She's happy


He's not

Mohammed and Omar

The people have won

(All emphasis ours)

We would love to share what we did this morning with the whole world, we can't describe the feelings we've been through but we'll try to share as much as we can with you.

We woke up this morning one hour before the alarm clock was supposed to ring. As a matter of fact, we barely slept at all last night out of excitement and anxiety.

The first thing we saw this morning on our way to the voting center was a convoy of the Iraqi army vehicles patrolling the street, the soldiers were cheering the people marching towards their voting centers then one of the soldiers chanted "vote for Allawi" less than a hundred meters, the convoy stopped and the captain in charge yelled at the soldier who did that and said:

"You're a member of the military institution and you have absolutely no right to support any political entity or interfere with the people's choice. This is Iraq's army, not Allawi's".

This was a good sign indeed and the young officer's statement was met by applause from the people on the street.
The streets were completely empty except for the Iraqi and the coalition forces ' patrols, and of course kids seizing the chance to play soccer!

We had all kinds of feelings in our minds while we were on our way to the ballot box except one feeling that never came to us, that was fear.
We could smell pride in the atmosphere this morning; everyone we saw was holding up his blue tipped finger with broad smiles on the faces while walking out of the center.

I couldn't think of a scene more beautiful than that.
From the early hours of the morning, People filled the street to the voting center in my neighborhood; youths, elders, women and men. Women's turn out was higher by the way. And by 11 am the boxes where I live were almost full!
Anyone watching that scene cannot but have tears of happiness, hope, pride and triumph.

The sounds of explosions and gunfire were clearly heard, some were far away but some were close enough to make the windows of the center shake but no one seemed to care about them as if the people weren't hearing these sounds at all.
I saw an old woman that I thought would get startled by the loud sound of a close explosion but she didn't seem to care, instead she was busy verifying her voting station's location as she found out that her name wasn't listed in this center.

How can I describe it!? Take my eyes and look through them my friends, you have supported the day of Iraq's freedom [The Ponderosa: Well -- SOME of us have.] and today, Iraqis have proven that they're not going to disappoint their country or their friends.

Is there a bigger victory than this? I believe not.

I still recall the first group of comments that came to this blog 14 months ago when many of the readers asked "The Model?"… "Model for what?"
Take a look today to meet the model of courage and human desire to achieve freedom; people walking across the fire to cast their votes.

Could any model match this one!? Could any bravery match the Iraqis'!?
Let the remaining tyrants of the world learn the lesson from this day.

The media is reporting only explosions and suicide attacks that killed and injured many Iraqis s far but this hasn't stopped the Iraqis from marching towards their voting stations with more determination. Iraqis have truly raced the sun.

I walked forward to my station, cast my vote and then headed to the box, where I wanted to stand as long as I could, then I moved to mark my finger with ink, I dipped it deep as if I was poking the eyes of all the world's tyrants.
I put the paper in the box and with it, there were tears that I couldn't hold; I was trembling with joy and I felt like I wanted to hug the box but the supervisor smiled at me and said "brother, would you please move ahead, the people are waiting for their turn".

Yes brothers, proceed and fill the box!
These are stories that will be written on the brightest pages of history.

It was hard for us to leave the center but we were happy because we were sure that we will stand here in front of the box again and again and again.
Today, there's no voice louder than that of freedom.

No more confusion about what the people want, they have said their word and they said it loud and the world has got to respct and support the people's will.

God bless your brave steps sons of Iraq and God bless the defenders of freedom.

Aasha Al-Iraq ...Aasha Al-Iraq ... Aasha Al-Iraq.



-more-

It's clear to whom this day belongs: To the incredibly brave Iraqis, who gallantly and literally gave the Jihadists the finger; to the men and women of the U.S. armed forces -- and their much slandered coalition allies -- and their families; to the Bush Administration for having the courage to attempt the difficult, when kicking the problem down the road to the next president would have been the politically expedient thing to do; and to those of us who have steadfastly supported regime change in Iraq and the spread of civilization to a region stuck in the 8th century.

In the past two months alone, 50 million people have emerged from under the veil that for so long smothered all hope. It is our hope that more will follow -- Iran, Syria, Egypt ...

While the likes of Michael "Minutemen" Moore, Ted Kennedy, John Kerry and the kiddies at MoveOn.org screech of crackpot conspiracy theories, quagmires and "failure to win the peace" -- providing aid and comfort to the hellions who blew themselves to an early Hell while murdering three dozen Iraqis who were merely exercising their God-given right to self-determination -- and childishly mock and deride the president as a "moron" and a "chimp", it is they whom history will regard as punch lines to bad jokes.

Small people leave small legacies (see: Bill Clinton). Whiners, cavillers and charlatans (see: Michael Moore) leave none.

Like Reagan before him, who brought down the Soviet Union while all the "smart" people said it couldn't be done, this president stands to go down as a liberator. And when the job is finally done in that region, we will have little to fear from the Jihadists, who must already be feeling their world closing in on them.

Free societies do not produce suicide bombers.

We are proud to stand with this president and the Iraqi people in this moment of triumph. We ask our Iraqi friends to remember that 1776 did not mark the end of our struggle. Freedom will be hard and its costs high (see: U.S. Civil War). But it will be worth it for them and for us.

God bless Iraq.

God bless America.

DU Moonbats mourn Iraqis' new found freedom

The Iraq vote is making me sick this morning

Bad, bad, bad, bad, bad "Americans", these kids.

-more-

Hypocrites, Pt. II

"But since the politics of privatization depend on convincing the public that there is a Social Security crisis, the privatizers have done their best to invent one."

--Paul Krugman, reason to ignore the NY Times AND send your child anywhere but Princeton

Krugman on the SS crisis prior to being infected with the Bush Hater virus

Hat tip to QandO!


But wait -- there's MORE!
(all emphasis ours)

"Save Social Security First"?
Just a few years ago, Democrats talked about a crisis they now deny exists.

The latest line of attack against President Bush's still-unformed plan to reform the Social Security system is the charge that the White House is manufacturing a phony Social Security "crisis" to sell its proposal. "The fabricated crisis is the hallmark of the Bush presidency," Washington Post columnist Harold Meyerson wrote this week. "To attain goals that he had set for himself before he took office - the overthrow of Saddam Hussein, the privatization of Social Security - he concocted crises where there were none." A number of other commentators, and also some news reporters, have joined in the same theme in recent weeks.

...

In 1998, the major policy question in Washington was what to do with enormous anticipated federal budget surpluses. Republicans, arguing that a surplus meant the government was taking in too much money, wanted to cut taxes. Clinton wanted to kill any tax-cut proposal before it had a chance to gather support. So in his 1998 State of the Union speech, he came up with a famous slogan.

"What should we do with this projected surplus?" Clinton said. "I have a simple four-word answer: Save Social Security first."

Soon Clinton was going around the country, touting a coming Social Security "crisis." All of his administration's economic achievements, he said in February 1998, "are threatened by the looming fiscal crisis in Social Security." There should be no new spending — or, more importantly, no tax cuts — "before we take care of the crisis in Social Security that is looming when the baby boomers retire."

A number of Clinton's arguments back then sound uncannily like Bush's today, if one makes a few adjustments for newly revised figures on Social Security's finances. "We have a great opportunity now to take action now to avert a crisis in the Social Security system," Clinton said, again in February 1998. "By 2030, there will be twice as many elderly as there are today, with only two people working for every person drawing Social Security. After 2032, contributions from payroll taxes will only cover 75 cents on the dollar of current benefits. So we must act, and act now, to save Social Security." [The Ponderosa: Of course, he didn't act, but that was his style -- kick the hard problems down the road to the next guy (see: Saddam Hussein) ].

...

... But Social Security remained a potent rhetorical weapon. In September, Vice President Al Gore went to the Capitol for a Social Security pep rally with congressional Democrats, including House Minority Leader Richard Gephardt, Sen. Edward Kennedy, Sen. Barbara Boxer, and others. Gore said that in coming years — by 2032 — "Social Security faces a serious fiscal crisis." Everyone in the group stayed remarkably on-message as they warned that the future was dire.

"Save Social Security first," said Gore.

"Save Social Security first," said Gephardt.

"Save Social Security first," said Kennedy.

"Save Social Security first," said Boxer.

...

-more-

Condoms, yes; name-calling, no

'No Name-Calling' plan grows despite gripes over gay theme

NEW YORK - Using a young readers' novel called The Misfits as its centerpiece, middle schools nationwide will participate in a "No Name-Calling Week" initiative starting today. The program, now in its second year, has the backing of groups from the Girl Scouts to Amnesty International but has also drawn complaints that it overemphasizes harassment of gay youths.

The initiative was developed by the New York-based Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network, which seeks to ensure that schools safely accommodate students of all sexual orientations. The group worked with James Howe, the openly gay author of The Misfits.

"Gay students aren't the only kids targeted; this isn't about special rights for them," Howe said. "But the fact is that 'faggot' is probably the most common insult at schools." advertisement

The Misfits deals with four much-taunted middle-schoolers - one of them gay - who run for the student council on a platform advocating an end to nasty name-calling.

Organizers are unsure how many schools will participate in this week's event but says 5,100 educators from 36 states have registered, up from 4,000 last year. Participation in a related writing-music-art contest rose from 100 students last year to 1,600 this year; the winning poem was written by Sue Anna Yeh, a 13-year-old from Sugar Land, Texas.

"No Name-Calling Week" takes aim at insults of all kinds, whether based on a child's appearance, background or behavior. But a handful of conservative critics have zeroed in on the references to harassment based on sexual orientation.

"I hope schools will realize it's less an exercise in tolerance than a platform for liberal groups to promote their pan-sexual agenda," said Robert Knight, director of Concerned Women for America's Culture and Family Institute.

"You can teach civility to kids and tell them every child is valued without conveying the message that failure to accept homosexuality as normal is a sign of bigotry."

In Iowa, complaints by scores of parents about the gay themes in The Misfits prompted the Pleasant Valley School Board to rule that teachers could no longer read it aloud to elementary school classes.

In Colorado, lawmakers last year rejected a proposal to declare a statewide "No Name-Calling Week" in conjunction with the inaugural Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network-backed event. House Majority Leader Keith King said he was concerned about fostering a "victim's mentality" and argued that children should be taught to ignore taunts.

Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm issued a proclamation recognizing the event. More than 40 national organizations have enlisted as partners, including the Girl Scouts, the national associations of elementary and secondary school principals, and the National Education Association.

-more-

OK, lessee if we got this straight ... we gotta do away with: letter grades, wrong answers, keeping score in sports and, now, name-calling.

Great way to prepare these kids for the real world.

When I was a boy, somebody called you a name, you called 'em a name back. I used to walk like a duck (now I walk like George Jefferson). There were fat kids. Ugly kids. Dumb kids. We all made fun of each other. Nobody shot up the school, and when lines were crossed, we'd simply deck our antagonist.

Man, what a bunch of pantywaists the next generation is gonna be ... we'd better win the Terror War while we still can!

Hypocrites, Part I

"I don't like to impugn anyone's integrity, but I really don't like being lied to repeatedly, flagrantly, intentionally," he said. "It's wrong. It's undemocratic, it's un-American, and it's dangerous.

"And it is occurring far too frequently in this administration. And this Congress, this Senate must demand that it stop now."

--Senator Mark "Evacuatin'" Dayton

The Senator must take particular umbrage at being "lied" to by his fellow Dems, including a couple, two, t'ree high-ranking Moonbats:

"If Saddam rejects peace and we have to use force, our purpose is clear. We want to seriously diminish the threat posed by Iraq's weapons of mass destruction program."
--President Bill Clinton, DEMOCRAT, Feb. 17, 1998

"He will use those weapons of mass destruction again, as he has ten times since 1983."
--Sandy Berger, Clinton National Security Adviser, DEMOCRAT, Feb, 18, 1998

"Saddam Hussein has been engaged in the development of weapons of mass destruction technology which is a threat to countries in the region and he has made a mockery of the weapons inspection process."
--Representative Nancy Pelosi (CA), DEMOCRAT, Dec. 16, 1998

"Hussein has ... chosen to spend his money on building weapons of mass destruction and palaces for his cronies."
-- Madeline Albright, Clinton Secretary of State, DEMOCRAT, Nov. 10, 1999

"We know that he has stored secret supplies of biological and chemical weapons throughout his country."
-- Former Vice President, Al Gore, DEMOCRAT, Sept. 23, 2002

"We have known for many years that Saddam Hussein is seeking and developing weapons of mass destruction."
-- Senator (MA) Ted Kennedy, DEMOCRAT, Sept. 27, 2002

"There is unmistakable evidence that Saddam Hussein is working aggressively to develop nuclear weapons and will likely have nuclear weapons within the next five years ... We also should remember we have always underestimated the progress Saddam has made in development of weapons of mass destruction."
-- Senator (WV) Jay Rockefeller, DEMOCRAT, Oct 10, 2002

"In the four years since the inspectors left, intelligence reports show that Saddam Hussein has worked to rebuild his chemical and biological weapons stock, his missile delivery capability, and his nuclear program. He has also given aid, comfort, and sanctuary to terrorists, including al Qaeda members ... It is clear, however, that if left unchecked, Saddam Hussein will continue to increase his capacity to wage biological and chemical warfare, and will keep trying to develop nuclear weapons."
-- Senator (NY) Hillary Clinton, DEMOCRAT, Oct 10, 2002

"We are in possession of what I think to be compelling evidence that Saddam Hussein has, and has had for a number of years, a developing capacity for the production and storage of weapons of mass destruction."
-- Senator (FL) Bob Graham, DEMOCRAT, Dec. 8, 2002

"Without question, we need to disarm Saddam Hussein. He is a brutal, murderous dictator, leading an oppressive regime ... He presents a particularly grievous threat because he is so consistently prone to miscalculation ... And now he is miscalculating America's response to his continued deceit and his consistent grasp for weapons of mass destruction ... So the threat of Saddam Hussein with weapons of mass destruction is real..."
-- Senator (MA) JOHN KERRY, Jan. 23. 2003

Frickin' Internet ... can't get away with ANYTHING anymore ... Oh, for the halcyon days of Dan, Peter and Tom ...!

Thanks to fellow Freeper Dustin Hawkins ...

Milwaukee fraud update

Task force to probe Milwaukee election


This state could go red yet!

WA State vote fraud ... continued

Scores of felons voted illegally
[all emphasis ours]

Scores of convicted felons voted illegally in the state's 2004 general election, and officials never noticed because of serious flaws in the system for tracking them, The Seattle Times has found.

The Times, reviewing felony convictions as far back as 1997, identified 129 felons in King and Pierce counties who were recorded as having voted in the Nov. 2 election. Another 23 likely voted. Several methods were used to confirm the findings.

Either the counties failed to flag or purge felons on the voter rolls as required by state law, or they allowed them to register without checking their status. Some were even mailed absentee ballots and returned them unchallenged.

The findings are almost certain to add to an already contentious debate over whether Democratic Gov. Christine Gregoire's victory was legitimate.

After three vote counts in the race for governor, Gregoire was declared the winner by a record-close 129 votes over Republican Dino Rossi, fueling more than two months of controversy about how well — or poorly — the election was managed.

-more-

Hmmmm ... 129+ felons voted ... a 129 vote margin of victory ... wonder who the felons voted for ... I know who I'd vote for were I a felon ...

Yoooo hoooooo ... Main Stream Meeedi-aaaaa .... Senator Boxer? Jesse? Anyone?

People -- most of whom don't have jobs ANYWAY -- having to wait in line to vote in Ohio is an OUTRAGE! Criminals providing the margin of victory in Washington is not.

Johnny, Tonight!

We'd be remiss if we didn't note with sadness the passing of one of our childhood heroes, Johnny Carson.

The confluence of MAD Magazine, Britcoms and Johnny formed our unique senses of humor (we never much cared for SNL).


Johnny as Floyd R. Turbo, American: "I'm here to rebut his butt!"

We had a radio that could pick up TV signals, so, radio stuffed furtively under Hoss' pillow (or was that Hoss?), we were able to listen to the monologue and much of the show before falling asleep. We'd make tape recordings where we acted out our own "Tonight Shows". Buzzcut even went as Johnny one Halloween, complete with grey hair and theme music!


Johnny describes Ed's bar tab

Carnac, Floyd R. Turbo, "The Edge of Wetness", The Might Carson Art Players and, always, the monologue. Buzzcut's 8th grade classmates would wait anxiously for his re-enactment of the previous night's monologue: "It was so hot in Los Angeles today ..." ["How hot was it?"] "It was so hot I saw Orson Welles selling shade!" [Ed: "HUH, huh, huh!"]

Godspeed, Mr. Carson, and thanks for a million laughs!


"We have with us a visitor from the East"

Iraqi political ads

MEMRI TV

The last one is particularly touching.

Keep it in mind when you see clips on the nightly news of The Boozehound (Kennedy), The Moonbat (Boxer) and The Kleagel (Byrd) berating Condi Rice.

New HammerFall vid up ...

... and it kicks arse!

Blood Bound from the forthcoming "Chapter V: Unbent, Unbowed, Unbroken".



The giant arm and hammer coming out of the snow RULES!




HammerFall -- The Official Website

We say, "Break out the panties"

Iraqis Capture Senior Aide to Zarqawi

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Iraq (news - web sites) announced the capture of a senior aide to leading militant Abu Musab al-Zarqawi on Monday, hours after Zarqawi claimed responsibility for a suicide car bombing near the offices of Prime Minister Iyad Allawi.

The interim government said it had seized Abu Omar al-Kurdi, accused of masterminding some of the country's worst car bombings, in a raid in Baghdad nine days ago.

It did not say why it had waited until now to announce his capture. Privately, one government official cast doubt on the significance of the arrest and said its announcement was a bid to boost the government's popularity ahead of Sunday's election.

Abu Omar, also known as Sami Mohammed al-Jafi, is blamed for over 30 bombings including an attack on the U.N. headquarters in August 2003 that killed special envoy Sergio Vieira de Mello and 20 others.

The government says he also planned a blast in Najaf the same month, which killed 80, including a top Shi'ite cleric.

"Kurdi has confessed to some 75 percent of the car bombs that were used for attacks in Baghdad since March 2003 and to making the explosives used in the attack on the Jordanian embassy in Aug. 2003," government spokesman Thair al-Naqib said.

The government said Abu Omar had received instructions from Zarqawi to carry out bomb attacks on election day -- precisely the sort of assault the government, opposition figures, voters and international observers fear.

...

-more-

This piece of dung clearly holds information that could lead to the capture of Zarqawi and save countless lives, to say nothing of delivering a crushing blow to the terrorists continued existence in Iraq.

The bad news is, we can't get tough with al-Kurdi lest Senator Kennedy and the New York Times editorial board get their pink panties in a wad ...

The good news is, he is being held by the Iraqis. Hopefully they are well trained in water boarding.

Moore's Minutemen

"The Iraqis who have risen up against the occupation are not "insurgents" or "terrorists" or "The Enemy." They are the REVOLUTION, the Minutemen, and their numbers will grow -- and they will win. Get it, Mr. Bush?"

Corpulent, reprehensible, anti-American Michael Moore, April 14, 2004

Al-Qaida Leader in Iraq Declares 'fierce War' on Democracy

BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) - Iraq's most feared terror chief declared a "fierce war" on democracy in a new audio recording posted Sunday on the Web, as insurgents attacked another polling station to be used in next weekend's landmark elections.

...

In the audiotape, a speaker identifying himself as Abu Musab al-Zarqawi - the leader of Iraq's al-Qaida affiliate - called candidates running in the elections "demi-idols" and said those who vote for them "are infidels."

"We have declared a fierce war on this evil principle of democracy and those who follow this wrong ideology," [emphasis ours] the speaker said. "Anyone who tries to help set up this system is part of it" - a clear warning to both candidates and those who choose to vote.

The speaker warned Iraqis to be careful of "the enemy's plan to implement so-called democracy in your country." He said the Americans have engineered the election to install Shiite Muslims in power.

...

-more-

We shouldn't have to explain the difference between the Minutemen and the "insurgents" in Iraq -- most kindergartners can grasp this -- but Mr. Moore, the world's largest natural reserve of methane, is a touch -- daft.

Mikey, the Minutemen were fighting for Liberty and self-determination. Seems to me, based on the words of your buddy above, the terrorists -- and that IS what they are -- are striving for just the opposite.

GET IT, FAT HEAD?!

Our fave Moonbat sign ...

"I support the insurgents in Iraq and Palestine"

Fortunately for this scruffy miscreant, brave National Guardsmen - who this fellow would prefer to have killed by the "insurgents" -- were stationed a few feet away, preventing this pantywaist from getting his rarely washed (though, we'd wager, recently buggered) arse kicked.

Honorable Mention: A porcine lad sported a sticker reading: "Pigs are Friends Not Food". We guess, in his case, it was a statement against cannibalism.

Judging by the the fellow's circumference, he must be downing truckloads of humus and sprouts.

Our Inaugural Experience ...

Before we start bashing the Moonbats, a few pics from the Free Republic Inaugural Ball ...



The Marine and the Metal Head

Our girlfriends met and started yacking, so we did what off duty Marines and Metallions do best: Knock back a few adult beverages.

In between, we had a pretty good conversation and he reaffirmed our belief that our fighting men are not only among the bravest of Americans, but among the best as well, owing to both the power of their bodies and the strength of their characters. We were called "Sir" more times in two days than in a whole year of buying beer from cute teenage cashiers at Wegman's.





Mr. Buzzcut Meets the Iraqis

The guys who aren't Mr. Buzzcut are (obviously) the Iraqis ...

Hamid, the dude on the left is a candidate in the elections on the 30th. Extremely brave guy who Kerry would undoubtedly calumny as a puppet of the Bush Administration ...

It was one of the greatest moments of my political life when he told me, and I paraphrase: "Most Iraqis want this (democracy) and know that we could not do it without America and we thank you and will not forget." I don't tear up a lot -- especially when buzzed (unless I'm watching a Flyers choke), but ... Nice to know most Iraqis understand what's at stake better than the majority of the domestic "loyal" opposition.




He's gotta be thinking: "Is this what freedom creates? Hmmmm ...... bring this man a burqa!"




This dude's name is Nofel ... he is thanking American parents for sending their sons and daughters to help the sons and daughters of Iraqis to be free. Another "choke up" moment.



This cat wailed on the keys with the jazz group that jammed in the hotel lounge Wednesday night ... He was impressed that I could hold a shot, a beer and a cigar in one hand!

More to follow ...

The Ponderosa goes to DC

Hoss, Little Joe, Adam and Ben are loadin' up the horses gettin' ready to ride east ... we'll be back by the weekend, hopefully with loads of play-by-play, pics, and Moonbat Encounters for y'all!

The lovely and brilliant Michelle Malkin ...

... provides a clearing house for Wisconsin vote fraud info ...

WISCONSIN'S ELECTION FRAUD SCANDAL: WHERE'S THE MSM/DEM OUTRAGE?


Boxer, Conyers, phone your orifices!

Exciting new feature: Lyrics To Instrumental TV Theme Songs

What's Happening!!

(Sung to the tune of "Theme from What's Happening")

Wha-a wha-a wha-a wha-a wha-a-at's happening-ing?
Roger-Dwayne-Rerun, shirley, Mama and Dee.
Wha-a wha-a wha-a wha-a wha-a-at's happening-ing?
Hey Hey Hey Hey, whiiii-iiich Doo-oobie you be?

After school they all go to Rob's Place,
Rerun proceeds to stuff his fat face,
Some hot mama puts Dwayne right in his place,
And Raj does that ri-dic-ulous robot dance.

Wha-a wha-a wha-a wha-a wha-a-at's happening-ing?
Gimme some sugar -- Mama I can't --
Gimme some sugar -- Mama I can't --
Gimme some sugar -- Mama I can't breathe!

AG nominee in grave danger of being crushed to death!

Kennedy 'Leaning Against' Gonzales

Klassless Kerry Kops King Konfab with Konspiracy Krap

Fresh from his America-bashing tour of Mideast capitals ...
(all emphasis ours)

Kerry criticizes election outcome at MLK Day breakfast

BOSTON— U.S. Sen. John Kerry, in some of his most pointed public comments yet about November's presidential election, invoked Martin Luther King Jr.'s legacy on Monday as he criticized President Bush and decried reports of voter disenfranchisement on election day.

Kerry, Bush's Democratic challenger, spoke at Boston's annual Martin Luther King Day Breakfast. He reiterated that he decided not to challenge the election results, but went on to say that "thousands of people were suppressed in the effort to vote."[The Ponderosa: Yeah, overseas military personnel. ]

"Voting machines were distributed in uneven ways. In Democratic districts, it took people four, five, eleven hours [The Ponderosa: WHAAAT!? Buuuullllll! ] to vote, while Republicans sorted through in ten minutes - same voting machines, same process, our America," [The Ponderosa: Your constituents, your officials. ]he said.

In his comments, Kerry also compared the democracy-building efforts in Iraq with voting in the U.S., saying that Americans had their names purged from voting lists and were kept from casting ballots.[The Ponderosa: We know them as FELONS and THE DEAD! If Mother Buzzcut is reading, she might want to avert her gaze for a minutes ... ]

"We're here to celebrate the life of a man who if he were here today would make it clear to us what our agenda is [The Ponderosa: "I have a PLAN!" ], and nothing would be made more clear on that agenda that in a nation which is willing to spend several hundred million dollars in Iraq to bring them democracy, we cannot tolerate that too many people here in America were denied that democracy[The Ponderosa: Dude is just prick. Blecch. ] Kerry said.

-more-

Ah, nothing like fomenting discontent on MLK Day with false tales -- well, execrable LIES -- of "denied" democracy. To our black readers, we ask this: Isn't it nice to know that the party that claims to care so deeply for you looks upon you like malleable little feebs who can be inflamed and manipulated by their by demogagouery into marching in lock step to the polls every 4 years?

We got news for you: They benefit only if you remain in a constant state of dependency ... give us a try next time ... school choice, free market social security and health care reform ... escape from the liberal plantation for once and for all!

Meanwhile, a liberal rag puts the lie to Kerry's ... errrm ... lies:
(all emphasis ours)
Delays at polls weren't a scheme

When they stood on the floor of Congress recently to protest [The Ponderosa: Howling at the moon. ] the results of Ohio's presidential vote, Democrats told a national audience about their suspicious hunch: People in Democratic strongholds were short-changed on voting machines on Election Day.[The Ponderosa: Ummm ... why would Dem officials in Dem "strongholds" short-change their own constituents? ]

Voter groups and activists have lobbed the same accusation for weeks. Long lines [The Ponderosa: We hear eleven hours! ] in urban areas, such as Cleveland, kept John Kerry supporters from voting, they say.

But a Plain Dealer analysis shows that, in Cuyahoga County at least, the elections board distributed machines equally to city and suburban polling locations.[The Ponderosa: Uh oh -- doesn't sound like "denied" democracy to us. ]

The long lines at some locations appear to be more the result of timing, new voters and overwhelmed poll workers, not necessarily a shortage of machines.

Before the Nov. 2 election, the elections board allotted each Cleveland precinct one machine for every 117 registered voters within its boundaries - the same ratio of machines that suburban precincts received.[The Ponderosa: Don't clutter the moonbats' minds with numbers. ]

In other words, the more registered voters a particular precinct had, the more machines it received, regardless of where that precinct was.

And in the end, the busiest precincts - when measured by the number of ballots cast per machine - were actually in the suburbs, not Cleveland ,"[The Ponderosa: The facts are getting even more inconvenient for the disenfranchisement kooks. ], according to a Plain Dealer analysis of records from the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections.

Countywide, voters cast an average of nearly 71 ballots on each of the county's 8,000 machines. In Cleveland alone, voters cast an average of 62 ballots per machine. In the suburbs, the average was 74.

Brook Park's Precinct 3A had the most ballots cast per machine, with 163. Voters in that precinct were among those casting ballots at City Hall.

...

spite charges that election officials failed to properly prepare for Election Day, it appears those in Cuyahoga County tried. In deciding how to distribute machines, the board used a liberal formula that included not only active voters but also inactive voters - those who had not shown up to the polls in years.

In Franklin County, which had some of the longest lines in Ohio on Election Day, officials distributed machines using a ratio based only on active voters.

Long lines did form at some of Cuyahoga's 584 polling locations. And those on Cleveland's East Side - where problems were most anticipated - received the most attention from politicians, voter groups and reporters on the lookout for glitches.

The lines formed for a number of reasons: waves of new voters; inexperienced or overwhelmed poll workers; a crush of voters during peak hours; and general confusion at larger polling sites that host multiple precincts.,"[The Ponderosa: This has Halliburton/Diebold written all over it! Somebody run to Arby's and inform Michael Moore! ]

...

Some voters complained of waits reaching 2½ hours [The Ponderosa: Sooooo ... that's 8 1/2 hours fewer than ELEVEN -- fricking Botox Boy! ].

...

Other groups are planning more analysis. Last week, two senior Democratic lawmakers - U.S. Reps. Henry Waxman of California and John Conyers of Michigan - asked the Government Accountability Office, the investigative arm of Congress, to find what caused the long lines in Ohio.[The Ponderosa: At least it will distract them from f--king up the economy. ]

Sharon McGraw, executive director of the League of Women Voters of Cleveland Educational Fund, has already done her analysis. She said "logjams" at some locations were partly the result of first-time voters relying on poorly trained or confused poll workers. She recently reviewed the Nov. 2 problems with other representatives of the league.

"It should move smoother, and part of it comes down to human errors, and part of that was confusion created by all the lawyers and everybody involved," she said.[The Ponderosa: Thank you Algore!. ]

One of Gigolo John's fave lines on the stump, especially while bloviating from the pulpit in black churches ("separation of church and state" only applies to the Right) had to do with A MILLION blacks being disenfranchised in 2000, an unproven and absurd assertion that has made it's way into the conventional wisdom as a result of mind-numbing repetition by the bleating voices of the Loony Left. Oddly, the heavily leftist Commission on Civil Rights could not prove that ANYONE was "disenfranchised".

Now it seems that America's fave pantywaist gasbag is hoping "The Myth of Ohio" will become conventional wisdom. That he would endeavour to hijack the holiday dedicated to a man who fought and gave his life to empower those who were TRULY disenfranchised merely further illustrates what we said so many times during the campaign: Money cannot buy class.

Damn, we dodged a bullet.

Kooks, whiners, babies flock to DC

Protesters plan to turn their backs on Bush

Thousands of unhappy Americans are also expected to converge here, braving unprecedented security to protest and party. There's a tactic for every taste, from traditional rallies and marches to quieter plans to "turn your back on Bush" along the Inaugural Parade route.

The Florida recount energized protesters [The Ponderosa: We were there -- so enraged were they at failing to steal that election that many forgot to bathe! ] at Bush's 2001 inauguration. The primary motivator this time is the war in Iraq. [The Ponderosa: The that one that pits the US and Iraqi forces against the Jihadists. ] Sgt. Scott Fear of the U.S. Park Police said authorities expect an activity level "very similar to last time." He said two of six protest permits went to groups supportive of Bush, the rest to opponents.

Act Now to Stop War and End Racism (ANSWER) [The Ponderosa: Well-documented as a communist front group. ], is putting up bleachers in a park along the Pennsylvania Avenue parade route. They'll be filled with opponents of the Iraq war, including veterans, elected officials, religious leaders and families that have lost relatives in Iraq.

Brian Becker, national coordinator of the protest, says 10,000 people will fit in the park and it is the first time the anti-war movement has had its own bleachers [The Ponderosa: We sincerely hope they PAID someone -- as foreign a concept that is to many of them -- to build those bleachers. Most of these people are only adept at packing their bongs!]. But he calls that only "a partial victory," contending inaugural organizers have severely limited public access along the rest of the parade route. ANSWER filed a court challenge to the restrictions Friday.

Leaders of TurnyourbackonBush.org also are concerned about limited space for public viewing. National organizer Jet Heiko says the group expects thousands of people from 41 states to travel here for a silent protest along the parade route. They have been told to leave anti-Bush buttons, banners and signs at home. They will signal their opposition to Bush's policies by turning their backs as his motorcade passes[The Ponderosa: Puerile behaviour befitting of those with an 8 year old's worldview. We wouldn't shocked if W resigns on the spot.]

The idea is to break through what they see as Bush's isolation from divergent views. [The Ponderosa: We've never quite understood this talking point. You win the election but you're supposed to endorse the ideas of the losers? Odd. ] Participants have been advised to stay calm and silent even if provoked by Bush supporters. [The Ponderosa: We remember some of the chicks from 2001 ... no way we're gonna risk enraging one of them!]

Unlike most protests, Heiko says, "there's no buffer" between participants and those who disagree with them. "This is a courageous action. It's a hard action," he says. "It's hard to restrain yourself when you're feeling angry." [The Ponderosa: Or when we're puffing our Arturo Fuentes in their faces!]

Such restraint does not appeal to all. "We ourselves think that there should be loud, visible, boisterous protests that are equal to what the gravity of the situation is in Iraq," says Becker of ANSWER.

The day promises to be a series of contrasts between gentility and abandon. Anarchist Resistance Call to Action says it plans to "bring anarchy to the streets of DC" during Bush's "coronation." Bicyclists plan to gather at Union Station, near the Capitol, for a "counter-inaugural critical mass bike ride" to protest sites around town. The D.C. Anti-War Network (DAWN) is calling for "non-violent civil disobedience die-ins to draw attention to the dead at the hands of the Bush administration."

At the Jefferson Memorial, ReDefeatBush is sponsoring a question-and-answer session on democracy featuring Thomas Jefferson and Alexis de Tocqueville [The Ponderosa: Puh-LEEZE -- TJ and AdT were NOT socialists! ] impersonators. At the Franklin D. Roosevelt Memorial, the satirical cabaret group Billionaires for Bush [The Ponderosa: More billionaire $$$ went to Kerry than Bush. ]will auction off Social Security, the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge [The Ponderosa: The wasteland that is home to billions of barrels of oil and not much else ]and "other public properties that need to be corporatized."

As Republican revelers crowd Inaugural Balls, the loyal opposition won't be bereft. For the serious-minded, there's a screening of a new documentary on civil rights activist Bayard Rustin, who organized the 1963 March on Washington. There's also a candlelight vigil sponsored by the American Friends Service Committee. It's part of "Eyes Wide Open," a traveling exhibit that uses boots, shoes and a 24-foot wall of names to symbolize troops and civilians killed in Iraq.

For the less earnest, counterinaugural balls run the gamut from the "Not my president!" punk rock ball to the Billionaires for Bush "Re-Coronation" ball ("dress to oppress"). A political action committee using its ball as a fundraiser advertises itself as "an exciting safe haven" for Democrats. ReDefeatBush, soon to become left.org, promises a "huge dinner buffet" and free drinks [The Ponderosa: Must be holding it at a homeless shelter.].
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It's too bad more of these folk don't put so much time and energy into their professional development.

Some of ya need to grow up!

Anti-Bush Bracelets Say, 'Count Me Blue'

NEW YORK - After spending 10 days in London with friends who were outspoken about their disdain for President Bush (news - web sites)'s policies, Berns Rothchild came home wishing she had a way to show the world she didn't vote for him.

"I sort of felt ashamed, and didn't really want to be associated with being an American," said Rothchild, who lives in New York City and voted for John Kerry. [The Ponderosa: Well, damn -- you're not REALLY an American anyway -- more a limp-wristed Euro-toddler! Vote for a traitor lately?!]

Her mother had a suggestion: bracelets, inspired by the Lance Armstrong Foundation's popular "LIVESTRONG" bands, that would signal opposition to Bush.

Thousands of miles away, two women in Idaho had the same idea. So did a woman in Kansas. The result? At least three separate bracelet ventures targeting left-leaning citizens who want to wear their political affiliation on their wrists — and at least one competitor bearing the opposite message.

Rothchild, 35, is selling blue bracelets that say "COUNT ME BLUE," while Laura Adams, of Fairway, Kan., offers blue bracelets that say "HOPE." The McKnight family, of Moscow, Idaho, is even more direct; their black bracelets proclaim: "I DID NOT VOTE 4 BUSH."

"It's kind of like saying, 'This is my tribe, " ... [The Ponderosa: We wonder if these gals know what the Mohammedans have in mind for them! Don't fear -- we'll protect you!]
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Awwwwright ... some of ya need a little of the wisdom most of us got when we were in nursery school: When things don't go your way ... MOVE THE F--K ON and take care of your own life!

We don't recall being so whiny in 1992 or '96, but then again we're CONSERVATIVES, and our well being depends on, well US -- not whomever is president.

Some of you need a gut check ... if ya have any GUTS to check ...

Can't imagine being in a foxhole with any of these folks ... "WE SURRENDER! WAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!"

Why we're better than them

Graner Found Guilty in Iraq Prisoner Abuse

FORT HOOD, Texas - Army Spc. Charles Graner Jr., the reputed ringleader of a band of rogue guards at the Abu Ghraib prison, was convicted Friday of abusing Iraqi detainees in a case that sparked international outrage when photographs were released that showed reservists gleefully torturing prisoners.

Graner, the first soldier to be tried on charges arising from the scandal, was convicted of all five charges and faces up to 17 1/2 years behind bars.

The jury took less than five hours to reach the verdict.

The verdict came after a five-day trial in which prosecutors depicted Graner as a sadistic soldier who took great pleasure in seeing detainees suffer. He was accused of stacking naked prisoners in a human pyramid and later ordering them to masturbate while other soldiers took photographs. He also allegedly punched one man in the head hard enough to knock him out, and struck an injured prisoner with a collapsible metal stick.

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Western Civilization vs. Barbarism ...

These are the stakes.

They will lop off your head in the name of their "god".

We put a guy in the slammer for the crime of humiliation.

We should all take great pride in our ability to police and punish those among the best of us who do the worst.

Again: Which side are you on?

Exciting new feature: Lyrics To Instrumental TV Theme Songs

Adam 12

(Sung to the tune of "Theme From Adam 12")

Adam Twelve .... Adam Tweeeeellll-- ellllve
See the man, Oh Aaa-adam Tweelllllllllllllllllllllve

Adam Twelve .... Adam Tweeeeellll-- ellllve
211 in progress ... Go Aaa-adam Tweelllllllllllllllllllllve

Reed and Mallooooyyy
Maaaan and boy-oyyyyyy
Code 7 ... time for luuuuuuunch
In A-aa-daaa-am Tweelllllllllllllllllllllve (Aaaaa-dam Tweeeeeeeeeeeeellllllllllllllllllllve)

Moonbat [sorry - we love this word!] urges Inauguration Day boycott ...

... displays typical Lefty's "understanding" of economics

Democrat Urging Anti-Bush Boycott

David Livingstone says the idea behind the economic boycott he's organizing is simple: If people don't show up at work or buy things, companies lose money. [The Ponderosa: And people lose jobs, though it's likely not a concern for Livingstone and his fellow travelers.]As he sees it, that's money the Bush administration can't tax, and can't use to run the war in Iraq[The Ponderosa: They can always call us and ask for more ... anything to extinguish the forces of Jihad.], protect polluters [The Ponderosa: Which is to say, anyone to the right of the Unabomber!]or chip away at the Constitution. [The Ponderosa: Or pay the fellows with the butterfly nets to chase kooks like Livingstone.]

So the Detroit Democrat and a handful of other anti-Bush groups across the country are urging others of like mind to withhold their cash and labor [The Ponderosa: Closing down the local tea house-poetry den is unlikely to have much of an effect on GDP.] on Inauguration Day - from all businesses. They don't think they'll inflict a huge economic pain, but they do want to make a point.[The Ponderosa: Aim low.]

"I view the inauguration of Bush as a black Thursday for this country," Livingstone says. "We've tried marching in the streets to stop the war, we tried writing letters, we tried initiatives on the Web, but Bush doesn't listen. It seems to us the only thing Bush and the Republicans will listen to is money."

Livingstone, a 41-year-old writer[The Ponderosa: Oh, what a surprise ... our guess was illegal alien welfare advocate.], hopes to be in Washington for the Jan. 20 festivities,[The Ponderosa: We do not encourage hitchhiking or stowing away in the baggage compartment of Greyhound buses!]which for him means protests, black armbands and backs turned to the parade route. [The Ponderosa: We will be there ... we're hoping to make a few of these nuts cry!]

And he's vowing not to buy gas, food or use his credit card that day: He wants the GOP, big oil, big banking, big box stores and any other "bigs" to know they can't push him around or ignore him - at least not on Jan. 20.

...

Gordon doesn't expect to shake the economy, but does want to see the president recognize dissent.

"I think Bush should acknowledge the boycott. If we're effective, he'll know about it, and he should acknowledge it," Gordon says. [The Ponderosa: The president has often spoken on the need for quality mental health care.]

...

The groups hope to see several million people eating brown-bag [The Ponderosa: But ... what of the obscene profits that will accrue to Big Brown Bag?]lunches and dinners on Inauguration Day. If people don't want to boycott all business, the groups suggest buying from just those that support Democrats. [The Ponderosa: Should be a HUGE day for porn shops, head shops, gay bathhouses and abortion mills!] The protesters say they'll measure success not in economic terms, but by whether people know about the boycott and if it sparks future activism.

And if there's by chance a blip in the GDP, that would be a bonus.

A bonus indeed, say economists and historians.

"I can't imagine it would have any impact whatsoever," says David J. Vogel, professor of business ethics at the University of California at Berkeley. "Even if everyone didn't buy on that day, they'd make up for it the next day." [The Ponderosa: Yup -- this is about as quixotic as those "don't buy any gas on a certain day" chain e-mails.]

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This is gonna be a fun coupla days!

"Wojo, call Bellevue."

Klugman v. Krugman

Where we compare the characters (truthfully, mostly Oscar Madison with the occasional Quincy) portrayed by one of America's most beloved TV actor