No Longer Able to Ignore Good News

As violence continues to decline in Iraq as a result of the Petraeus Surge, the leading Democrat presidential pretenders find themselves backed in an uncomfortable corner of their own making. For months, and in some cases years, they have been undermining the US mission in Iraq and demanding immediate withdrawal and defacto surrender to Islamist Terrorists. After supporting the war when politically advantageous, Clinton and Edwards, like vanes in the political winds, have swung to anti-war / anti-Bush zealots shamelessly pandering to the rabid mouth-foaming Left. Hussein Obama touts his credentials of not having voted to authorize the war. In fact, he did not vote against it either. He wasn’t even in Congress then. Talk about experience!

Almost from the time boots hit the ground, anti-war Leftists have been demanding immediate withdrawal based on the violence and sectarian fighting in Iraq. Sunnis vs Shites with Americans caught in the middle. Never once have they acknowledged the cause of most of the violence was the result of Iran inserting itself in the mix continuously stirring the pot and providing arms to the warring factions. Nonetheless, the main reason they gave for cutting and running was the security situation and perceived civil war.

Then along came General David Petraus and his “Surge” strategy; Brilliant in its simplicity and amazingly effective. Of course, this was immediately labeled a failure by Democrat Senate Majority Leader Harry (land deal) Reid with his proclamation, “This war is lost.”

Far from being “lost”, the Surge has routed al-Qeada in Iraq from Baghdad and inflicting on them an humiliating loss of face with the ‘Arab Street.’ Violence is down by more than fifty-percent in Baghdad and more in other parts of Iraq. Tribal leaders, tired of al-Qeada brutal tactics and imposition of strict Islamic Law, have turned against them and allied themselves with US Troops. Iran has even greatly reduced its influence in the theater as a result.

Unable to ignore the progress of the US Military, despite the almost complete boycott of positive reporting by the media, the pandering politico class are sensing a change of direction in the political winds and true to their character, or lack thereof, they are changing their tone. No longer to you hear the constant drumbeat of “violence”, “security” and “civil war” as reasons for immediate withdrawal, it is now “lack of political progress.” True, the federal government of Iraq, as not performed to the expectations of US advisors. In fact they have been almost dysfunctional. (It is really the height of chutzpa to see US House Leader Nancy Pelosi (d) and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (d), leaders of the dysfunctional US Congress, point fingers at the Iraqis!)

What is happening is amazing political progress, not from the top down, but from the ground up! Local tribal governments have taken the lead and are making their towns and cities work. Oil revenues are being shared, despite a lack of a federal law mandating it. The northern Kurd region is, for all intents and purposes, autonomous and governing themselves quite nicely. Again without federal mandates. The point is, Iraqis are taking control of themselves and their lives without the “federal government” telling them how and when to do so. This is a lesson the United States might take to heart!

Not surprisingly, the Democrats, champions of big omnipotent government, decry the lack of a strong federal government in Iraq as the reason de jour to cut and run. I would venture to guess, that if the government in Baghdad shows progress, the next reason to cut and run will be the number of potholes on Main Street unfilled.

When Things Go Right - Where Is The News?

As we come upon this Thanksgiving Season, let us be thankful for all the men and women of the greatest military of the greatest country on earth. These exceptional real Americans are fighting to preserve our way of life from an enemy that has vowed to destroy it. They are fighting a long way from home to allow us to be here, stuffing ourselves with gluttonous abandon then napping the afternoon away under the guise of watching the ‘big game’ on our big screens. They are fighting for our right and ability to have things to be thankful for. And yes, they are also fighting for the right of some (mostly liberal Democrats) to be absolutely miserable, self-loathing human beings wallowing in defeatism and pessimism about America and it’s rightful place as the shining light of freedom and opportunity in an anxious world.

These genuine heroes, by any definition, are defying all the odds and prognostications of our defeatist media and absolutely loathsome leaders in the US Congress. The proof is on the ground in Iraq and in the near complete blackout of positive news from the theater fed to a mind-numbed populace here at home by main-stream-media. Isn’t it amazing that just a few short weeks ago, ink by the barrel was sloshed upon every car-bomb, every US casualty, the almost gleeful daily body count of our soldiers and Marines. Countless hours on the floors of the House of Representatives and Senate spent on 41 (to date) attempts to legislate our defeat. Almost 24/7 arm-chair media punditry demanding an immediate surrender and humiliating defeat.

Now, amazingly, nary a word about Iraq in the news from Democrats. What can account for this sudden silence on the subject? Ralph Peters writing in the New York Post answers this mystery:

Mr. Peters notes that the situation in Iraq has improved so rapidly that Democrats now shun the topic as thoroughly as they shun our troops when the cameras are not present. The positive indicators on the ground are now so strong that the American public no longer believes the rabid anti-war defeatist lies. Democrat Senate Leader Harry Reid’s “This war is lost” no longer rings true.

Attacks of every kind are down by at least half and in some cases more than three-quarters. For those of us with public school math educations, that is a lot! An almost devastated country is struggling back to health. And our mortal enemies, al Qaeda’s terrorists, have suffered a defeat from which they, hopefully, may never recover. They have lost their “street cred.”

Mr. Peters notes that there are five big reasons why this dramatic turnaround has come to pass:

1. We did not quit! Despite the best efforts of the anti-war left and their wholly owned Democrat politicians and media to demoralize and hamstring our efforts, our troops stood to and did their duty bravely. The tenacity of our soldiers and Marines in the face of mortal enemies in Iraq and the blithe traitors at home is the No. 1 reason why Iraq has turned around.

2. General David Petraeus took command: Petreaus brought three vital qualities to our effort: He wants to win, not just keep the lid on the pot; he never stops learning and adapting, and he provides the top-cover for innovative subordinates. In other words, he supports his troops!

3. The surge: While the increase in troop numbers was important, allowing us to consolidate gains in neighborhoods we’d rid of terrorists and insurgents, the psychological effect of the surge was critical. The message sent by the surge to our enemies was that we not only wouldn’t quit, but also were upping the ante. It stunned out enemies – while giving Sunni Arabs disenchanted with al Qaeda the confidence to flip to our side without fear of abandonment. Sorry Mookie….you can’t believe everything you read in the New York Times – we are not losing!

4. Fanatical enemies: We lucked out when al Qaeda declared Iraq the central front in this war against civilization. They alienated their local allies by their monstrous actions and indiscriminate killing of civilians. Al Qaeda in Iraq is now a spent force and has suffered a strategic humiliation.

5. The Iraqis are sick of bloodshed and destruction: This is the least-recognized factor – but it is critical! When tyrannical regimes collapse in artificial states such as Iraq, a lot of pent-up grudges play out violently – sectarian fighting. People seem to need to get suppressed hatreds out of their systems. This appears to be what is happening. Violence is down and the downward trend is continuing. They have had their fill of gunmen and gangsters who claim to be their defenders. Passivity has morphed into active resistance to the terrorists and militias. The blood-lust of hatred has passed; peace is built on sobriety, not passion.

As Thanksgiving approaches, consider this example from Baghdad:

As part of its campaign to eliminate Iraq’s Christian communities, al Qaeda in 2004 bombed St. John’s Christian church in Doura, in the city’s southern badlands. By last spring, local services had stopped completely.

Our Army’s 2^nd Battalion of the 12^th Infantry stepped up. Under Lt. Col. Stephen Michael, our soldiers methodically cleaned out Doura of terrorists – no easy or painless task – and aided the reconstruction of the church.

Last week, a grateful congregation returned for a service that was, literally, a resurrection. Fifteen local Muslim sheikhs attended the Mass to support their Christian neighbors. Could their be a more hopeful symbol?

The long suffering Iraqi Christians will celebrate Christmas in their neighborhood church this year. “Peace on earth” will mean more to them than mere words in a carol.

As for the heroes of the 2-12 Infantry who made it all possible, their motto is “Ducti Amore Patria” or, for recent public school graduates, “Having been led by love of country.”

On Thanksgiving Day, be thankful for such real Americans!

Caveat Emptor (Let The Buyer Beware)

Move-On.org and the rest of the Anti-American Looney-Left proudly proclaimed ownership of the 2006 mid-term elections which put an inept Democrat Party in the majority of the most inept organization in the world: the United States Congress. As a result they have put the national security of the United States at risk, however, I suspect they are now having ‘buyer’s remorse.’

To be fair, there are probably some good Democrats somewhere out there, but they are completely obscured by what can only be laughingly referred to as “Leadership” in the pathetic persons of Nancy Pelosi (D-Speaker of the House) and Harry Reid (D-Senate Majority Leader).

Pelosi flounced into her position, with a whinnying Reid, who looks in need of a dose of prunes, in tow with all the pomp and flourish of pretend royalty. She/He proclaimed the elections as a mandate for ending "George Bush's war" in Iraq and draining the swamp of corruption in Congress. That had to be your first clue of just how incompetent a pair this was going to be.

The election was never a mandate to surrender in the war in Iraq, although it was a sign of frustration on how it was being prosecuted. In spite of polls taken ad-nauseam showing the American people more perceptive on the need to prevail in Iraq than are Democrats, Peolsi-Reid continue to trot out their delusional calls for immediate withdrawal. They have tried, unsuccessfully, 41 times to force our surrender through wasteful and useless legislative shenanigans for one purpose and one purpose only: to appease a rabid mouth-foaming Leftist base that has hijacked a once respectable political party.

As far as ending corruption in Congress? Do the names Jack Murtha (d-PA) and William Jefferson (d-LA). Ring a bell?

In 1980, during his third term as a Congressman, Murtha became embroiled in the Abscam investigation, which targeted dozens of congressmen. The investigation entailed FBI operatives posing as intermediaries for Saudi nationals hoping to bribe their way through the immigration process into the United States. Murtha met with these operatives and was videotaped; ultimately, he was named an "unindicted co-conspirator" but he was never indicted or charged. He did agree to testify against Frank Thompson (D-NJ) and John Murphy (D-NY), the two Congressmen mentioned as participants in the deal at the same meeting and who were later video taped placing the cash bribes in their trousers. (I guess there really is no honor among thieves!)

The FBI videotaped Murtha responding to an offer of $50,000, with Murtha saying, "I'm not interested... at this point. [If] we do business for a while, maybe I'll be interested, maybe I won't", right after Murtha had offered to provide names of businesses and banks in his district where money could be invested legally. The U.S. Attorneys Office reasoned that Murtha's intent was to obtain investment in his district.

Murtha is now the Chairman of the House Appropriations Defense Subcommittee. Talk about putting the fox in the hen-house!

As for Congressman William Jefferson, Democrat: Jefferson was videotaped accepting $100,000 in $100 bills from a Northern Virginia investor who was wearing an FBI wire, according to a search warrant affidavit. A few days later, on Aug. 3, 2005, FBI agents raided Jefferson's home in Northeast Washington and found $90,000 of the cash in the freezer, in $10,000 increments wrapped in aluminum foil and stuffed inside frozen-food containers. The money was said to have been "fresh and still crisp" due to the containers. He is currently the subject of a corruption probe, and in May 2006 his Congressional offices were raided.

Despite his legal woes, in the midterm election on November 7, 2006, Jefferson received 30% of the vote against several opponents, and then proceeded to win in a runoff election against Louisiana State Representative Karen Carter on December 9, 2006.

On June 4, 2007, a federal grand jury indicted Jefferson on 16 charges related to corruption; if convicted, he could spend the rest of his life in prison.

He, of course, is still a member of the Democrat Congress.

The dirty little secret that Move-on.kook / Looney-Left are now realizing is that the politicians they bought and paid for have no intention ending the war. A year after regaining control of the Senate and the House by railing against “George Bush’s war” in Iraq, the Democrats show no sign of changing the war machine. Four of the top five senators who earmarked money in their states for defense contracts were not Republican hawks, but liberal and centrist Democrats – Carl Levin of Michigan, the Hildabeast Clinton reportedly of New York, Charles (Smarmy) Schumer of New York, and Jack Reed of Rhode Island.

The New York Times recently reported that members of the House earmarked an extra $1.8 billion to the military budget for projects the Pentagon did not request. This is despite cutting earmarks by half. The top earmarker at $166 million was the chairman of the Defense Appropriations Committee, John Murtha of Pennsylvania. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of California asked for $32 million and majority leader Steny Hoyer of Maryland request $26 million.

The same party that complains about Bush's no-bid contracts for Halliburton in Iraq is willing to maintain this system of funding local companies and programs that also face no competitive bidding.

The Seattle Times detailed last month how Senator Patty Murray and Representatives Norm Dicks and Brian Baird, all Democrats, earmarked $17.65 million to a boat company for a vessel the Navy did not ask for and never used. Murray also earmarked $6 million to a company for battle gear the Army rejected. Representative David Wu, an Oregon Democrat, earmarked $2 million for combat T-shirts that were banned because their polyester was flammable.

Move-On / Looney Left: You were lied to! Enjoy your purchase and shop again in 2008 at Kook-Mart!

The Sound of Silence

Since the beginning of our action in Iraq, there has been an unending cacophony of vitriol spewed at President Bush and our efforts to drain the terrorist swamp and free 50 million people. The Looney-Left and their bought-and-paid-for politicians have called the President and our troops everything but human. They have been gleefully pronouncing the defeat of the United States almost before we had boots on the ground. Aided and abetted by a compliant media establishment, this “defeat” has been chronicled ad nauseam. Every incident that could be spun into bad news was used to pummel the Administration and undermine the efforts of our military the front pages of newspapers and lead stories of new-casts. There were no end to this defeatist coverage force-fed to the American public and the world.

How odd it is now, and how deafening the silence when there is actually good news happening on the ground in Iraq. The earth-shaking news (in any other war) that the enemy has been routed and chased from Baghdad got nary a mention in the US media. This story ran in the New York Times around November 8^th but was nowhere near the front page, but buried on page A-19! For those who missed it (and how could you not miss it?) here it is:

American forces have routed Al Qaeda in Mesopotamia, the Iraqi militant network, from every neighborhood of Baghdad, a top American general said today, allowing American troops involved in the “surge” to depart as planned.

Maj. Gen. Joseph F. Fil Jr., commander of United States forces in Baghdad, also said that American troops had yet to clear some 13 percent of the city, including Sadr City and several other areas controlled by Shiite militias. But, he said, “there’s just no question” that violence had declined since a spike in June.

“Murder victims are down 80 percent from where they were at the peak,” and attacks involving improvised bombs are down 70 percent, he said.

I have not heard any national politician on the Liberal-Looney-Left-Democrat side even acknowledge this news, much less applaud it. The Democrats have tried to pass legislation 41 times as of today, to ensure defeat of the United States by limiting military funds and attempting to micro-manage a war. They have been and continue to pander to their liberal anti-war base to the enormous detriment to our national security and safety of our troops. This, however, does not seem to bother them as they wont to continue this destructive behavior. They are so completely invested in the defeat of the United States as to be in complete denial of the real possibility that we are within reach of victory in this phase of the War on Terror.

How could anyone want people such as this to be the leader of anything, much less the United States?