Redstate

Posted at 10:54am on Jun. 16, 2008 Ignore the Court

By Mark I

Thursday’s Supreme Court ruling in the consolidated cases of Boumediene v. Bush and Al-Odah v. United States for the first time grants foreign-born enemy combatants of the United States, captured on the battlefield in the process of planning or participating in attacks against U.S. targets, the right to challenge the circumstances of their detention in federal court. It is difficult to overestimate the impact that this ruling will have on the prosecution of the war on terror and, indeed, all future armed conflicts. The specter of American troops Mirandizing enemy combatants on the battlefield, or being called back from the front to testify in civilian court about the manner that a prisoner was captured, and the practical impossibility each of those outcomes would present to the U.S. military, should trouble every American who is concerned about the nation’s safety.

President Bush, reacting almost immediately to the Court’s decision, said that his Administration, “would abide,” with the ruling, adding, “That doesn’t mean I have to agree with it.” He spoke too soon, and did not go far enough. For the reasons cited above, and others, he should ignore this decision of the Court, and continue to apply the Military Commissions Act of 2006 as duly passed into law by Congress.

Read on...

Posted in detainees | Guantanamo | military tribunals | Supreme Court | terrorists | The Bush Administration | War — Comments (50) / Email this page » / Read More »

Posted at 4:13pm on Jan. 11, 2008 Romney in Seven Words

By Mark I

On Wednesday, after his loss in the New Hampshire primary, Gov. Mitt Romney returned to Boston to lick his wounds and conduct a telephone fundraiser before heading off to his next must win state of Michigan. ABC Radio microphones were there and they featured an audio quote from Romney in their top of the hour news broadcasts. Romney was encouraging his phone bank volunteers with a little pep talk when he unintentionally summed up his entire campaign; ironically hitting upon the reason why he has failed to gain any traction with conservatives despite spending the most money of any Republican. ABC News Radio was contacted by telephone and confirmed the following quote from their report.

Posted in 2008 | Fred Thompson | GOP Primaries | Mitt Romney | Principles | Republicans | South Carolina — Comments (26) / Email this page » / Read More »

Posted at 12:27pm on Jan. 8, 2008 Suffer Not the Little Children-Huckabee Panders on Illegal Immigration [UPDATE] Huck Flops Back

By Mark I

UPDATE: Huck flops, or is it flips, back again. Read through for the full story.

Gov. Mike Huckabee curiously won the endorsement of Minuteman Project founder Jim Gilchrist right before the Iowa primaries. At the time, some questioned how a former governor with a soft record on illegal immigration could win the backing of a grass roots organization dedicated to stopping the flow of illegals into the country. Today the answer became clear: shameless pandering.

Posted in 2008 | birthright citizenship | Fred Thompson | illegal immigration | Immigration | Mike Huckabee — Comments (23) / Email this page » / Read More »

Posted at 3:33pm on Jan. 3, 2008 Thompson Rumors a Sign of His Strength

By Mark I

California Yankee notes in RedHot that Sen. Fred Thompson strongly denied rumors published in the Politico that his campaign was discussing dropping out of the race and endorsing Sen. McCain. Here's a video of the FoxNews interview from this morning.

Posted in 2008 | Fred Thompson | Iowa Caucuses | Presidential Primary | Republicans — Comments (72) / Email this page » / Read More »

Posted at 9:50am on Dec. 4, 2007 One Month From Iowa

By Mark I

Originally posted at Political-Buzz.com

Sen. Sam Brownback became the first Republican to officially announce his intention to seek the GOP nomination a little less than eleven months ago. Since then, the race has had more twists and turns and ups and downs than a Six Flags roller coaster. Brownback is no longer in the race, and neither are former governors Jim Gilmore of Virgina and Tommy Thompson of Wisconsin. Former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich was in, for a day. Then he was out. Other talked about Republicans never made the plunge. Gov. Mark Sanford of South Carolina decided that his current job was a better one; and former Gov. Jeb Bush decided to keep his surname and look for alternate employment. As the campaign winds its way, mercifully, towards votes that count, all the dynamic changes have failed to shake things out. The nomination is as up for grabs now, one month from Iowa, as it was last January.

Read on . . .

Posted in 2008 | Fred Thompson | giuliani | huckabee | Iowa | McCain | New Hampshire | Republicans | Romney — Comments (6) / Email this page » / Read More »

Posted at 12:47pm on Mar. 28, 2007 House GOP Blog Row [UPDATED]

By Mark I

I am at the Capitol today for the House GOP Blog Row event. The occasion is the Budget Bill debate. Thirty-five or so members are scheduled to drop by and make a statement and take questions from the assembled bloggers.

Present are Steven Spruiell of NRO, Mary Katherine Ham of Townhall.com, Brian from the Influence Peddler, Ivy Sellers of Human Events, and our own Robert Bluey and Pat Cleary, representing NAM.

Check back in throughout the day for updates.

Posted in Congress | Spotlight Blogs — Comments (0) / Email this page » / Read More »

Posted at 8:08pm on Mar. 6, 2007 So This is Fitzmas

By Mark I

So this is Fitzmas,
And look we've won.
We got Scooter Libby,
There's much more to come!

A very Merry Fitzmas!
The war's almost lost!
We'll bring down Bushitler,
No matter the cost!

Libby covered for Cheney.
Just said he forgot.
Fitzgerald called BS,
And stuck him in the dock.

And so Happy Fitzmas!
Let's hope Dick is next.
The Taliban missed him.
Now Fitz is on deck.

Once Cheney's convicted,
Bush lied, kids died!
Bushitler will fall.
Bush lied, kids died!
Then Ms. Pelosi,
Bush lied, kids died!
Will be president of all!
Ahh, ahh, ahh, ahh!

And so this is Fitzmas!
The war is over!
It's finally here!
The war is over!
Let's hope there's another,
The war is over!
This same time next year.
Ahh, ahh, ahh, ahh!

Mark I. Lennon

Posted in Liberals — Comments (10) / Email this page » / Read More »

Posted at 11:48am on Jan. 17, 2007 What Comes First, the Scandal or the Mistake?

By Mark I

The New York Times plays gotcha! with a Bush Administration official on its online front page this morning, in an attempt to drum up support for one of Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s pet “100 hours” initiatives. The Times report focuses on who knew what when in a sordid tale of the Bush Administration coddling its friends in the oil and gas industry. Johnnie Burton, director of the Interior Department’s Minerals Management Service, apparently has been caught red-handed conspiring with Big Oil™ to deprive the federal government of millions of dollars in oil and gas royalties it is owed by companies that obtained long-term leases to drill offshore in Federal waters.

A top Interior Department official was told nearly three years ago about a legal blunder that allowed drilling companies to avoid billions of dollars in payments for oil and gas pumped from publicly owned waters, a report by the department’s chief independent investigator has found. […]

The report contradicts statements by the official, Johnnie M. Burton, the director of the department’s Minerals Management Service, who told a House hearing last September that she first learned about the royalties problem in January 2006.

Gotcha! But there’s more to this story. Isn’t there always, when it comes to the Times?

The leases in question, more than 1,000 in number, were signed by the oil companies and issued by the Interior Department in 1998 and 1999. That was during the Clinton Administration, of course. Reading this leads to only one conclusion--that The New York Times is attempting to focus blame on the Bush Administration for a huge bureaucratic error of the Clinton Administration in service to the new Democratic Congress.

Read on…

Posted in Archived — Comments (2) / Email this page » / Read More »

Posted at 12:13pm on Dec. 20, 2006 Sistani Bigfoots Sadr

By Mark I

Promoted from blogs. - Moe Lane

There is an interesting report in the New York Times today that, if true, could spell the beginning of the new beginning in Iraq. The Times reports that reclusive and highly respected Shia cleric Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani has given his blessing to a plan for a new governing coalition including Shiites, Sunnis, and Kurds.

This news holds potentially big implications for the future of Iraq, and for the safety of Moqtada al-Sadr.

Read on…

Posted in Foreign Affairs | Spotlight Blogs — Comments (7) / Email this page » / Read More »

Posted at 4:17pm on Dec. 11, 2006 “This City Will Be a [Caramel] City!”

By Mark I

New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin caused a stir at Martin Luther King Day observances in January when he declared that New Orleans should be a majority African-American city.

On Monday, Nagin said God wanted New Orleans to be predominantly black and said he didn't care what the predominantly white Uptown section of the city had to say about it.

"I don't care what people are saying Uptown or wherever they are. This city will be chocolate at the end of the day," he said. "This city will be a majority African-American city. It's the way God wants it to be."

Nagin later issued the non-apology apology to anyone who was offended by his remarks. Now, a little more than nine months later, one ethnic group previously underrepresented in New Orleans appears to be defying God and has taken up the mayor’s challenge. New Orleans may never be the same.

Hat tip: ABC Radio News

Read on…

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Posted at 5:19pm on Dec. 8, 2006 The ISG Report: A Thumb on the Scales for the Sunnis

By Mark I

The much vaunted and ballyhooed Iraq Study Group Report has been met with derision here and elsewhere in the conservative blogosphere. That criticism focuses on its grounding in a phony bi-partisanship and its distinctly unrealistic set of recommendations. Threatening the government of Iraq that the United States’ commitment to their country is not open ended is a recommendation that could only come from a group of people who have never heard the sound of their singing voices outside of their own shower. Everyone sounds like a pop idol in their bathroom. Similarly, recommendations like this and some others issued by the ISG sound great in the echo chamber of Washington D.C. and the national press. But they fall apart the instant they are exposed to the harsh stage lights of reality.

I believe that the ISG’s recommendation to essentially hold the Iraqi government hostage to our support for it doesn’t do anything to help America achieve its goals there. Rather, were the United States to follow this counsel, the situation as it currently exists in Iraq would be wedded to iron rails, and the ultimate failure of the effort and the break up of the country along sectarian lines would be assured.

Read on…

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Posted at 1:29pm on Dec. 5, 2006 Congress Gets Too Big for its Constitution

By Mark I

If Rep. Tom Davis (R-VA) and the State of Utah get their way, this lame duck session of Congress could result in a increase in the number of representatives in the House. Davis is sponsoring a piece of legislation that will circumvent the Constitution in order to give the District of Columbia a voting representative in Congress. The legislation is called the District of Columbia Fairness in Representation Act (H.R. 2043) and has garnered 24 co-sponsors. In trade for D.C.’s new congressman, Utah would also get one additional representative. Yesterday, the Utah Legislature gave final approval to a new Congressional district map, which provides for an additional Republican leaning district to balance off the anticipated Democrat to be elected from D.C.

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Posted at 10:50pm on Dec. 4, 2006 Biden Casts His Lott

By Mark I

Sen. Trent Lott (R-MS) was forced to resign as Senate Majority Leader back in December 2002 after he made some comments that were interpreted, wrongly, as an endorsement of segregation. All of the apologies in the world couldn’t rescue Lott from his words, or from the whirlwind generated by attacking Democrats and their enablers in the mainstream press.

So, one expects Sen. Joe Biden (D-DE) to resign his position in Senate leadership soon, given the nature of the comments he made at a Rotary Club event in South Carolina on Saturday.

Hat tip: Jim Geraghty at NRO
Read on…

Posted in Democrats | Spotlight Blogs — Comments (23) / Email this page » / Read More »

Posted at 5:03pm on Dec. 1, 2006 The Courage to Say Christmas

By Mark I

Every year at this time, nervous retailers all across the country look forward to the Christmas shopping season to make or break their year. Many retail chains make the biggest percentage of their total yearly sales between Thanksgiving and Christmas. Yet, at the very time that they are counting on Christmas shoppers to boost their bottom lines, many retailers find themselves unable to voice the name of the holiday for which all those shoppers are spending. “Happy Holidays!” they gladly wish one and all, as if this sanitized greeting is a right and proper substitute for the traditional Christmas salutation. “What about the non-Christians?” they ask when confronted with their political correctness.

Many retail chains have made corporate decisions to marginalize the majority out of concern for the minority, and in the process, are offending a growing number of the very customers whose money they so desperately seek. With that in mind, I thought it would be useful to publish a list of major national retailers and their corporate policies about Christmas greetings.

Read on…

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Posted at 4:30pm on Nov. 21, 2006 Chavez Brandishes the Mexico Weapon

By Mark I

At a staged inauguration ceremony attended by 100,000 people yesterday in Mexico City’s main public square, defeated Democratic Revolution Party (PRD) presidential candidate and Hugo Chavez protégé Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, declared himself the “legitimate president” of Mexico. Lopez Obrador was administered an oath of office by a sitting Senator of his party and was fitted with a green, white, and red sash, a symbol of presidential authority.

While it is reported that many of Lopez Obrador’s supporters view the mock inauguration as politically short sighted, Hugo Chavez has to be very pleased. Lopez Obrador’s faux-inauguration has all the appearances of a play for influence in Mexico by Chavez. Lopez Obrador’s continued refusal to accept the results of July 2nd election will provide Chavez with the opportunity to pose as a democrat, while undermining a legitimately elected democratic government. And, it will give him a platform from which to continue his ideological war of attrition on the Bush administration.

Read on…

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