When the Guard Drops Truth Comes Out

NewsBusters has busted CNN reporter Bob Franken for accidentally eeking out a truthful moment about the Dems. Since the Dems big win in the recent elections, things must be getting very cozy in the media rooms: so much so that the media's guard may be coming down and they are starting to leak out truthful moments. Bob Franken in an otherwise routine story made the following statement:

But many experts say that designating this a civil war will undermine U.S. support even more, which might explain why so many Democrats are jumping on the bandwagon.

So basically in an unguarded moment Franken shows the desire of the Dems to undermine the US in the war in Iraq instead of hoping for a good outcome. Shall we next hear the media slip up and point out how similar the rhetoric of terrorists and insurgents is to the rhetoric of the Democrats. The funny part is that the media will not be able to help themselves. They simply get too giddy when liberals get in power to help themselves. Look for many more slips in the future.

Photo of Thousands Protesting Hugo Chavez Makes My Day

The VCrisis Blog has posted a picture of a huge protest in Caracas, Venezuela today. The huge numbers protesting this clown made me happy. Fearing that many would be bussed into the city from all over the country, Chavez BLOCKED access into the city, but the photo shows clearly that his strategy did not work. Kudos to the anti-Chavez demonstrators who pulled off this huge embarrassment on Hugo.

Wash Your Hands or Die

This story interested me as bathroom hygiene is a topic very close to my heart. One can only appreciate the seriousness of handwashing by viewing the subject at a microbiological level. Apparently there is somebody that takes this subject even more seriously than I do. According to this Local6 report, failure to wash hands after doing bathroom business less to an argument, threats, a brawl and a stabbing. According to the story:

According to a police report, the fight broke out Thursday after Eric Jennings Kisiah, 27, became upset about a customer's apparent hygiene failure at the Tumbleweeds Sports Bar. Witnesses told police Kisiah confronted the customer and two of his friends, calling them names, telling them they were dirty and threatening to "slash their throats." Kisiah then hid near a shrub outside the bar and charged the group as they left, the police report said. One of the men, 25-year-old Morgan Jackson, was stabbed four times, police said. He was listed in good condition after surgery.

Of course I would never commit violence over this. I don't even bring it up verbally when I see it. It does disgust me when somebody leaves the restroom without washing their hands. The biological infestation that is swarming on their unwashed hands makes the person a virtual biological weapon infesting everything they touch. It is especially critical when the person will be involved in food preparation. Unwashed hands in this case have actually caused the death of unsuspecting victims eating the food prepared by a hygiene failure. A couple of times my wife has noticed a worker in a restaurant leaving the bathroom without washing hands and has gone to the manager. My wife is certified in food preparation and knows the damage this can cause.

Without getting too graphic, my other bathroom hygiene gripe is when male visitors stand in a stall and fail to lift the seat. Even in the professional environment I work in, I often go in and am met with a splattered seat that rivals blood spatter scenes in gore movies. I think to myself, "What kind of absolute moron does something like this?" And what kind of moron walks away leaving it like this? I have recently been investigating to try and catch the culprit without success.

While these issues are very serious and concern me, to commit violence over them is certainly going too far. I do hope if any reader is guilty of these hygience failures, you would consider making the world a better place by correcting this serious shortcoming.

While the World Body Demonizes US Russia and China Continue to Get a Pass

AFP is reporting that Russia is delivering rockets to Iran. According to the report:

"Deliveries of the Tor-M1 have begun. The first systems have already been delivered to Tehran," ITAR-TASS quoted an unnamed, high-ranking source as saying Friday.

Russia defends the sale:

Russian Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov said the contract for 29 rocket systems, signed in December last year, was legitimate because the Tor-M1 has a purely defensive role.

The defensive role of the missles does not alleviate Russia from its irresponsible behavior. Here we have an unstable country lead by an unstable dictator and Islamic radicals rushing to build atomic weapons and making threats; and Russia feels it is a sound foreign policy to strengthen Iran by selling weapons to it. It is not only foolish, it seriously calls into question the sanity of Vladimir Putin. During difficult negotiations it is insane to strengthen the hand of the one you are negotiating with. Of course the rest of the world will once again yawn and give Russia a pass, then turn its attentions to how they can find another reason to criticize the US.

George Bush Has Created Jobs Around the World

As I watched some of the news coverage of Bush's international travels, a thought struck me. I am amazed at all of the signs with special printing that are printed in response to George Bush. When I think of how much it would cost to create all of those protest signs with pictures and bold multi-color messages here in the US, I am amazed at the expense those in other countries go through to make their point. There was one clip I saw of protesters with GWB pictures on their faces and they were moving and jumping around like monkeys or apes. It does not seem to matter how poor the countries are, they always seem to come up with these amazing protest posters.

Then there is all of the security that must take place when he visits these countries. There must be increased food sales for all of these protestors that stand out all day venting their rage. Of course then there is the media coverage with photographers and camaramen capturing all the action. The massive amount of printing that has happened during his administration and the accompanying activities described above must surely have contributed to the creation and support of jobs around the world. I wonder if these printers are unionized?

Fascinating Israeli Technology Breakthrough

IMRA is reporting that in Israel a process has been developed that can extract oil from shale at a cost of $17 per barrel! According to IMRA:

Oil shale is limestone rock that contains hydrocarbons, or fossil fuels -- about 20 percent of the amount of energy found in coal. Using the rock as a raw material and coating it with bitumen, a residue of the crude oil refining process, the company can produce natural gas, fuel, electricity, or a combination of the three.

Older technologies squeezed the hydrocarbon material out of the rock, with extremely high pressure and at high temperatures. According to Professor Ze'ev Aizenshtat, an oil shale expert, the Hom Tov process is more environmentally friendly than other /methods of converting oil shale into energy. It also allows for more flexibility in the kind of
fuel produced, produces less waste and operates at lower temperatures than other methods.

The article clearly shows that the intention is to share the technology (while making a profit on it of course):

"Because the patents for this process belong to (the company), Israel is the most advanced in the world in the effort to create energy from oil shale," Moshe Shahal, a Hom Tov legal representative and a former Israeli energy minister, told United Press International.

Shahal estimated that the company's Negev Desert facility would begin full-scale production in three to four years, while other countries with oil shale deposits will need five to six years to reach production.

Hom Tov is going to be one very wealthy company before this is through. However, on a side note I am going to predict that other countries of the world will justify stealing this technology. After all Israel does not deserve such profit, right? China has been known for its strict adherence to patents and copyrights in the past, right?

This is great news for the US. The US has massive shale oil reserves in Colorado, Wyoming and Utah. In 5-6 years the US can be tapping into this reserve at a very cost effective way. This will help to remove our dependence on foreign oil and provide jobs to these states. One step closer to telling OPEC to go pound sand. Many other countries also have shale oil deposits. This could really increase oil supply bringing down the price of oil. The downside is that it may reduce pressure to replace fossile fuels for more environmentally friendly alternatives. Hopefully, these alternatives will continue to be explored and developed. While I do not buy into the full blown 5 alarm global warming theory, I am all for a better environment and less pollution.

So kudos to Hom Tov for this breakthrough. Hat tip: Instapundit

The Boys are Back in Town

So there is this Senate leadership picture with the newly elected senate elite. The picture looks like you could hear "The Boys are Back in Town" playing in the background if you listen close enough. You know things are bad when the best person in a leadership picture is Chucky Schumer. There is Harry Reid who's stench of corruption is beginning to get pretty ripe. There is Dick Durbin who compared our treatment of prisoners at Gitmo to Pol Pot. Then there is Patty Murray who praised Osama Bin Laden for his community outreach programs he does between acts of terror. So while Schumer usually would make one want to retch, comes out smelling like a rose in this picture. On a side note, next to these guys looking sharp in their suits Patty Murray is looking awfully frumpy by comparison. Where are the fashion critics?

Of course many have pointed out John Kerry in the background looking like his dog died. There is speculation he was told to stay away so he wasn't in the picture. I have heard through the grapevine he is now going to sponsor the "No Senator Left Behind Act".

GOP Leaps to Take Bullet for Dems

Just when the Dems are on the verge of incurring massive damage by their leadership choices reaking of corruption, the GOP Senate leaps to take the bullet by electing ... Trent Lott back to leadership. While I could care less about his politically incorrect statement about Strom Thurmond, electing Lott to a leadership position is a clear signal that the GOP Senate did not learn any lessons from last Tuesday's election. Trent Lott is an old face from the old boy's club that should be forever banned from leadership. Lott is an enemy of spending control as demonstrated by his history, his obstruction to the porkbuster database , and his resentment of those trying to stop pork.

While the election of Lott hardly compares to the corruption of Harry Reid and John Murtha, it gives the media an opportunity to either limit the focus or turn it away from the Dems to the GOP and Trent Lott. Even if the media does not take the bait, this choice still blunts the mileage that can be gleaned from the Dems corrupt choices to head "the most ethical Congress".

Kauai the Garden Isle

Having been to Oahu, Maui and Kauai it is my opinion that Kauai is the best of the three Hawaiian Islands that I have visited. This was my second visit to this beautiful place. The first time we took the kids, but this time it was only me and Olive Oil. It was an early celebration of our 22nd anniversary.

We arrived in Lihue the afternoon after election day. In spite of the GOP "thumpin" we were in great spirits. We checked into our accomodations and hit the road in search of dinner in the southern town of Poipu. We did a little shopping in old Koloa Town as the sun had gone down. Things are very dark in Hawaii at night as there are very few lights, except in the hearts of town. By the time we got back in was 2am according to our body clock.

The first full day we drove East around to the North side. At the very end of the road is a nice beach on the tip of the breathtaking Na Pali Coast. We had determined to hike along the hills of the coast on a 4 mile trail that led to a large waterfall. We soon found that this was quite a rough path; more of a climbing wall than a path in some places. At the half-way point we stopped for a snack and water at the stream from the waterfall. I almost turned back, but took a peek at the second half. It was easy enough to lure us for another 40 minutes before getting rougher in spots. To make a long story short, we did get to see the waterfall. The hike back nearly killed me - and I don't think I am exaggerating.

As I said the Na Pali Coast is beautiful. In our trip we were able to see it from three views. Firsthand on the trail as I just described. We also took a helicopter ride, and finally a boat ride. Neither words, nor pictures can show the beauty of the place. Here is the link to some Google images that will give you a glimpse of the real thing.

We also went to the "Grand Canyon of Hawaii" - Waimea Canyon. I have been to both and there are similarities. When you drive to the top you can see the Kalalau Valley Lookout in Kekee State Park. Sometimes it is very foggy and you cannot see the view. When we went there was not a cloud in the sky and it was fantastic.

On Kauai there are wild roosters and hens all over the island. Even at the highest points I drove to, there they were. The crow at the break of down, so you don't really need an alarm clock. The beaches of Kauai are much better than on Maui. There are a few you can only reach by boat, though.

So there is my trip as promised. We had a great time in a great place. If you can only visit one island, Kauai is my recommendation.

Had Crow Before, Will Have Crow Again

I have returned from a great trip to Hawaii to dutifully eat my crow. My election predictions were far too optimistic. The optimism was rooted in my belief that GOP voters would see the high stakes and turn out. That did not happen. I flew to San Fran. last Tuesday night arriving at around 1am to see the House majority going to the Dems and the Senate likely to do the same (which of course it did). As I have said before, the GOP has been in the minority most of my political life. I can handle it. I truly feared for the sanity of some libs if the GOP had pulled it off. So, in short, I was wrong in my predictions and congratulate those readers who have their wish.

We all know about the bad that can come of this result:

- The non-permanent tax cuts will be reversed. When that happens you will all notice your taxes going up revealing the lie that the tax cuts were only for the rich.
- Continued dependency on foreign oil, since the Dems will not allow an expansion of drilling.
- The Dems will reject the confirmation of the outstanding John Bolton in favor of one who will work overtime to weaken the US position at the UN and encourage the corruption there to flourish
- The Dems will reject the nomination of any judges who will actually interpret the Constitution literally; instead favoring those who will create law out of the air - as long as it fits their agenda

There is some good that can come out of this result:

- For the majority, I was willing to suffer through another term of Lincoln Chaffee. While the votes from the new Rhode Island Senator will be very similar, it will not be at the hands of a RINO.
- As reader Mark points out (and I have stated before), the best thing that government can do is to be in gridlock. Government is at its best when it does nothing. My wallet is much safer during gridlock.
- Those who have worked so hard to get a Dem majority, will surely be disappointed. Having been there to see the 1994 GOP revolution and later see the GOP take it all, I have been very disappointed in their failures to actually lead. The lefty blogs will soon be in full vigor writing against the Dems for being spineless and turncoats. That will be rich indeed.
- Impeachment. No matter how this goes it is going to be entertaining. First, if they do not impeach there will be a huge uproar from the left. Second, if they do try to impeach several things can happen.

First, the Dems will burn all of their political capital trying to pull this off. (more "nothing" getting done - this is good). During the impeachment process there are many opportunities for the Bush Administration to smear egg all over the Dems face. It is one thing to feed lies through the media, it is another to be speaking under oath (ask Joe Wilson).

Second, Bush could get impeached leaving Dick Cheney to be president. That would be rich, too.

Third, they could try a double-play and get Cheney, leaving Pelosi as president. This would cause considerable heartburn for Hillary Clinton for her '08 dreams. A sitting Pelosi would also cause heartburn for the Dems in '08 as she would have zero chance in a general election.

I do not fear nor resist an impeachment attempt. Bring out the facts under oath. If the facts show that Bush did wrong, I would rather have the truth. As I pointed out, no matter which direction it goes, it will be very entertaining.

- The blogs on the right, including mine get to move from a defensive position to an offensive position. I don't believe I will need to look very hard or split hairs to find material to write about against the new Congress. I feel like a weight has been lifted. Blogging will become fun again.

So there is both my crow eating and my take on the election results. I hope to add a post later about my trip to Kauai, Hawaii. I have a tan, I am refreshed and ready to get back to work.

AICS Election Picks

One common trend I am seeing is that most people have a difficult time tearing away from their desired outcome when making election predictions. I admit I may be in that category, but I think my view is a good mix between realism and optimism. There are several factors:

1) The GOP has the momentum according to the latest polls
2) Barrons pointed out the money advantage of the GOP
3) How often have we seen the polls favor Dems by several points and see a GOP victory. I
think it is probably a safe bet to add 2-3 points to the GOP candidate in every high profile
race

So here are some predictions:

Senate:
Arizona - Jon Kyl (R)
Connecticut - Lieberman (I)
Maryland - Michael Steele (R) (thanks to Gore campaigning for Cardin)
Michigan - Debbie Stabanow (D)
Minnesota - Amy Klobuchar (D)
Missouri - Jim Talent (R)
Montana - Conrad Burns (R)
New Jersey - Kean may pull of an upset, but I am calling Menendez (D)
Pennsylvania (My long shot) Santorum by 2% (R)
Ohio - Sherrod Brown (D)
Rhode Island - Lincoln Chaffee will pull it off. (R)
Tennesee - Bob Corker (R)
Virginia - George Allen (R)
Washington - Maria Cantwell (D)

House:
(I can't do all 435)
Indiana -07 - Eric Dickerson (R)
Minnesota - 06 - Bachmann (R)
Florida - 16 - Joe Negron (R) (as Mark Foley)
Illinois - 06 - Roskam (R) over Duckworth by less than 1000 votes
Illinois - 08 - Melissa Bean (D)
Illinois - 10 - Mark Kirk (R)
Texas - 22 - Shelley Sekula-Gibbs (R) will pull off a surprise

Final overall numbers GOP will lose 3 seats in the Senate and lose 10 seats in the House


If my predictions are wrong then what? I will be disappointed, but I certainly won't be falling apart in despair. Maybe some good would come of it:

- Perhaps the US needs a reminder why power shifted to the GOP.
- We will get to see the Dems disappointed in their elected officials
- The Democrats will implode in a fight between the far left kooks and those who want
continued existence of the party
- The Dems will face a lose - lose situation: If they move to impeach, they will be exposed for
being too radical. If they do not move to impeach, those who elected them will be furious
- Conservative blogs get to do a little offensive work for a change

In any event, I will not get a chance to post on the election for nearly a week. My wife and I are flying out tomorrow to head to Hawaii for an early celebration of our anniversary. However the election turns out, we can all be thankful to live here (as Michael Medved calls it) "the greatest nation on God's green earth". God Bless America. See you in a week.

Can the GOP Survive the Liberal Full Court Press

We will know on Tuesday if the GOP can survive what I call a liberal full court press. For those not familiar with this basketball term, here is a brief description: In basketball the court is divided into two halves for each side. When the other team gets the ball on your goal side, usually you run back to the goal you are defending. Sometimes you run what is called a full court press. Each of your team immediately runs to the player they are defending against and “presses” them to make a mistake and turnover the ball.

Those who want the GOP out of power have been putting a full court press on them for at least three years now. There has been a steady stream of books designed to make the GOP – specifically the Bush administration look bad. As each book comes out, members of the liberal media establishment greedily open their shows to interview the authors and highlight their handiwork.

The media has taken every whiff of everything resembling a mistake, failure, impropriety or scandal among the GOP and squeezed every last drop out of them; extending them for days and days. When these occur among the Dems, the media may reluctantly report them. However, it always is in the prism of minimizing it, casting doubt about it. Always, the news cycles are far fewer than those on the GOP side. Liberal groups have also tirelessly contributed to the full court press using the internet, media, educational institutions, unions and many more to get out a message of anger, hatred and protest at every opportunity.

The fact that the GOP is dealing with the difficulties in Iraq in a war that has become unpopular, combined with other GOP missteps has placed them in a very vulnerable position. Combined with the full court press described above, the election should be a Democrat blowout. In reality a Dem victory is predicted based on odds. There are very few GOP pickups that are polling in favor of the GOP. There are polls showing a Dem pickup. However, most hopes for a Dem pickup are still in the “toss-up” column. Those hoping and fearing a Dem victory think that the Dems will win half or more of the toss-ups. This is the basis for predictions of a Dem takeover. It is a sad statement against the Dems that they are not well beyond a prediction of a win based only on “odds”. I have posted my overall predictions here. I hope to get some individual race predictions tomorrow. On Tuesday we will know whose predictions are right and if the GOP will survive the full court press.

The Election On Iraq Head Scratcher

We keep hearing that this election will be all about Iraq. What does that mean exactly? If the Dems win, does that mean we should pull out of Iraq leaving thousands to die like the massacre after we left Vietnam? Or does it simply mean the Dems dance around yelling "We were right and you were wrong", but Bush still stays the course. If the Dems push hard for a pull-out and a massacre occurs leaving Iraq an enemy state, how will the Dems survive any election in the future? If the Dems do not push to leave Iraq, will people wonder what all the hot air was about? So if the GOP losing somehow makes a point about Iraq; if the GOP retains the congress, does that mean the people have spoken and that we are to stay in Iraq? It is funny how whenever they frame an election on an issue, they only focus on the issue one way. It is certainly a head scratcher.

In less than a week, we will know the results. If polls were votes, the Dems would be in control. Polls are not votes, and there are so many toss-ups the election will be determined by voter turnout. I think the turnout will surprise people. More GOP than expected will come out and less Dems than expected will vote. For this reason I am staying with my prediction of the GOP retaining control of both houses. However, I am going to have to change my numbers. I am going to go fully with Barron's and add 1 more loss to each house than I predicted before. The GOP will lose 3 seats in the Senate and 8 seats in the House.