Mike DeWine took it upon himself to blast Defense Secretary Rumsfeld while chatting with far left online publication Salon. "Rumsfeld has made some very serious mistakes," DeWine declared, repeating his verdict for emphasis. "Very serious mistakes. I think history will judge him very harshly." Just to make sure that I was really hearing one of the harshest attacks yet on Rumsfeld by a Republican senator, I asked, "Which mistakes?" DeWine, who has never repented his 2002 vote for the Iraq war, gave me a what-planet-are-you-on look before responding, "Clearly not enough troops going in [to Iraq]. That was the biggest mistake. And a lot of mistakes would be covered under that." To paraphrase, "I came here to make blanket statements about the unpopular (according to left wing media polls) Secretary of Defense. Please don't ask me to be specific, or it may alienate my conservative base that is mostly unaware of my horrible tax and spend record as a US Senator." Bill Pierce has the story. From BizzyBlog: Not even I expected Mike DeWine to be below 50%. That gave him the lowest Republican rating other than the two Mainers (Snowe had 35% and Collins 40%) and Lincoln “Chapstick” Chafee (33%). Even Arlen Specter at 50% did slightly better than DeWine. This is truly stunning to me... imagine this... just visualize Mike DeWine having a worse record in this category than Snowe, Collins, Chafee, and Specter. As it was for Biz, this was quite a revelation for me. It's disheartening... when I was at Wright State, I helped work on DeWine's campaign. Many conservatives thought we had scored a real winner in the Senate, but I suppose time, money, and power change everything. Dewine and gas prices, from Nix.

Link Universal Pictures validates Israel as a root cause of terrorism. I ask... why have Muslims not had a sit down session to understand why the United States is so angry at them? Instead, I see pictures of children across the middle east dancing as our airliners, full of passengers, fly into our buildings, full of workers. It appears as though Hollywood has once again deluded itself regarding its importance. Some of us still remember that day, and we will not stop fighting until that threat is gone.

Article I disagree with the newspaper's statement that these cartoons were published to provoke dialogue. Rather, I agree with the Oregon Daily Emerald's assessment: "The Insurgent editorial indicates a desire to show Americans why the original cartoons were so offensive to the Muslim world," wrote the editor of the Emerald. "According to the editorial, 'What is "not a big deal" in the US (sic) is apparently a humongous big deal to others. Why should we assume it would not be?' "However, printing home-grown cartoons depicting Jesus on a cross/pogo stick or Jesus on a cross/hangliding apparatus are not inflammatory in the same manner as the anti-Islam cartoons, and therefore fail to produce the intended empathy from Christians to Muslims." Added the paper: "Unlike the Danish cartoons, the Insurgent drawings seem intended to simply incite controversy for controversy's sake rather than making specific social commentaries." I swear... why libs feel it necessary to respond to serious social issues with childish spite and bile is beyond me. There were several cartoons in the Mohammed series that showed a neutral, or even complimentary view of the Muslim prophet. There weren't many shown, but I checked the Insurgent's website and WND, and have yet to find any such cartoons with regards to Jesus. I also am having a hard time finding large mobs of Catholics running around chopping off heads and murdering members of the Insurgent's staff. If anyone can find large scale reports of violence in Christian nations that claim to be a response to this tripe, please let me know. Rather than "encouraging dialogue" they seem to have won the debate for those that they likely consider "the enemy."

Article Why are so many American corporations weak in the face of adversity? Comedy Central, Seaboard, any large press organization with few exceptions. There used to be a time when people would stand up for what they believe in. If that time is now, it seems these corporations believe in cheap illegal labor (some people call this slavery) and appeasing terrorists.

Democratic Senatorial Candidate Bob Casey made this revealing statement recently per the Students for Santorum blog. There are no citations, but if it is true that Bob Casey made this statement, his pandering has reached a new low.

Republicans have now been in charge of the House, the Senate (mostly), and the Presidency for around 6 years. Actually, simply being in charge of Congress should allow a party to control most of Washington. Why then, must spending be growing at obscene levels? Seriously guys, it's time to start cutting the budget. I understand that money needs to be spent on the WoT and national defense. Money does not need to be spent on bridges to nowhere or movement of working railroad tracks. Why can't Mississippi pay for the tracks, Trent? Alaska, can you not afford to build a bridge? "I'd like to be a little oinker myself," Mr Young told a Republican lunch in Ketchikan, feigning offence at the idea that Senator Ted Stevens, the Alaskan who chairs the Senate appropriations committee, brings home more "pork" than he does. "If he's the chief porker, I'm upset." What a terrible, terrible comment for a "Republican" to make. At least the Democrats are overt in their desire for a socialist government.

Financial Times has an article on the anniversary of Chernobyl. One aspect struck me as particularly odd... Each side came prepared with studies showing that the effects of Chernobyl on human health had been either less severe (from the IAEA and World Heath Organisation) or more severe (from Greenpeace) than popularly imagined. OK, ok... I acknowledge that the IAEA and WHO are mostly jokes (bad ones at that), but Greenpeace? An article is seriously citing GREENPEACE as an authority on nuclear energy? These eco-terrorism sponsoring goons need as little validation to exist as possible, FT. Anyway, regarding the article, nuclear power is only as safe as those operating the plants, and the design of the plant itself. The reason that the reactor in Chernobyl failed was human error. The reason it did not contain its nuclear filth was bad design. Nuclear power may indeed be a huge benefit to human society, but perhaps the tradeoff should be military running the plants. It seems they may be the only ones with the discipline to pull it off, and the cost/benefit ratio appears to be beneficial.

As mentioned, I took yesterday off. Today, I'm not sure I'll be able to get around to posting anything substantial as I am incredibly busy. Please tune in tomorrow for more breaking news.

On vacation today. Enjoy this thread. :)

I cannot emphasize how important it is for everyone to focus on getting Bill Pierce the Republican nomination for Senate, and ultimately the Senate seat. NixGuy has a great piece to this effect here. Bizzy gets busy with a post about Pierce here. WMD throws one down for Pierce here. Porkopolis weighs in here. Please get out and vote for Bill Pierce on 05/02, Ohio is counting on YOU. My disclosure is in my right sidebar.

Republicans are having a hard time selling the fantastic economy as an asset in their portfolio, so to speak. I'm feeling a bit like I did during the runup to the 2004 elections, in that the MSM has turned its propaganda blowtorch toward the Bush administration in an effort to turn the election in their favor. If it rolls out now like it did then, we're in good shape. A couple of choice quotes: Independent pollster John "The election is Kerry's to lose" Zogby sees the public's skepticism over the economy as part of a larger picture of overall concern over the direction of the nation and a president struggling to recapture Americans' confidence. I added the part in italics, 'nuff said. In a recent speech in Chicago, Senator Clinton focused on the middle class, arguing that "tax cuts are not the cure-all for everything that ails the American economy." OK Senator First Lady Hillary Rodham and sometimes Clinton, tell us then... what IS the cure-all for everything that ails the economy? Clearly you know, or you would not have made a statement that appears to be so ridiculous on its face. Since you clearly know, why aren't you telling us? For the record, while I believe nothing can be a "cure-all" for the gargantuan American economy, tax cuts have played a large role in turning around the Clinton Recession.

My friend Dave and I are having a lively discussion over at Oatneyworld regarding the merits of Paleo Vs. Neo conservative though. I tend to be somewhere in between both worlds, in that I believe we must have smaller government and lower taxes, but I also feel that the best way to subvert terrorism is to create successful thriving democracies in the Middle East. I'm semi-isolationist in that we should not dabble in world affairs or drop our borders for the sake of pure one world capitalism, but feel that the WoT is a matter of national security and defense therefore intervention is required. The Weekly Standard is considered a Neoconservative journal by many, likewise the National Review (which I tend to agree with more frequently as it has views closer to Libertarianism) is considered of the Paleo flavor. I guess you could call me a NeoPal.

I'm having problems understanding this world turning event. I agree with an article written in the LA Times by the Minority Leader in the House. Nancy Pelosi makes a great point about Chinese President Hu Jintao, not that this point hasn't been made about the Red Chinese countless times in the past. This is not, however, an exclusive Bush Administration issue. The lure of power and money are great in all branches of the government, but to welcome the president of a repressive autocratic COMMUNIST society is reprehensible. We should not be doing business with this nation, much less bringing out all the pomp and celebration when its leader visits our shores. Bill Gates chimes in. I dunno, maybe he'd better stick to just making bad investments.

I followed this link not knowing what to expect, and immediately recognized a character that appears to be based on the template for SP character creation: Air Arabia. Commentary from WorldNetDaily. Read the whole article as it also covers the "Family Guy" Mohammed broadcast. Comedy Central barred the program from showing an image of the Islamic prophet Muhammad in an episode last week, but did allow a scene in which an image of Jesus Christ defecates on President Bush and the American flag. Also mentioned is the Scientology Chef episode... just when you think it's safe to not worry about being PC.

Jim Geraghty has a great article on TKS chronicling the forecasts of impending doom for several previous election cycles. He's right, at some point they will wind up being right. Let's work together to make sure it's not this time.

I swear, he would have been better served to challenge DeWine than Schmidt. Driving around my district, there is an unbelievable amount of McEwen political signs. The Schmidt campaign had placed a large highway type sign at the corner of Kenwood and Kugler Mill, and the McEwen camp followed suit almost immediately. I've also noticed that at several points along Montgomery Road, McEwen signs have been placed immediately in front of Schmidt signs. I think Bob has drained most of the money from his campaign on these signs, as they are absolutely everywhere. It does not appear to be helping their cause.

You know, in college I was a huge fan of most everything that fell within the classic rock genre. Never was big on Neil Young, but I enjoyed a few of his songs and felt he had something to contribute to the music scene. He did then, he does not now. Previously in this blog, I quoted Dr. Evil. I feel the same quote applies here. Neil knows where the money is, and it will be interesting to see how readily this generation absorbs his ridiculous offering. Seriously though, with lines like "Let's impeach the Presdent for lyin'," why didn't he just sing "cliche cliche clicheeeee, cliche" for a whole album? I was stunned to find out he supported President Reagan for reelection though.

In some of my very rare (and undoubtedly quite valuable) public statements, I made note of the sometimes ridiculous labels issued from both sides of the abortion debate. The standards, Pro-Life and Pro-Choice, seem to be the most agreeable. I've noticed that the mainstream media often use pro-choice in conjunction with anti-abortion, but this is to be expected from that hostile environment. Yes, pro-lifers are indeed anti-abortion, but the negative context "anti" holds does well to subtly advance their cause. I have also seen pro-choicers (notably NARAL and NOW) use the term "anti-choice" to describe the pro-life movement. Seriously folks, you're doing nothing to advance your cause by being so petty and immature. To make my point in some of my written articles, I turned the tables and used the term "pro-death" to describe the pro-choicers. To believe that the other side's goal is to kill as many babies as possible is of course, ridiculous on its face. While I may believe this is the result of what they are striving for certainly it is not their goal, just as my goal is not to take "choice" away from women. Regardless, context is not the main point of this post, though it has taken most of the space. If you support keeping the mandate for legal abortion, then you should stand up and represent. Statements like those made by Senators Kerry and Kennedy in opposition of abortion, but in favor of keeping it legal in almost all circumstances are what really bother me. The question that must be posed: Why, if you are personally opposed to abortion do you favor keeping it legal? Are you merely opposed because you dislike women, but feel they should be allowed to have this right? Is it because you truly feel, like pro-lifers, that abortion is the killing of a living human being? If this is the case, how can you POSSIBLY support keeping the practice legal? This position is absolutely impossible to justify or defend unless you publicly hate women or support murder. C'mon guys, if you support abortion, then support it with gusto! Just don't claim the labels of your respective churches which are diametrically opposed to the procedure, yet politically beneficial to be a member of. This means you too, Harry Reid. Update 04/20/06: Liberals defending free speech.

John Lewis has something to say about the dropping of atomic bombs on the Japanese during WWII. Many have forgotten the importance that this meant symbolically to the Japanese people, and how many American lives were ultimately saved. On August 6, 1945 the American Air Force incinerated Hiroshima, Japan with an atomic bomb. On August 9, Nagasaki was obliterated. The fireballs killed some 175,000 people. They followed months of horror, when American airplanes firebombed civilians and reduced cities to rubble. Facing extermination, the Japanese surrendered unconditionally. The invasion of Japan was cancelled, and countless American lives were saved. The Japanese accepted military occupation, embraced a constitutional government, and renounced war permanently. The effects were so beneficent, so wide-ranging and so long-term, that the bombings must be ranked among the most moral acts ever committed. From the Weekly Standard, a lengthy article detailing the decision to drop the bomb. Ramesh Ponnuru writes from a different viewpoint for National Review. VDH also has thought provoking commentary.

As with most things, the Vatican's initial response to the Da Vinci Code was to ignore it, as you would ignore a particularly irritating, annoying child. Usually, this resolves the issue at hand without giving any unecessary press to the root cause. This time however, the worldwide sensation that is TDVC refuses to go away. Smelling blood and money, Hollywood has jumped at the opportunity to combine its two favorite things: hatred of the Catholic Church (which falls under the larger category of Hatred Of All Things Chucko Loves), and money (which it is undoubtedly starving for). I was extremely disappointed this week when one of my favorite shows accepted sponsorship from this deceitful franchise, which is advertised as fiction, but written so as to convince the reader/viewer it is fact. The Holy Mother Church has decided to fight back in its usual manner, with overwhelming facts to debunk the extremely lucrative story.

Dean's World has a good article on what traits distance a cult from an established religion. Touches on Scientology and Islamofascism. It's true that by definition a major world relgion can fall under the category of "cult," but the word clearly has negative connotations, and is more commonly used by the first definition listed at Dictionary.com: "A religion or religious sect generally considered to be extremist or false, with its followers often living in an unconventional manner under the guidance of an authoritarian, charismatic leader."

Which will not be a surprising statement to those who are familiar with the military, and aren't blinded by hatred of a single man or the United States. I've mentioned before that my brother has fought in this war. Also, both of my sister-in-law's brothers have fought on the front lines as marines. Thoughts on the war among these great fighting men ranges from excitement about being able to change the world for the better, to a reserved understanding that though we may not want to, this is a mission and a war that must be won for the future of civilization. Wade Zirkle writes about morale, Moran, and Murtha. Hat Tip: Instapundit

Last night for the first time in years I attented the Easter Vigil Mass at a local parish. The reason for this was my sister-in-law was finally to be confirmed. Many years ago, she was baptized into the Church, but the rest pretty much fell through the cracks as she did not have parents that cared about her religious upbringing (or her upbringing in general). The reason I don't typically attend the Vigil is that quite frankly, it is a marathon. That, and I generally prefer a Mass with more reflection and less... how do I put this... flare. Typically, those that don't have someone they love being baptized or confirmed do not attend. That being said it was an absolutely beautiful service, so kudos to St. Max parish in Liberty Township for bringing it all together. I was very impressed as my sis'n'law was clearly moved by the service and what it meant. The meaning was not lost on her, and for that I was very appreciative. I don't have much to say on Easter other than thank you God for everything, but most importantly for life and life after death. A few great posts on Easter: Oatneyworld Closed Cafeteria The Anchoress Bonfire of the Vanities Great review on some Easter candies from Fr. Fox (BotV). I mentioned on his blog where are the Cadbury Mini Eggs? MAJOR oversight... but I'll let it slide this time.

Moeller's Wiki entry. Notice our power grows stronger every day. John Boehner, Jim Raussen, Tom Raga, Bob Schaffer... can Mighty Moe be stopped? Only time will tell. Update 04/17/06: Josh Deckard, White House Assistant Press Secretary, is also a Moeller grad! Way to go guys!

When I first heard about this show, I thought "well, looks like the MSM has fired up the anti-Catholic rhetoric machines for the umpteenth time." Turns out, I was pretty much spot on in my initial assessment. Really, the only reason to address the show here is that it has drummed up enough media buzz to force the issue. I'd expect this show's most offensive aspect to be the title, which in turn sets the premise for the series. I have struggled with this very decision in my life, and continue to keep it open for consideration. God and I have had a very long ongoing discussion regarding this. It is not a path I have chosen, as I have not been called by God to take it yet. That being said, the proverbial "Girl" is not a factor that weighs even remotely in this decision for me. That a whole series would be setup to pit God against a girl is pretty ridiculous on its face. I've not seen the series, but this phrase makes it out to be a tortured decision not between God and girl, but God and sex. Priests have many "girls" in their family, the parish. Some (certainly no one in Hollywood or the MSM, where sex drives their worlds) would argue that the relationship is more fruitful resulting from the lack of sexual tension. Should you tune in to watch God or the Sex, keep this in mind. I'm not going to waste my time on such tripe.

Bill Kristol has a great article on why we need to stand strong against the mullahs. VDH has a great article on critics of the war.

Personally, I think that everybody needs to chill out. Though your religion or creed may mean a lot to you, as mine does to me, there is no reason to kill someone because you have been "offended." Other cultures do not feel that this is the case, but here in the United States a vast majority of citizens will not kill you if you offend them. That being said, liberty and freedom are worth dying for. Barry Goldwater once said "Extremism in the defense of liberty is no vice. ... Moderation in the pursuit of justice is no virtue." Comedy Central has moderated to appease fundamentalist Islam as many have before it, and many undoubtedly will in the future. South Park, a show I enjoy, has been downright sickeningly rude to Catholics. At one point I stopped watching because I became very upset with a portrayal of Jesus Christ. Later, I realized that there is absolutely no reason to become angry or upset. Matt and Trey do not hate Catholics. They don't hate most of their unfortunate subjects that are targeted by South Park. It's pushing the envelope that makes the show so great, and if it draws so much ire you cannot watch it, then don't. The only thing the latest episode proves is that Comedy Central allows bashing Catholics and Christians that will not murder or sue when offended, and the executives at this corporation are timid cowards that fear more for their own greedy lives than living in freedom.

My goodness... this post by BoringMadeDull is accurate, and indicative of much of what is wrong with the government. They'd better fix this quickly, before word gets out. Since this must be changed in Columbus however, I'd just plan on the state going bankrupt. Or maybe Governor Taft will just raise taxes and not fix the problem at all. Yeah, that's it. Welcome to the Alliance, BMD!

Article I think most of the mainstream media must use the "jumping to conclusions" mat, first conceptualized in the movie Office Space. Turns out that President Bush, Dick Cheney, and Satan did not collaborate on releasing Valerie Plame's identity to the media, therefore not blowing her non-existent cover as a CIA agent. The AP was ecstatic following the initial reports coming from the case: Now in its third year, the CIA leak investigation took a decidedly unwelcome turn for the White House last week. A court filing by prosecutors depicted President Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney as setting in motion leaks to the press that ended in the disclosure of the identity of covert CIA officer Valerie Plame. Keywords: "by prosecutors." Why should anything filed by prosecutors be big news? Libby is denying that anyone involved with President Bush or Vice President Cheney said anything about leaking Valerie Plame's name. Joe Wilson is as much of a joke as Bonkers Sheehan. While the Dems should be playing up their patently qualified centrists Joe Lieberman, Harold Ford, John Breaux, and a handful of others, they continue to bring no new ideas to the table and prop up unbalancd individuals. It's unfortunate that the former majority party for so long has sacrified its principles in a reckless attempt to regain power at any cost.

Commander in Chief is slated to be cancelled following 1 season. I like the way Drudge put it. Anyone who has watched the show could tell you that it's uninspired, and downright petty at times. Take, for example, tonight's episode: The program returns this evening after a long recess -- with the president's husband groping an intern! Nothing more than an Oval Office based soap opera. Louis Wittig had some comments about the show after seeing the pilot, which mostly stayed true throughout its run. Townhall has a great article on Hollywood's aggressive anti-conservative anti-Christian slant.

Article Yeah, right. So is Spongebob and Tinky Winky. Ahhh yes, don't forget Barney, Winnie the Pooh, and Tom Cruise. Oh! Also, Matt Drudge. Of course, this doesn't help. Whew! Does this mean that everyone is a gay Hitler? Dobson sets the record straight regarding Mr. Squarepants.

Or conversely, perhaps it will drive me to drink. The Enquirer this morning has an article justifying illegal immigration, and strategizing how to lure more cheap labor into Cincinnati. You'd almost miss the point of the article, were it not for the title: Can immigrants save city? As population leaves Cincinnati, there's too few to pick up slack Gregory Korte does point out that "some" say Cincinnati is in a good position, not having to provide all the services those that waited for legal immigration are provided and those families that have lived here for over 200 years are given as citizens of the United States. Clearly arguing in favor of illegal immigration, he follows up this statement with a justification that is clearly misleading: Others see immigrants as the labor needed to fuel the economy. They provide cheap, unskilled workers in some industries and highly skilled labor in fields such as medicine, engineering and computer science. Yep... you know that flood of doctors, engineers, and computer scientists flowing freely across the U.S./Mexican border. C'mon Greg, you can do better than that. Apparently, there is some reason for Cincinnatians to be concerned that only 2.6 percent of our population is foreign-born. Personally, I could care less what percentage of our city was born in a foreign nation, is white, black, red, green, purple, or rainbow as long as we can all live together as a productive, friendly society. That we would need to go out and seek workers from other nations is ridiculous. County-by-county population estimates released last month show that Hamilton County ranked fifth in the rate of population loss among the country's 100 largest counties from 2004 to 2005. That's in part because it ranked 93rd in the rate of international migration to the county, according to census estimates. Yes, maybe in part. Perhaps we should not be asking ourselves why we rank 93rd (in the great race to be #1 I suppose?), and focus on the problems within the city. I'd say the largest "part" of the mythical worker shortage in Cincinnati is incompetent city government. Also, in case you hadn't noticed, Cincinnati is roughly 1,500 miles from our border with that nation which encourages its poor and poverty stricken (to the point of giving guides) to flee into the United States. "The really sad thing for Cincinnati, and I saw this regularly as a teacher at UC, is we're losing the best and brightest of our homegrown," said Daniels, now retired and living in Bellevue, Wash. "So what's happening is that new people aren't coming in, and the old people are dying off. That's why you're losing population." Roger Daniels appears to "get it right." If city council could somehow find a way to get past its impotence and absolutly horrid decision making, some real plans to develop downtown could get underway. Or maybe we could toss up a few more $500,000,000 stadiums and money-sink museums. Either way. Onward, to the religious aspect of this post. Puerto-Rican-born Victor Velez, the director of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati's Su Casa Hispanic Ministry, often teaches English to new immigrants. They tell him how they miss their families, how beautiful their hometowns are. Tell me about the bunnies, George. As Sean Penn would say, "They had flowery meadows and rainbow skies, and rivers made of chocolate, where the children danced and laughed and played with gumdrop smiles." I'd say if they are living in Cincinnati and miss their families and beautiful hometowns, maybe they should consider bringing their families to America. Oh wait... they'd have to migrate legally to do that. For the most part. I agree with the noble aims of Su Casa (teaching immigrants english), but isn't the Catholic Church supposed to be the universal church by definition? Why must we target Hispanics specifically for ministry? Why are there ethno-centric Catholic churches within the Archdiocese? These are sanctioned, not spontaneous communities coming together. Kathy makes a good point about the situation in California. This is really what it's all about regarding the Mexican immigrants. Locking down the border with a "Great Wall of America" is something I support, but not necessarily to stem only the overwhelming Mexican illegal immigration. We need to secure our borders so that we can screen those coming and going. It is terrifyingly easy for someone who wants to harm America and its citizens to waltz across either border without being noticed. If we are to survive as a society, this must be remedied.

Looks like our old friend Cindy Sheehan is once again suffering from diahrrea of the mouth. LGF has the story. Fool us once, shame on us, fool us, — well, we just can’t be fooled again. Did I detect a niner in there? Cindy... what can I say that hasn't been said before? At least you've come far enough for most people to realize you're a sadistic fool, bent on misguided fame. You're right, Jesus wasn't a warmonger per se, but he sure as heck wasn't a gosh darn hippie.

Brilliant concept, terrible execution. I've debated subscribing to XM or Sirius, but just haven't found the motivation I'll need. To start off, it's priced a bit high. $14-15 should be closer to $10 a month. I don't like that your subscription is receiver-specific, but to maintain subscription levels I suppose it has to be. Just a thought. The biggest deterrent to subscribing for me personally is the mutually exclusive licensing between the two major players. I can get really great sports on one, but I'll still miss out on a sport or two which will only be broadcast on the other. Also, if they have great conservative talk formatting on one, you have to deal with contributing to Howard Stern's coffers at the same time. Ah well, maybe in the future if things change.

Hugh linked us today. Thank you sir. Now if you could only get that radio station that changed its format from talk to oldies to switch back! Update: 04/12/2006: Steven gives props to Matt and Tom for doing a great job. I concur.

I simply can't improve on Curt Smith's article for NRO regarding this latest generation of Olympic athletes. Another 2006 Olympics centerfold was Bode "I'm going to ski wasted" Miller, who, wasting a life, smashed into a slalom gate, gestured obscenely, and sought victimization in a victim age. "It's a constant drain," mourned dad, "to do something Bode doesn't like." What Bode likes: being a drunken poster boy for mindless, clueless cant. It's funny... for the first time in years I actually watched a lot of the olympics. Turns out I must not have been missing much!

Staying in your Florida Senate primary is only going to hurt the party in that oh-so-pivotal state, Katherine. I would support you as a candidate, and help you if I lived in the Sunshine State, but as NRO points out you cannot beat Bill Nelson. From AnkleBitingPundits. From NewsMax. If Jeb Bush would jump into the race, life would be great. Run Jeb Run! Update (Same Day): Darnit. Darnit all. Looks like Jeb isn't going to run. Ah well, maybe we can fix that somehow.

For no reason whatsoever. I guess one reason you could come up with would be for merchandise money, but OSU should have no problem pulling in this kind of cash. Looks like many are not alone in this, there is a pretty major public outcry. If the Buckeyes care about their fans, they'll "fix" this as soon as possible. Tressel looks less than impressed, and I can't say he is to be blamed. I hear they love the new jersey in Miiiichigan.

Matt has it right, apparently Pierce is the best bet at knocking off Dewine with someone true to his own principles. The Republicans had a chance to end the filibuster on judicial nominees in the Senate, a move which would have cleared the path for qualified judges of any stripe to get an up or down vote by the whole floor as mandated by the constitution. Dewine opted for cowardice. Personally, I'm opposed to the filibuster under any circumstance. It's a ridiculous rule that was kicked out of the House early on. While it's not likely to change anytime soon, if the libs are going to invoke the filibuster, please make them stand on the floor speaking 24x7 instead of "declaring" filibuster without actually performing. The latter seems to make it more the game of a petulant child. Update 04/12/06: It occurred to me that this post may seem more of a back-handed compliment to Pierce, or an attack on Dewine. I've joined the Bloggers for Pierce, as indicated in the right sidebar. I would not support a candidate I did not believe in, and Bill Pierce is someone I can behind one-hundred percent. Here's where he stands on the issues.

In what will come as no big surprise to those who have followed politics semi-closely over the past decade or so, Arlen Specter is "calling out" George W. Bush: "I think that it is necessary for the president and the vice president to tell the American people exactly what happened," Specter told Fox News Sunday Of course you do Arlen, all the better to bolster your own career within the minority party. Isn't it about time we gave this tired argument a rest? I'm sure some of you have noticed the "controversy" has switched from Valerie Plame to Niger and back again several times, to keep the attention span of the American people short on this issue. Reason #41 of Why I Love CNN: Some U.S. intelligence at the time bolstered Wilson's position that the uranium claim was not supported by evidence. But the information that the Bush administration released, selected from the classified National Intelligence Estimate, supported the administration's stance. Ahhh... I see... "Some" U.S. intelligence (Wilson's) bolstered Wilson's position, while the Bush Administration's position was only supported by "selected" information. Right. Update (Same Day): More on the 16 magical words of yore. Yet more.

Perhaps I shall refer to this past weekend as "The March of the Beers." Or maybe "Reisling? Get me 10 bottles!" I don't know, but hopefully it won't slow me down too much this week. It was a party down weekend fit for a college student, of which club I am a member no more. Just a quick thanks to the S.O.B. Alliance for inviting me in, and to Little Green Footballs for a the link. You guys (and gals presumably) ROCK! I plan to work more on the final visual details of the site as time goes on. Still ecstatic about the mythical right sidebar. Currently, I've been trying to finish up the game Far Cry, so that I can continue on to F.E.A.R. and beyond. If anyone out there plays World of Warcraft, let me know so we can hook it up online.

In a stunning turn of events, I'm at a loss for words today. I think part of it is hitting 80 degrees today, and still being forced to wear a light sweater to cover up a giant barbeque stain on my shirt from lunch. Another part is likely due to only having a few caffeinated beverages this morning as I'm trying to cut back on my reliance. Either way, in a story that is oh so loosely tied to the rest of this paragraph but tightly tied to the title, Drudge linked to this site today. I've always been sort of in the middle on the global warming debate, but every year since I've left college I fall closer to the "myth" crowd in that I believe it's occurring, but I do not believe it is being caused by humans. This whole mess reminds me fondly of AnGore blasting the Bush administration for ignoring the perils of overheating the planet, on the coldest day to occur in NYC for 47 years.

Little Mikey has decided to seek out the conservative Republican base, a rare treat for those who have been following his career in Washington lately. AMF4RAVM4tI has a good article on Dewine's sudden turnaround. What is wrong with the Ohio Republican establishment, I ask again? Taft, Voinivich, Dewine. The 3 most powerful Rs in the state are all tax and spend, Senate weepin', gang of 14 conspirin' liberals. I will vote for a Dewine opponent in the primary... unfortunately no strong candidates have emerged of yet. In the general, I'll either hold my nose and vote for the Senator, who undoubtedly would have a MORE if not GENUINE conservative voting record than his opponent, or not vote in that race at all.

The title of this post is intentionally ridiculous to point out how we've allowed the libs to control the tone of this incredibly important debate. Amnesty is a very warm, kind word to describe what the Senate is trying to do to the United States with the latest bill. If the very first thing you do when entering a foreign nation is to break the law, should you expect to be granted citizenship for your troubles? I've learned a lot over the past few weeks about this particular issue, and what I see is troubling. There are likely many more illegals in the U.S. than government is willing to acknowledge, and if we don't do something now they will break the back of the nation. Update (Same Day): Senator Presidential Candidate First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton outs herself as a "coyote." Clearly, the only way to resolve this situation is a large wall along the border. Maybe another great national monument, along the lines of the Great Wall of China. The cost wouldn't likely exceed what it takes to keep people comfortably not working over the course of several years. Also, it is a proven effective method of deterrance, and would recoup the cost within a few months. Does it bother anyone that this has "roiled" relations with Mexico? Is there any good reason at all other than Mexico's poorest moving here being blocked, thus relieving them of that particular burden on society, for this to bother Mexico officially? If anything, this offers a decidedly sharp validation for going forward with this project.

You know, sometimes I think CBS makes it too easy. Drudge has a pic on his site today with a link to the Katie Couric CBS "pep rally." The poor sap sitting in the front row forgot to navigate to a new site before the cameras were rolling. Of course, he could be a Rove plant. Seems ole Karl has so many plants and spies at CBS (and EVERYWHERE, muhahAHAHAHAHaha) that he pretty much runs the place. So now we know where the alpha networks go to get their news first, in order to more quickly beat the sense out of it with a liberal stick, and strain it into the eyes and ears of America through their own gaze. Apologies for the link to HuffingtonPost, but it's actually pretty funny. I'd specifically recommend the comments at the bottom of the post. Conservatives are happier than liberals, it has been proven time and time again.

In an unsurprising move, Teddy Kennedy compares the liberation of Iraq to Pearl Harbor. For his new book "America Backtracks," er... "America Obama Osama bin Laden Kabbalah," er ah... no... "America Back on Track," Kennedy's ghostwriter lambasts the Bush Administration (and your IQ) over 224 pages. "Bush's decision to invade Iraq, Kennedy says, was an example of "preventive war" -- attacking a nation to prevent it from developing the ability to threaten the United States. A similar manner of thinking led the Japanese to attack Pearl Harbor in 1941," he writes, since Japan was seeking to block the US military buildup in the Pacific." Yes Ted, the Japanese DID attack the United States for EXACTLY the same reason the United States liberated Iraq: national security. I'm not sure how this helps prove whatever case you are trying to make. Rather, I see this statement as a validation of the Iraq war. Because the two actions were taken for the same reason does not mean that they were made from the same side of history, Teddy boy.

Chuckoblog will be changing quite a bit over the next few weeks, as I learn the mysteries of the Blogger Template, and how to modify thereof. I know a little HTML, but not enough to just go in and start hacking things up. Keep an eye out for rare editions where fonts are wacky and oddly colored, and sidebars appear and disappear! UPDATE 04/05/06: FINALLY, THE RIGHT SIDEBAR COMETH! I probably could have asked someone how to quickly toss in the code for this, but in situations such as these I prefer to rasslin' it for a few hours so I know what I'm doing in the future (especially since I'm not using a default blogger template anymore). Thanks to Thur for this awesomely simple yet easily modifiable template.

Check this post from Jimmy Akin. From the article: “We do not want this statue to be erected in a public place because we see her as a religious figure,” said Bashkim Bajraktari, Shkoder’s mufti or Muslim religious leader. “If there must be a statue, let it be in a Catholic space.” So if you're a liberal Muslim, you're OK with people that subscribe to other faiths. That is, if they keep it out of site. I'm not sure whether to congratulate them on their open minded attitude or ridicule them for being the bigots that they are. Unless you're Christopher Hitchens, you understand what a great human being Mother Theresa was.

Directly from Drudge: Late yesterday evening, TIME magazine's White House correspondent Mike Allen broke the story online that former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-TX) was resigning his House seat after the congressman provided the reporter with an exclusive interview in Sugar Land, Texas. However, in an effort to break the news first, MSNBC's Chris Matthews broke into his cable network's SCARBOROUGH COUNTRY via phone shortly after 10 PM eastern time to announce the "breaking news" that DeLay would step down from his House seat. Matthews excitedly declared: "I just was on the phone… with U.S. Congressman Tom DeLay of Texas, who is fighting for reelection. And he told me tonight, just a moment ago, that he's going to withdraw from the race tomorrow. He's not going to seek reelection." This morning, TIME's Mike Allen was interviewed by CNN's Miles O'Brien to discuss his exclusive with DeLay. CNN's O'Brien opened the interview by saying: "Mike Allen, the White House correspondent for TIME magazine broke the story. Glad to have you with us." Meanwhile, on NBC's "TODAY SHOW," host Katie Couric introduced Matthews during the show's DeLay package by describing the flamboyant cable host as the person "who broke the story." The interview closed with Couric saying "Congratulations on breaking the story." Matthews replied "Thank you very much." It will never be acknowledged by these fools, but the REAL story here is the arrogance and self importance of the media. A congressman (who has not been active in House leadership for some time and has been replaced in that post) has decided to give up the fight to maintain his seat, as constant media fire and an aggressive liberal prosecutor just aren't worth it. Is this really a BREAKING NEWS ALERT? There's a reason I don't watch any television news anymore, they could make it less painfully obvious.

Cynthia McKinney may be the most arrogant congressional member and that, my friends, is saying something. Check out Smash's fantastic lineup of Cynthia quotes and general tomfoolery. This is from 2002! Imagine the material since that time... wow. So much idiocy, so little time. I find it ironic that the daughter of a racist should cry racism in a loony attempt to defend herself. A terrible person, through and through.

By getting soundly routed, 7-16 at the hands of the Chicago Cubs. I hope this is an abberition. It SHOULD be... not many teams give up 16 runs in a single game, much less over the course of an entire year. This season held much promise due to transactions over the course of the offseason. A change of ownership, several prominent hitters entering the fray... even the President of the United States throwing out the first pitch! Really, starting pitching is what is needed to win games, and in that department the Reds are sorely lacking. Still, with bad starting pitching last year they were in the wild card hunt for most of the season. Ah well, what can ya do? I'd be much more upset if I still had the passion for baseball that I did before '97. If baseball even pretended they cared about the fans for a second, my interest would grow.

A great photo essay in memoriam of John Paul II. Also, a very nice writeup by The Anchoress. Pope John Paul II will be remembered as a great man, and one of the truly great Popes. He changed the world, and I can only hope that his good friend, Pope Benedict XVI, will continue in his steps.

Apparently, forcing Republicans to run bloody, battle torn primaries is Bob McEwen's forte. Jean Schmidt has been exactly what Ohio and Hamilton County Republicans have needed for a long time: a shot of pure conservativism in the arm with no trail of corruption or scandal. McEwen has decided to challenge Schmidt in a brash showing of self adoration and narcissism. Why Bob, is the lure to power so addictive? Go run for Senate or Governor or just somewhere else generally. We tire of you here, forcing our Party which is in the process of being rebuilt to spend needless cash and take needless hits. UPDATE (Same Day): Pergram wanted to know if Boehner was backing Schmidt over former Republican Rep. Bob McEwen in the May 2nd GOP primary election. McEwen left Congress in 1992, shortly after Boehner, who was elected in 1990, joined the House. Boehner's answer: "Absolutely. She is the incumbent member and I think that she deserves to be re-elected and I think she will be re-elected." A real battle is underway for the heart and soul of the Ohio Republican Party. We can only hope Blackwell and Schmidt can become symbols of our future hope.

Signed up and tossed a link for the TTLB Ecosystem thingy over there on the left. I'm pretty sure when my stats show up tomorrow, I shall be nothing more than an insignificant microbe. Help me by visiting my page every day, several times. If you do, I'll give you a bright shiny penny! That is, provided I see you on a daily basis. Regardless, visit. Also tossing a link out to the Anchoress, a fantastic blog that covers a range of topics. Putting it under Catholicism, but don't let that scare you. Also linking to Bonfire of the Vanities, a blog by Fr. Martin Fox with whom I have corresponded directly regarding Church matters.

It seems as though the big guns of Islamic fundamentalism are slowly, surely turning from the ancient Buddhas of Afghanistan to the antiquities of Egypt. You know, I've been a critic of art in the past... but my criticism has been of so called "modern art," useless tripe that is no more than something a child can create. Works such as those of Michaelangelo or DaVinci or even the great Mozart and Beethoven are clearly worth preserving for all generations. The art of ancient Egypt falls into this category as well, and may soon be lost. What a terrible dilemna we find ourselves in. Art is no reason to wage war, and I have a firm belief that each nation is predisposed to its own destiny. But what of the treasures of the world, when a tyrannous government takes over and starts destroying them? Perhaps some clandestine operation to recover the art before it is lost forever? Maybe, but it sure will be hard to get those pyramids out, even in a hummer.

True to their history, tradition, and absolute unadulterated bias, CBS has named a new anchor to replace Dan Rather. Excuse me if I don't spit out my drink or jump up from my chair in surprise.

Seems as though certain scientists desire the extermination of 90% of the world population. Keep in mind that said scientist and his buddies, and eventually his disciples (which is mentioned in the article) will likely someday have access to these biological agents, and will be able to decide whether humanity survives or dies out in rapid, horrific fashion. If you haven't seen the movie 12 Monkeys, I'd highly recommend it.

It's just that whole Winter/Summer thing in between Spring and Fall that really busts my... ahem... love of good weather? I dunno. Just doing a little porchblogging today. My house was built in 1947, and has a classic, nicely sized porch on which to sit and watch traffic. I live on a pretty busy road, so it's kind of cool to watch people scurrying about busily while I relax with a cigar and a bit of Dewars. Recently obtained a bottle of Dewars 12 and it is well worth the money, I must say. Also picked up some Johnnie Walker Black which I'll try a little later. It used to be Old Smuggler was my beverage of choice, but it lost a lot of charm when they changed the bottle from the old school bell shape to a generic, likely much cheaper model.