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If you care to hear South Dakota Public Radio's story on the permanent campaign you need to get a life. You can also go to this site and listen to it. I think the most important information to come out...

The Hergert mess continues: Now that Dave Hergert has refused to resign, state lawmakers will restart a legal and political fight over whether the University of Nebraska Regent can be impeached. But another option exists at the periphery of the...

War games seen as 'message'

A joint Chinese and Russian military exercise set to begin tomorrow is meant as a political signal to the United States, in addition to helping Moscow showcase its weapons for sale to China, U.S. defense and intelligence officials said yesterday.

Join in with the ostrich wing of the Donks - close your eyes and repeat the mantra: "The cold war is over. The threat from Russia is gone."

On the other hand...more realistically, it behooves us to keep our powder dry.

Kremlin Not Amused By Life of This Party

The Russian National Bolshevik Party seems to be rocking the boat over there a bit.

National Bolsheviks? National Socialists? How much difference in meaning is there in those names? Not helping matters, the NB's have adopted the style of the old 3rd Reich flag - with a hammer and sickle in place of the swastika. Now THAT's a way to catch attention in Russia - which still has some collective nightmares of WW2.

This one may bear some watching, since they seem to be galvanizing some support fairly quickly.

A couple of articles covering the disclosure that early info on Mohammed Atta's terrorist activities was ignored repeatedly, firstly by the Bubba Clinton administration, and later by the 9-11 Commission itself.

It's worth noting that the Chief's survey of MSM on-line finds almost no mention of this story from the likes of the NYT, WaPo, etc. Bully for Fox News, and the NY Post - at least THEY are reporting on this, along with the blogosphere, and the line-up of talk radio like Hannity, Savage, Limbaugh, et al. One wonders how long it will be before there is any recognition in the major MSM that there was/is a problem with this.

Based on this, the credibility of the Commission is worth zip, but this should be no surprise with Commissioner Jamie Gore-lick being a major player in the intel breakdown during the Clinton era. The fix is in! No wonder there are calls for a new commission reported by the NY Post.

From Star Parker: A group of wealthy Democratic Party partisans has announced a new partnership called the Democratic Alliance, through which millions of dollars will be funneled to a network of new and existing liberal think tanks to compete with...

Shane Osborn is eyeing a senate run. His connection to South Dakota? He was born in Mitchell. From the 7/17/05 Mitchell Daily Republic:A Senate run could be in the future for former Navy aviator Shane Osborn. Osborn, who now lives...

The Chief received the following via e-mail. This correspondent of his, a former USN active-duty shipmate, added his pithy comments to an AP story.

For your consideration:

Aug. 13, 2005, 10:33PM Associated Press Bush backers join Crawford showdown Counter-rallies are prompted by anti-war group

CRAWFORD - A grieving mother's anti-war protest entered its second week, gaining momentum and spurring counter-rallies, as hundreds of people with conflicting opinions about the war in Iraq descended Saturday on a road leading to the Western White House.

More than 350 anti-war demonstrators gathered at a park near downtown, then moved the rally several miles away to the peace vigil's makeshift campsite along the road to President Bush's ranch.

"Who knew that the beginning of the end of the occupation in Iraq was going to start last Saturday in Crawford, Texas?" said Cindy Sheehan of Vacaville, Calif.,

She is delusional. Her fifteen minutes of fame has gone to her head.

who started the protest Aug. 6 in memory of her 24-year-old son, Casey, who was killed in Iraq last year.

I doubt her son would support what she's doing.

As about a dozen Bush supporters stood across the street holding signs, down from more than 250 who gathered there Saturday morning, one exchange became heated. A Bush supporter approached an anti-war veteran, and they stood chest to chest as deputies tried to separate them.

When the veteran shouted about his wartime experiences and yelled, "I earned the right to be here!" several of his fellow protesters subdued him, moving him away as he sobbed and his knees buckled.

Who knows if he's really a veteran. You can tell people anything and they will believe it. If I told people I met Mick Jagger some place they'd believe it. If I told them I was in Vietnam they'd believe it. If I told them I sat the bench on some OSU football team and that Woody Hayes chewed me out a few times, they'd believe it.

Sheriff's deputies and Secret Service agents otherwise kept the groups on opposite sides of the road, and no one was arrested. The morning pro-Bush rally was organized by Darrell Ankarlo, a conservative radio talk-show host for KLIF in Dallas, who said, "In my heart of hearts I believe that we're trying to do the right thing" in Iraq.

I think we are too.

He also asked to meet with Sheehan, but she agreed only to meet privately Saturday evening with Bush supporters whose relatives have died in Iraq.

She might be putting herself into some emotional buzz saw with this move.

The 250-plus Bush supporters stood in the blazing sun for a few hours in a ditch across the street from the campsite. Most waved American flags and held signs, including "Help! I'm surrounded by America hating idiots!"

He's probably right.

"I feel sorry for Cindy, but I think she went about this the wrong way," said Bill Garrett, of Dallas, a member of Protest Warrior, a group that frequently holds counterprotests to anti-war rallies. "Somebody's got to stand up to them."

This is true.

The first counter-rally was Friday night, organized by another conservative radio talk-show host, Mike Gallagher. He brought many of the 100 Bush supporters by bus to the anti-war group's campsite, and the pro-Bush side waved flags, sang patriotic songs and chanted, "Go, George, go!"

Mike wants publicity for his show.

But Tim Origer, who lost his left leg above the knee when he was a 19-year-old Marine fighting in Vietnam, said Saturday that believing the war with Iraq is wrong does not diminish the protesters' support for the soldiers.

Again.....a real vet or someone who lost his leg on his motorcycle? I've seen guys who say they were in Nam who, even in 1975 when it ended, weren't old enough to be there. I'd say that someone has to be at least 47 to have been in Nam at the end.

"When Iraqi Freedom started, it looked so much like Vietnam that I couldn't be quiet," said Origer, who lives in Santa Fe, N.M., and is a member of Veterans for Peace. "It's real easy to say war is good when you don't have to be in it." The campsite of tents and anti-war banners has swelled to several hundred people some days but has a core group of about 100. They sing songs, chat and plan strategy each day on the shoulders of two intersecting side roads that form a triangle with Prairie Chapel Road, which leads to Bush's ranch.

Stevie Wonder can see that these people don't have jobs. What job lets you go and spend a week at a anti-war rally.

They vow to remain until Bush meets with Sheehan and the group's other grieving parents or until the end of his monthlong ranch visit.

Gimme a break. They won't do that. Bush will outlast them. They'll give up in about two weeks....except the six who decide stick it out.

Bush has said that he sympathizes with Sheehan but hasn't said whether he will talk to her. Two administration officials met with her last weekend.

If I were Bush I would not talk to her as it won't do him any good.
- - - - - - - - -

Just the viewpoint and words of a non-activist friend. H/T/ to this former shipmate, and regular Texas guy. I've heard a LOT worse commentary on this, and other issues.

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