge and put in a membership fee in order to read the "KMBOK", the Knowledge Management Body of Knowledge. I was unable to read it on the web site for months (and still can't today).
It turns out that a massive fight is going on within KMPRO's Board of Directors. Lately I have been asked to pick a faction and provide by proxy to a meeting that is coming up in Virginia in a few days. While both sides like to write me emails that are really novellas, there is one that seems a little more in touch with the interests of the membership than the other.
I sure hate watching organizations eat themselves. I'll see how things turn out as I try to resove their debate a little with some poking and prodding. I am rather happy that they made a mailing list for the membership to learn about the issues and actually ask questions. That is something that the other three organizations I've been involved with were not able to do. Something like 5% of the LPO membership was on a mailing list, 2% of ASLET, and the final organization did not have a email list at all.
Update: I'm not the only one that noticed this. Denham Grey has posted a KMPRO concern. Also Jack Vinson.
Josh Poulson
Posted in category “Business” Sunday, Aug 29 2004 08:55 AM | Permalink | No comments | No trackbacks
Explosives Found in Wreckage of Russian Planes
We wake up this morning to analysis results from Russia along with a claim of responsibility from a Chechen separatist web site.
"According to preliminary information, at least one of the air crashes ... has been the result of a terrorist act," a spokesman for the Federal Security Service, Sergei Ignatchenko, the ITAR-Tass news agency reported.
So, apparently, we don't have to believe in coincidences.
Josh Poulson
Posted in category “Terrorism” Friday, Aug 27 2004 07:30 AM | Permalink | No comments | No trackbacks
More Dole Quotes
Via Captain's Quarters we find Dole was on Scarborough County last night, with this to say:
So this time you’ve got a candidate named John Kerry who had a good record in Vietnam, came back from the service, denounced the war, in effect, trashed the Americans who were still fighting there. Went before a Senate committee in April of 1971, threw away his ribbons or his medals or whatever and now is standing before the American people and saying you’ve got to elect me because I’m this Vietnam hero.
And,
John Kerry’s a friend of mine. I sent a signal about two or three months ago on television, “John, back off. You know, cool it. Don’t make the Vietnam War the centerpiece of your campaign.” But he’s got a problem, because he spent 20 years in the Senate and doesn’t have much to show for it.
Dole really doesn't need Viagra, he's going strong.
Josh Poulson
Posted in category “Politics” Thursday, Aug 26 2004 03:41 PM | Permalink | No comments | No trackbacks
Third Swift Boat Ad
Today's Swift Vet advertisement features Steve Gardner pointing out Kerry's lie about Christmas in Cambodia, as if the point needed to be underscored.
Interesting additions to this well-developed story: Gardner points out he was with Kerry the longest and that Kerry was not in Cambodia in December or January.
Josh Poulson
Posted in category “Politics” Thursday, Aug 26 2004 03:29 PM | Permalink | No comments | No trackbacks
Oregonian's David Reinhard on the Seven Minutes
The George Bush blog picked up on an editorial by the Oregonian's David Reinhard that covered a topic that I mentioned early in this blog here. Reinhard's quote goes one further point out the Kerry mixed message on being the anti-war candidate as well.
Despite the comment I received that the captain of the ship has to respond more quickly than a deckhand, I would say that a better analogy is that the captain of the ship needs to keep the passengers calm until his advisors can articulate to him what he needs to decide. The captain was in the dining room, not on the bridge where the attack was taking place. Possibly, going to the bridge would have been a good way to decapitate the ship.
Josh Poulson
Posted in category “Politics” Thursday, Aug 26 2004 03:06 PM | Permalink | No comments | No trackbacks
Coulter Takes Up the Hardball Challenge
Anne Coulter has written a new column, “Admitted War Criminal Cries Foul.” She reviews the treatment of O'Neill on O'Reilly and Hardball. While she only picked on O'Reilly for not having a strong position, she feels O'Neill didn't get to finish many of his setences on Hardball and then notes Chris Matthew's challenge:
I'll be glad to clock you, John, on how many minutes you spoke on the show. So don't try that old trick.
Anne, being industrious, gets out her calculator:
Total words by book author John O'Neill: approximately 1,150. (Complete sentences devoid of Matthews interruptions: about 2.)
Total words by paid Kerry flack Hurley: approximately 950.
Total words by Matthews, excluding host prattle (“Welcome back to 'Hardball'!”): approximately 2,290.
I never saw the show, but I heard it described as an ambush by some, and unfair by many. Since it has been rumored that the GOP is encouraging its membership to no longer appear on the show, I wondered how bad it could be. If you go on the show to talk about something and only get 35% of the coverage, and even then you are interrupted before you can make a point, I can see why you'd hesitate.
Josh Poulson
Posted in category “Politics” Wednesday, Aug 25 2004 05:41 PM | Permalink | No comments | No trackbacks
Christmas in Cambodia Wrap-Up
McQ at QandO has posted a wrap-up of stories and missteps about the seared memories of Kerry in Cambodia, Christmas Eve, 1968. The story changes so rapidly not every Kerry advisor is up-to-date on talking points. No wonder there are rumors about Hillary becoming Kerry's Minister of Truth. She's better at getting everyone on the same page.
Josh Poulson
Posted in category “Politics” Wednesday, Aug 25 2004 12:38 PM | Permalink | No comments | No trackbacks
Kerry Sends Cleland, Bush Sends Army
Kerry sent former Senator Max Cleland to Crawford, Texas to ask Bush to please make the Swifties stop attacking Kerry's war record (which has more holes than his swift boat).
The Bush campaign response was even more devastating than the first:
You can’t have it both ways. You can’t build your convention and much of your campaign around your service in Vietnam, and then try to say that only those veterans who agree with you have a right to speak up. There is no double standard for our right to free speech. We all earned it.
You said in 1992 “we do not need to divide America over who served and how.” Yet you and your surrogates continue to criticize President Bush for his service as a fighter pilot in the National Guard.
The response was not from Bush himself, but these fine fellows:
Texas State Land Commissioner Jerry Patterson
Rep. Duke Cunningham
Rep. Duncan Hunter
Rep. Sam Johnson
Lt. General David Palmer
Robert O'Malley, Medal of Honor Recipient
James Fleming, Medal of Honor Recipient
Lieutenant Colonel Richard Castle (Ret.)
The Kerry implosion may not be televised, but we will know about it anyway.
Josh Poulson
Posted in category “Politics” Wednesday, Aug 25 2004 12:03 PM | Permalink | No comments | 1 trackback
December 11th John Kerry War Diary Entry
Although Captain Ed and others have mentioned it before, the Washington Times highlights the diary entry where on December 11, 1968 Kerry claims the crew had not been shot at before, after the December 2, 1968 incident which lead to Kerry's first purple heart.
"A cocky feeling of invincibility accompanied us up the Long Tau shipping channel because we hadn't been shot at yet, and Americans at war who haven't been shot at are allowed to be cocky," wrote Mr. Kerry, according the book Tour of Duty by friendly biographer Douglas Brinkley.
Full analysis appears today at Instapundit.
Josh Poulson
Posted in category “Politics” Wednesday, Aug 25 2004 11:19 AM | Permalink | No comments | No trackbacks
Sharing Lawyers
So, the Bush campaign's chief lawyer has resigned because he has also been advising the Swift Vets. However, the Kerry campaign shares a lawyer with American Coming Together and they don't think it's a big deal.
Beldar Blog noticed the New York Times defusing the issue with apparent humor.
Josh Poulson
Posted in category “Politics” Wednesday, Aug 25 2004 10:44 AM | Permalink | No comments | No trackbacks
The New Soldier by John Kerry
Ever want to read The New Soldier, written by John Kerry after he got back from Vietnam? Well, despite the fact that it's out of print you're in luck. It's posted online here.
Josh Poulson
Posted in category “Politics” Wednesday, Aug 25 2004 10:40 AM | Permalink | No comments | No trackbacks
A Column Against the Assault Weapons Ban
Joe Waldron and Dave Workman have written a column in the Seattle Post-Intelligencer about the fear, uncertainty, and doubt used to sell the Assault Weapons Ban.
One of my favorite quotes from the column is from John Sugarman of the Violence Policy Center:
The weapons' menacing looks coupled with the public's confusion over fully automatic machine guns versus semiautomatic assault weapons—anything that looks like a machine gun is assumed to be a machine gun—can only increase that chance of public support for restrictions on these weapons.
The column comes to this conclusion:
Anti-gunners want to ban guns, period, no matter how they mask it, or how they accomplish it.
That's certainly true, whether or not they admit it. At least it appears they are losing their fight.
Josh Poulson
Posted in category “Guns” Wednesday, Aug 25 2004 10:33 AM | Permalink | No comments | No trackbacks
Coincidences
A common item that is on many people's minds this morning are the two plane crashes in Russia. As Captain Ed points out there are too many coincidences in this event.
- Two simultaneous plane crashes,
- Reports of hearing an explosion before the crash of one plane,
- A distress signal from one plane before going down, and
- Chechen elections on Sunday.
Since Putin has mobilized the Federal Security Service (abbreviated in Russian as FSB) we would assume that they suspect terrorism as well. However, the FSB released a statement that indicates no terrorism:
Russia's main intelligence agency, the Federal Security Service, said it had found no evidence of terrorism in initial investigations at the crash sites. The FSB—formerly known as the KGB—said it was investigating all possible causes, such as technical failures, the use of poor quality fuel, breaches of fueling regulations and pilot error.
While they didn't find evidence at the crash sites, there is plenty of time to figure out what really happened. I heard on the radio this morning that both black boxes had been recovered intact.
Josh Poulson
Posted in category “Terrorism” Wednesday, Aug 25 2004 08:53 AM | Permalink | No comments | No trackbacks
David Limbaugh Interviews John O'Neill
Columnist David Limbaugh has posted an interview with John O'Neill of Swift Boat fame. Some highlights. O'Neill spends time going through the story of each medals, some of the war crime exploits, and some random questions.
My own copy of Unfit for Command arrived yesterday but I haven't had a chance to really read it. Limbaugh's interview is really a miniature version of the first half of the book, from all appearances.
Josh Poulson
Posted in category “Politics” Tuesday, Aug 24 2004 04:54 PM | Permalink | No comments | No trackbacks
Kerry Called Swifties Sunday Night
According to Drudge, John Kerry called Robert "Friar Tuck" Brant on Sunday night:
KERRY: "Why are all these swift boat guys opposed to me?"
BRANT: "You should know what you said when you came back, the impact it had on the young sailors and how it was disrespectful of our guys that were killed over there."
The implosion continues...
Josh Poulson
Posted in category “Politics” Tuesday, Aug 24 2004 08:29 AM | Permalink | No comments | No trackbacks
More Dole
Now we hear from Say Anything blog (they sure find good stuff) about a phone call from Kerry to Dole, as told by Newsmax:
"John Kerry called me this morning, which surprised me," Dole told radio host Sean Hannity.
"He said he was very disappointed, we'd been friends. I said John, we're still friends, but [the Swiftvets] have First Amendment rights, just as your people have First Amendment rights.
Dole told Kerry, "I'm not trying to stir anything up, but I don't believe every one of these people who have talked about what happened are Republican liars.
"And very frankly, Bush is my guy, and I'm tired of people on your side calling him everything from a coward to a traitor to everything—a deserter."
Dole said he urged Kerry, "Why don't you call George Bush today and say, 'Mr. President, let's stop all this stuff about the National Guard and Vietnam—and let's talk about the issues."
Dole said Kerry responded, "I haven't spent one dime attacking President Bush."
But the Republican war hero shot back, "You don't have to. You've got all the so-called mainstream media, plus you've got MoveOn.org and all these other groups that have spent millions and millions of dollars trying to tarnish Bush's image."
"Don't tell me you don't know what some of these people are doing," he told Kerry.
"Everybody likes quiet heroes," Dole added, saying he told Kerry, "John, everybody knows you were in Vietnam and the less you say about it, the better."
Dole said he tried to end the tense conversation cordially by telling Kerry, "I wish you good luck, up to a point."
An amazing story. When Bush is calling for an end to all the 527 attack ads, Dole is playing the traditional role of the VP: going on the offensive. Cheney has no credibility with Deaniacs, but Dole (and, unfortunately, McCain) certainly does.
Josh Poulson
Posted in category “Politics” Monday, Aug 23 2004 05:19 PM | Permalink | No comments | No trackbacks
Talking Points
I guess I'm not the only one that is annoyed by repeated "talking points" that have nothing to do with the issues. Stewart White writes about the constant drone of critical-thinking-free email and other talking points from the Deaniac fringe.
Josh Poulson
Posted in category “Politics” Monday, Aug 23 2004 03:03 PM | Permalink | No comments | No trackbacks
A Timeline of the Kerry Implosion
Chris Lynch has posted a timeline of the last month. There's a lot of "are you friggin' kidding me?" moments in there...
Josh Poulson
Posted in category “Politics” Monday, Aug 23 2004 09:13 AM | Permalink | No comments | No trackbacks
Dole on Kerry
It's like we're reliving Vietnam. Now WWII vet Dole speaks out on Kerry.
Dole told CNN's "Late Edition" that he warned Kerry months ago about going "too far" and that the Democrat may have himself to blame for the current situation, in which polls show him losing support among veterans.
"One day he's saying that we were shooting civilians, cutting off their ears, cutting off their heads, throwing away his medals or his ribbons," Dole said. "The next day he's standing there, 'I want to be president because I'm a Vietnam veteran.' Maybe he should apologize to all the other 2.5 million veterans who served. He wasn't the only one in Vietnam," said Dole, whose World War II wounds left him without the use of his right arm.
Dole added: "And here's, you know, a good guy, a good friend. I respect his record. But three Purple Hearts and never bled that I know of. I mean, they're all superficial wounds. Three Purple Hearts and you're out."
That's sure a lot different than McCain's comments.
“I wish they hadn’t done it,” McCain said of his former advisers. “I don’t know if they knew all the facts.”
Asked if the White House knew about the ad or helped find financing for it, McCain said, “I hope not, but I don’t know. But I think the Bush campaign should specifically condemn the ad.”
Josh Poulson
Posted in category “Politics” Sunday, Aug 22 2004 09:44 PM | Permalink | No comments | No trackbacks
Medal Update
When even Newsweek agrees there is trouble with Kerry's Bronze Star story, we have a fellow commander in Kerry's Silver Star story backing Kerry's story. Well, that's all right, apparently there's inconsistencies on both sides:
The Post's research shows that both accounts contain significant flaws and factual errors. This reconstruction of the climactic day in Kerry's military career is based on more than two dozen interviews with former crewmates and officers who served with him, as well as research in the Naval Historical Center here, where the Swift boat records are preserved. Kerry himself was the only surviving skipper on the river that day who declined a request for an interview.
Even so, Captain Ed is pointing out that Rood's testimony needs work. He points out some interesting insight from the Bandit:
There are no tell-tale signs that either Rood or Kerry came under heavy, intense enemy fire that day. Both boats were loaded with at least 15 VN troops and yet no injuries [were reported] from such close range of contact in such a narrow canal. Furthermore, both boats (Rood's PCF-23 and Kerry's PCF-94) were back on patrol the very next day, which strongly suggests there was never any intense enemy fire, or both boats would have suffered multiple holes in the hull that would have required repairs and delay of patrol.
And adds his own comments:
Were they under intense fire by a numerically superior foe, as Kerry's commendation claims? Looking at all of the evidence available, one would have to conclude not. Even I could hit the side of a 50-foot boat sitting dead on a riverbank across 100 feet of water with an automatic weapon, and I'm not terribly experienced with firearms. And yet we're to believe that large numbers of battle-hardened insurgents lined on both sides of that narrow canal completely missed two or three huge targets for several minutes while they were beached, and the men aboard them?
These boats aren't small. I'm pretty sure that putting significant holes in unmoving boats isn't too hard. Yet, the next day they were towing fuel bladders up the river and received light fire...
Josh Poulson
Posted in category “Politics” Sunday, Aug 22 2004 09:50 AM | Permalink | No comments | No trackbacks
Wendell Marries Hobbit
Wendell Joost, a friend of mine for the last few years on the Pacific Northwest firearms training circuit, got married yesterday. I manged to be there with a camera. While we have a large quantity of raw pictures I'm not comfortable sharing them until we have cleaned them up a little. I did send Wendell the URL so you can harass him when he's back from the honeymoon. Click the thumbnail to the left for a larger image.
Wendell has been my Master Training Counselor since 2000 when I came up to Seattle for my instructor training in Pistol and Personal Protection and when I became a Training Counselor myself. We have collaborated on instructor training (and even TC training) in Oregon, Washington and even Montana.
Wendell and Hobbit have both been active with the Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts. While Girl Scouts can go after any merit badge a Boy Scout can get, with their local council approval, we haven't seen a lot at our Rifle Merit Badge extravaganzas. Even so, they have set up evilscoutmaster.com.
Josh Poulson
Posted in category “General, Pictures” Sunday, Aug 22 2004 09:14 AM | Permalink | 1 comment | No trackbacks
Captain Ed Has Three Questions for Kerry
I've been addicted to Captain's Quarters since I ran across it on the 'net. This morning we find three questions he would ask Kerry if he had Press credentials.
I wonder if he wants to borrow my NRA Press ID card...
Josh Poulson
Posted in category “Politics” Saturday, Aug 21 2004 07:34 AM | Permalink | No comments | No trackbacks
Statement by Bush-Cheney '04
From the George W. Bush Blog:
ARLINGTON, VA -- "This is a frivolous complaint that even John Kerry’s chief strategist has said they have no evidence to support. Real coordination is what John Kerry’s campaign has been engaged in with the Media Fund, America Coming Together, and MoveOn.org. The revolving door of personnel, coordinated strategies and overlapping fundraising between the Democrat 527s and the Kerry campaign is a flagrant disregard of the spirit and letter of the campaign finance reform law."
—Statement by Bush-Cheney ‘04 Spokesman Steve Schmidt
I think everyone has their cards on the table now...
Josh Poulson
Posted in category “Politics” Friday, Aug 20 2004 06:58 PM | Permalink | No comments | No trackbacks
Kerry Files FEC Complaint Against Swift Vets, Bush
Matt Drudge and the Say Anything blog have noted this AFP story:
FORT MYERS, United States (AFP) - Democratic White House hopeful John Kerry's campaign formally alleged that a group attacking his Vietnam war record had illegal ties to US President George W. Bush's reelection bid.
In a statement released to reporters, Kerry's campaign announced it had "filed a legal complaint against Swift Boat Veterans for Truth (SBVT) before the Federal Election Commission (FEC) for violating the law with inaccurate ads that are illegally coordinated with the Bush-Cheney presidential campaign."
The move by the Kerry campaign came shortly after the Swift Boat group released a second ad attacking the Democratic presidential candidate, who was wounded three times while serving on a Swift Boat in Vietnam and decorated twice for valor.
Swift Boat Veterans for Truth have accused Kerry of lying about one of the wounds he suffered and of embellishing his acts of heroism during his four months in Vietnam, charges strongly rejected by the senator from Massachusetts.
Kerry on Thursday accused the Bush administration of using the Swift Boat veterans as a front group to do the "dirty work" of attacking his Vietnam War record.
The New York Times on Friday reported that there is a "web of connections" between the Swift Boat group and the "Bush family, high-profile Texas political figures and President Bush's chief political aide, Karl Rove."
At no point does the Kerry campaign appear to address issues of substance. Wouldn't that be refreshing?
Update: Fox News has picked up this story.
The unusual late-August maneuvering highlighted the closeness of the race for the White House and came as polls offered the first hint that the questioning of Kerry's medal-winning service in the Vietnam War—allegations that he strongly condemned this week as lies—were taking a political toll.
One poll found that more than half the voters questioned had seen or heard of an ad by Swift Boat Veterans For Truth that accuses Kerry of lying about events that earned him five medals in Vietnam a generation ago. The University of Pennsylvania's National Annenberg Election Survey also found that 44 percent of self-described independent voters found the ad very or somewhat believable.
Separately, a CBS poll found a sharp drop in Kerry's support among both veterans since the end of the Democratic Convention.
No wonder Kerry is unhappy. CBS tends to oversample Democrats.
Josh Poulson
Posted in category “Politics” Friday, Aug 20 2004 04:13 PM | Permalink | 1 comment | No trackbacks
Second Swift Vets Ad
A second Swift Vets ad is now available. This ad talks about the demoralizing effect that Kerry testimony had on US forces and POWs. I think the effect of this one is not as great as the first, simply because the first came out of the blue where we kinda knew it was coming this time.
The last ad had Edwards's own words. This one has Kerry's own testimony.
Frankly I was surprised not to see a roundup of all of Kerry's shifting Cambodia stories into a single minute. I'm sure there's footage of some of his statements. Maybe that's still to come.
Josh Poulson
Posted in category “Politics” Friday, Aug 20 2004 10:06 AM | Permalink | No comments | No trackbacks
American Gold Medals w/Guns
Kim Rhode won the gold for the second time in three olympics at Women's Double Trap. The article goes on to mention that double trap may not be offered any more at the Olympics.
Matthew Emmons won the gold in 50-meter rifle prone position.
Josh Poulson
Posted in category “Guns” Friday, Aug 20 2004 09:43 AM | Permalink | No comments | No trackbacks
US Arrests Three Suspected Hamas Money Launderers
According to Fox News, we just arrested three Hamas members. It appears that the "follow the money" angle continues to work. They have been charged under RICO:
The three were charged with racketeering conspiracy for allegedly joining with 20 others since at least 1988 to conduct business for Hamas, which the government said included conspiracies to commit murder, kidnapping, passport fraud and other crimes.
The articles goes on to detail the charges:
The U.S.-educated Abu Marzook holds a Ph.D. in industrial engineering and lived in the United States for 15 years, in Louisiana and Virginia. In 1995, he was detained by U.S. authorities on suspicion of involvement in terrorism. He was expelled to Jordan, and later sent by Jordan to Syria.
Salah was accused of recruiting and training new members of Hamas in the United States. After his release from prison in Israel in 1997, authorities said he directed an associate in Chicago to scout potential targets for terrorist attacks in Israel.
Ashqar was accused of opening bank accounts in Mississippi for Hamas purposes.
This speaks well of the strategy to find terrorists refuges and destroy them and use the information gathered to disrupt command, control, and logistics. Despite the operational security of cells, they need contacts and finances to complete their missions.
Josh Poulson
Posted in category “Terrorism” Friday, Aug 20 2004 08:59 AM | Permalink | No comments | No trackbacks
Kerry's "Kurtz Chronicles" Continue
Hugh Hewitt has done some research into whether swift boats were ever used to get "U.S. Navy Seals, Green Berets and CIA guys" into Cambodia.
Conclusions? Well, it seems that helicopters were the way most of such incursions were made back then, but there's nothing that says boats were never used. In addition, Kerry is the only swift boat commander that claims to have ever done such a mission. Even Kerry's crewmates won't say they went to Cambodia.
Hewitt digs into the heart of the matter:
Did John Kerry really do these Kurtz-like runs into the heart of darkness, or did he just record such things in his journals as stored treasures against the day that he'd authorize a biography to use them? Or did he hatch this stuff post "Apocalypse Now" viewing? Is the magic hat real, or just about the single most damning piece of evidence since the glove-that-did-not-fit-which-led-to-must-acquit?
Since we've all seen or at least heard of Kerry's home videos of his Vietnam exploits that were shown at the DNC convention this year, it all seems like puffery to me.
Josh Poulson
Posted in category “Politics” Friday, Aug 20 2004 07:48 AM | Permalink | No comments | No trackbacks
John Kerry Most Anti-Gun Presidential Candidate
Our friends at the NRA Institute of Legislative Action have posted a fact sheet about John Kerry's voting record.
Highlights:
FACT: Kerry has voted nine times in favor of banning semi-auto firearms.
FACT: Kerry has voted for a Ted Kennedy amendment to ban most rifle ammunition, including the most common rounds used by hunters and target shooters.
FACT: Kerry commended commended an anti-gun group`s demonstration in Washington that called for gun owner licensing, gun registration and other restrictions on law-abiding gun owners.
I don't think making appearances as a hunter (especially since it seems he hasn't had a hunting license in a while) makes up for this record, even with the trap shooters.
Josh Poulson
Posted in category “Guns” Thursday, Aug 19 2004 04:38 PM | Permalink | No comments | No trackbacks
Larry Elder on the "Two Americas"
Larry Elder writes a new column on the "Two Americas" today. He tracks a timeline where Edwards speaks of two Americas, then Barack Obama speaks of one, then Edwards speaks of one and so on and so on. So now the Democrats say there is one America.
But, after looking at comments from Janeane "Arab is the new black now" Garofalo, Michael "The Iraqis who have risen up... are the Revolution" Moore, and some random Bush protestors ("Bush is a dictator"), he comes to a startling conclusion:
Yes, we have two Americas.
On the one hand, we have Americans—even those who refuse to support Bush—who see the president as a decent human being attempting to do the right thing. On the other hand, we have the almost pathological we-hate-Bush chorus whose high-profile members include the Michael Moore-Al Franken-Janeane Garofalo-types. They seem to despise Bush more than Osama bin Laden.
Josh Poulson
Posted in category “Politics” Thursday, Aug 19 2004 01:41 PM | Permalink | No comments | No trackbacks
Larry Thurlow Diversion
Kerry's attack dogs have landed on Larry Thurlow, pointing out that his testimony of there not being any enemy fire during the Kerry Bronze Star Action (tm) is controverted by the language in his own Bronze Star report:
But Thurlow's military records, portions of which were released yesterday to The Washington Post under the Freedom of Information Act, contain several references to "enemy small arms and automatic weapons fire" directed at "all units" of the five-boat flotilla. Thurlow won his own Bronze Star that day, and the citation praises him for providing assistance to a damaged Swift boat "despite enemy bullets flying about him."
Thurlow responds convincingly:
I am convinced that the language used in my citation for a Bronze Star was language taken directly from John Kerry's report which falsely described the action on the Bay Hap River as action that saw small arms fire and automatic weapons fire from both banks of the river.
To this day, I can say without a doubt in my mind, along with other accounts from my shipmates -- there was no hostile enemy fire directed at my boat or at any of the five boats operating on the river that day.
I submitted no paperwork for a medal nor did I file an after action report describing the incident. To my knowledge, John Kerry was the only officer who filed a report describing his version of the incidents that occurred on the river that day.
It was not until I had left the Navy -- approximately three months after I left the service -- that I was notified that I was to receive a citation for my actions on that day.
I believed then as I believe now that I received my Bronze Star for my efforts to rescue the injured crewmen from swift boat number three and to conduct damage control to prevent that boat from sinking. My boat and several other swift boats went to the aid of our fellow swift boat sailors whose craft was adrift and taking on water. We provided immediate rescue and damage control to prevent boat three from sinking and to offer immediate protection and comfort to the injured crew.
After the mine exploded, leaving swift boat three dead in the water, John Kerry's boat, which was on the opposite side of the river, fled the scene. US Army Special Forces officer Jim Rassmann, who was on Kerry's boat at the time, fell off the boat and into the water. Kerry's boat returned several minutes later -- under no hail of enemy gunfire -- to retrieve Rassmann from the river only seconds before another boat was going to pick him up.
Thurlow goes on to describe the shifting stories and accounts coming from Kerry's campaign and previous publications.
It's amusing to me that Kerry claims that Bush lets the Swift Vets "do his dirty work" yet doesn't seem to mind the erroneous output of Michael Moore or the Campaign Finance Law Evader (tm) George Soros.
Update: The Kerry Campaign is continuing the diversion by sending emails to various bloggers referring to Thurlow as "completely discredited."
Josh Poulson
Posted in category “Politics” Thursday, Aug 19 2004 12:01 PM | Permalink | No comments | No trackbacks
A Reply to Angel Shamaya
Angel Shamaya read my recent piece on the ATF Statement on HR 218 and had a response for me.
Angel Shamaya wrote:
Special exemptions for government employees is not "firearms rights," Josh.
Ah, in this case they are. They allow off-duty and retired cops to carry. That's our in. The fact that they allow a class of people to carry, nationwide, is an improvement. That we are not easily members of that class is not as material as the easement of restriction.
To the contrary, it's just one more way to enshrine the unAmerican concept that working for the government means you should not have to obey the laws to which the people are subjected and under which peaceable citizens are fined, thrown in jail, imprisoned and even killed.
But they allow it for people who aren't working for the government at the time! I'm not saying this is a great victory for the common man, but it's a step towards boiling the frog.
I agree with you on some things, certainly in principle. I, for example, think it's horrible that Lon Horiuchi got a free ride for shooting Vicki Weaver. However, I can recognize an opportunity when I see one.
Here is a (surely partial) list of gun rights organizations who stood opposed to this evil and corrupt nonsense: http://KeepAndBearArms.com/CopsOnlyCCW/leaders.asp
I only ask that the cops who wanted my help getting HR 218 passed will help me when I try to get this passed.
Good luck. A large portion of the cop groups who endorsed HR218 don't support citizen carry in their own communities: http://KeepAndBearArms.com/CopsOnlyCCW/leosupport.asp
Well, I have many times expressed my own dismay at HR 218 in the past, and I didn't do much of anything to get it passed. However, now that it made it through the door it's up to us to reshape it in a more palatable form.
Frankly I don't mind having to shoot a police qualifier at my own expense if it can get me nationwide concealed carry. I know that many decry *any* restriction on concealed carry because it can (and, therefore, will, if we know our bureaucracies well) be abused. A universal (at least, on a per-state basis) qualifier for cops and private citizens has an appeal. If you can't arm your cops because the test was designed to keep out most private citizens, then you know something is wrong with the test.
I have a good relationship with many police trainers because I have helped them with some issues (a list including, oddly enough, cost accounting and parliamentary procedure). Perhaps I see the best side of them as a result.
Read the full report some time: http://KeepAndBearArms.com/CopsOnlyCCW/
Josh Poulson
Posted in category “Guns” Thursday, Aug 19 2004 11:24 AM | Permalink | No comments | No trackbacks
ATF Statement on the Passage of HR 218
HR 218 was touted as "Nationwide Concealed Carry for Cops" by its proponents, and it's my hope that it will someday lead to a standardized national concealed carry for private citizens. The folks at IALEFI sent me a link to the ATF's Statement on the passage of this law.
It's short enough to include here:
Law Enforcement Officers Safety Act of 2004
On July 22nd, President Bush signed the Law Enforcement Officers Safety Act of 2004, Public Law No. 108-277. The Act became effective upon the President's signature. The Act amends the Gun Control Act (GCA) to exempt qualified active and retired law enforcement officers from State and local laws prohibiting the carrying of concealed firearms.
The officers and retired officers eligible for the exemption are those meeting the Act's definition of “qualified law enforcement officer” and “qualified retired law enforcement officer.” Among other things, the Act's definition requires qualified retired law enforcement officers to meet, at their own expense, their State's standards for training and qualification for active law enforcement officers. Eligible active and retired officers must also possess certain identification. Active officers may use the identification issued by the government agency by which they are employed. Retired law enforcement officers must have identification indicating that they have been tested or otherwise found to meet firearms standards established for active law enforcement officers.
Qualified active and retired officers eligible for the exemption are still subject to certain provisions of the GCA. The Act specifically states that persons who are prohibited by Federal law from receiving a firearm are not eligible for the exemption. In addition, qualified current and retired officers must undergo a National Instant Criminal Background Check System (“NICS”) check if they are purchasing a firearm for their own use, and federal firearms licensees must still complete and retain required records under the GCA.
Notice that retired LEO's need to maintain their qualifications based on their state's standards for active duty law enforcement. This statement by the ATF does not go into particulars, however, as there are some additional caveats and details. Any ex-cop cannot just start carrying wherever they want. This ATF statement might also lead to the impression that one has to have all of the training an active duty cop has to go through, including diversity awareness. That, at least, is not necessary.
18 USC 44 Sec. 926B(c)(4) states:
(4) meets standards, if any, established by the agency which require the employee to regularly qualify in the use of a firearm;
A later section (e) makes sure the law does not include machine guns, silencers, or destructive devices. It does leave long guns in play.
We also see that the person had to be a law enforcement officer for fifteen years or more.
Sec. 926C(c)(5) reiterates and expands:
(5) during the most recent 12-month period, has met, at the expense of the individual, the State's standards for training and qualification for active law enforcement officers to carry firearms;
Sec. 926C(d)(B) finishes it up: