Obama, Timetables, and Iraq

The left is making quite the stink that Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki signaled to a German newspaper that he's in agreement with Sen. Barack Obama's declaration for withdrawal from Iraq in 16 months.

Let's look at what Obama has wanted. He wanted to cut and run. He opposed the troop surge. He said that the surge would not work. Now, after the Bush Administration and the US military did all the heavy lifting, he now wants to take credit and push for a withdrawal along timetables?

Taken together, Obama has not changed his position, but now is spinning his defeat and retreat withdrawal plan as some kind of victory for which he can take credit.

The only reason that the Iraqi government might consider any kind of a time table is because President Bush went ahead with the troop surge, listened to General Petraeus (called Betrayus by Obama's fellow travelers and supporters at Moveon.org and supported by the New York Times), and secured the country militarily so that the Iraqi government could press ahead with political gains and achieve nearly all of the 18 benchmarks set forth by the US Congress.

It is often said that victory has many fathers, but defeat gets blamed on one. Obama is now trying to take credit for the victory, even as he preached defeat and retreat on the same front and blamed President Bush for failure in Iraq.

Obama's withdrawal timetable is not based on anything other than his wishful thinking.

Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki's hope for withdrawal is based on the gains imposed by the US and Iraqi forces working together and shouldering a load that Obama previously said was unattainable.

The two have different views of why the timetables should be in place.

Timetables also provide a guideline to al Qaeda, insurgents, and their fellow travelers to lay low until the US leaves, before resuming operations. By purposefully keeping to a strategy that doesn't reveal when and how US troops leave, it actually further improves US operational security and keeps the insurgents and terrorists off balance.

The US and Iraqis are also trying to negotiate long term security arrangements that enable the US to retain bases in Iraq, from which they can defend not only Iraq against foreign forces, but further project US security and strategic interests. Such arrangements are not unlike those that see US forces in Germany, Italy, and Japan more than 60 years following the end of World War II.

Obama continues to think that the war in Iraq is somehow separate from the larger war against al Qaeda and the Islamists, even though the US continues to capture al Qaeda on the battlefields of Iraq, and Iraq stands as a bulwark against growing Iranian influence in the region. Iraq has enabled the US to use its power and technology to full advantage to eliminate al Qaeda - things that are more difficult to accomplish in Afghanistan. The kinds of assets needed in Afghanistan are different than those used in Iraq. The goal is the same - to defeat al Qaeda and their fellow traveler Islamists, but to accomplish the goal takes a combination of lessons learned in Iraq plus new and different techniques.

I guess the best one can say now is that Obama has come around to a position where he's no longer preaching defeat on Iraq, but that doesn't make him any less of a weasel when it comes to Iraq. He's saying what ever he thinks the majority of Americans want to hear - that we're going to bring the troops home. Instead of a precipitous retreat, he's now saying that we've accomplished the mission.

Hizbullah Signals Its Intentions

Hizbullah is busy signaling its future intentions, but is anyone in Lebanon or Israel paying attention?

Following their major victory in securing the release of terrorist Samir Kuntar, four other terrorists, and hundreds of dead Hizbullah, in exchange for the remains of Ehud Goldwasser and Eldad Regev, Hizbullah says that they're considering additional abductions - invasions of Israel to capture Israelis for use as bargaining chips.

Don't say you hadn't been warned.

Israel knew, or should have known, that Hizbullah would see that their strategy worked and would keep that open again in the future. Hizbullah will strike at a time and place of their choosing.

Far from improving Israel's security posture, the swap undermines it.

Lebanon, aka Hizbullahland, continues to see Hizbullah dominate more and more areas.

The decision to build infrastructure in non-Shi'ite villages - where Hizbullah has less support - is part of the group's post-war strategy under which it has mostly abandoned the "nature reserves," forested areas in southern Lebanon where it kept most of its Katyusha rocket launchers before the Second Lebanon War.

Behind the change is the mandate given to UNIFIL by the United Nations after the war in 2006. According to the mandate, the peacekeeping force can patrol freely throughout southern Lebanon but cannot enter villages or cities without being accompanied by soldiers from the Lebanese Armed Forces, which regularly tips off Hizbullah ahead of the raids.

Hizbullah swept into power and holds a veto over anything the Lebanese government does. They can openly operate despite UNIFIL's orders to disband all militias, including Hizbullah.

Hizbullah is clearly looking to the future, and to a time when it will be able to launch yet another war against Israel.

Rudy Running For New York Governor?

Well, I'm not surprised by this.

The Giuliani camp is expected to announce the creation of the committee as early as Monday. The same day, he'll hold a small fund-raiser at the Grand Havana Room on Fifth Avenue for his political action committee, Solutions America.

Sources close to Giuliani said the state fund-raising venture is simply "him keeping his options open" for his future. But several sources say the former mayor is eyeing a gubernatorial run in 2010.

The sources said the fund will focus on several races around the state, but the main emphasis will be helping Republicans retain a majority in the Senate.

Political insiders said the move suggests Giuliani is trying to rebuild his political clout after his disappointing presidential bid - and doesn't now have a natural platform that an elective office would provide.

He's also trying to recoup his earning potential in the private sector. Some political insiders point out privately that the fund could also help enhance the profile of his pared-down consulting business.

The Republicans don't exactly have any fresh faces to run for statewide office and Rudy has shown he can deal with the ins and outs of New York politics. He'd be running against the current governor, Democrat David Paterson, who got the job after his predecessor, Eliot Spitzer, had to resign in disgrace.

The Republicans could do far worse than sending Rudy to Albany. However, they have to make sure that Rudy doesn't run a disastrous campaign as he did nationally.

Update on Snuff Tape/Photos

I had previously written about Rahmatullah Naikzad, who apparently was in the right place at the right time to video and photograph the Taliban murdering two women. He claims that the Taliban sent out pressers to media outlets calling them to attend the execution and that he checked with the AP office, which approved.

He also claims that he tried to intervene with the Taliban but was rebuffed. The women were brutally murdered.

The next morning, he said, he consulted with the AP, because he wanted to return to the village and photograph the women’s bodies. He said the AP agreed and he rode back to the scene of the executions.

Villagers stood nearby as he filmed and photographed the corpses. A stream of dried blood trailed from one body. The other woman’s shopping bag remained near her, its contents scattered.

“There was a beige handbag and a comb … a mirror and some cosmetics in it,” Naikzad said.

Naikzad said he was detained for two days after his video appeared on the Internet, but that he was released for three days following the death of a relative. He said he was treated well in custody, and that he is cooperating with the National Directorate of Security, the agency that interrogated him.

“Around 60 pages of investigative material were produced from my interrogation,” he said.

“I am willingly going back into custody once the bail period ends,” he said, adding, “I have nothing to fear.”

Some bloggers who have seen the video of the executions have expressed concerns that Naikzad may be connected with the Taliban, and that the Associated Press was used as a propaganda tool.

The fact is that the AP was used as a propaganda tool. The Taliban purposefully sought out the AP and other media outlets, and they allowed a stringer to be sent along to photograph the event.

It wasn't what the Taliban claimed it would be, which shouldn't surprise anyone either. (HT: Jorline at LGF)

The Rebuilding of Ground Zero, Part 41

Mayor Bloomberg finally announced new regulations on deconstruction and demolition of buildings in the City that improve fire safety, directly relating to the deadly fire at the Deutsche Bank building that killed two firefighters last summer.

That building was slated to be deconstructed by the end of last year, but now no one knows for sure when that crucial work will be completed. The way things are headed, that building will still stand in the way of rebuilding on the rest of the site in 2009.

While some people might think that Merrill Lynch pulling out of a deal to rent or own space at 2 WTC might be a problem for Silverstein Properties, it actually frees up Silverstein to build, since Lynch was in no position financially to commit to space. Even Mayor Bloomberg doesn't see a problem with Lynch pulling out of talks on WTC space.

The Port Authority, as usual, is still dragging its feet, and lawsuits appear on the horizon as well.

Meanwhile, Billy Crystal has been named as a director to the 9/11 Memorial Foundation to assist with fundraising. The Board is still $150 million short of its goal of $500 million.

Some Interfaith Dialogue

The Saudi King decided to sponsor an interfaith dialogue, but had to choose Spain for the forum instead of Saudi Arabia since the Saudis greatly discourage non Muslims from setting foot in the country, and ban non Muslims from entering Mecca.

Now comes word that the United Arab Emirates has an issue with Jews.

But after a day's worth of speeches by Christian, Jewish, Muslim, and Hindu leaders, in the middle of the fourth two-hour conference session, a government official from the United Arab Emirates urged Muslim leaders to avoid the company of Zionists.

"We have to distinguish between Judaism and Zionism," the official, Izzeddin Mustafa Ibrahim, who is listed on the program as an adviser on cultural affairs to the president of the U.A.E., said. "Zionism is a political system. Judaism is a religion."

He continued: "I can speak to pacifists but not bellicists, who are in favor of war."

Mr. Ibrahim, a Muslim scholar of Christianity who said he has met with three popes in the interests of Christian-Muslim relations, then continued: "I have only one minute left," referring to the amount of speaking time allotted to him, and finished off his statements with a broad appeal to begin a "Judaic and Islamic dialogue."

"I believe it has to start," Mr. Ibrahim said, referring to such a dialogue.

A New York rabbi, Marc Schneier, then took the lectern but did not directly respond to Mr. Ibrahim's statements about Zionism. He spoke of outreach efforts in North America between imams and rabbis.

In an interview outside the conference room, however, another New York rabbi denounced Mr. Ibrahim's remarks "as the same old rhetoric that has led to more hatred and the building of a wall between the Jews and the Muslims for the last 60 years."

Let's remind the UAE that Israel came into existence after the Arabs (Muslims) rejected any accommodation of a two-state solution and have spent the subsequent 60 years seeking nothing less than the destruction of Israel.

Jews are restricted from going near the Temple Mount in Jerusalem to pray because the Israeli authorities have deemed it insensitive and could lead to riots from the al Aqsa mosque (which coincidentally appears to have been a meeting place for men plotting to kill President Bush when he paid a visit to Israel). Jews are prohibited from visiting Rachel's Tomb for similar concerns, and are restricted from going to the Cave of the Patriarchs in Hebron for the same reason. Israel bends over backwards to accommodate Muslim concerns, while limiting Jewish parishioners from going to these sacred locations.

It's also curious how the UAE tries to distinguish between Judaism and Zionism, when Islam is both a political and a religious movement. The Islamists repeatedly seek to impose Islamic law on all those who are under its dominion - as per Saudi law and the law in many parts of the world where Muslims make up a majority (Indonesia, Malaysia, Iran, etc.).

Starbucks Flop-a-chino Hits New Jersey

As I noted in an earlier story about Starbucks' business floundering, Ridgewood recently saw a new Starbucks open less than a mile from a more established store also in Ridgewood.

Well, that new store, along with many others, is going to be closed as part of Starbucks new plan.

The release was unexpected. Chief Executive Howard Schultz told employees last week that closures would be announced each month after employees receive 30-day closing notices. A store in Cherry Hill was among those in the first round.

The Jersey locations announced tonight are:

- 744 Broad St. Newark
- 80 S. White Horse Pike, Hammonton
- 10 Wilsey Square, Ridgewood
- 57 Route 23 South, Wayne
- 4364 Route 130 North, Willingboro

Starbucks has released a list of all 600 stores it plans to close by the end of March.

"In the spirit of transparency with our partners, customers and communities, we are providing the full list of stores for general information purposes," the company said in a release.

Closure dates for each store will be given after employees are told when their store is closing.

I'm sorry, but this was not unexpected. You could see the writing on the wall when the earlier reports came out that 600 stores would be closed. Sure, you might not have known precisely which stores, but I had a good guess that the Wilsey Square store would be closed - that's the one that opened less than a mile from the other store on Ridgewood area and about a mile from another branch in Midland Park.

Starbucks oversaturated the market, and paid with bad business decisions that hurt its bottom line. Starbucks might find its way back into Newark at some point, but I'd suggest that they spend more time coming up with a more flavorful product that doesn't cost an arm and a leg.

UPDATE:
Here's the full list, and New York City also loses 10 stores too. That leaves just about 225 stores in the City. HT: Gothamist.

Israelis Bust Bush Assassination Terror Cell

Four Israeli Arabs from east Jerusalem and two from Nazareth have been indicted for allegedly setting up an Al-Qaida cell in the capital and offering their services to Global Jihad elements, security officials announced Friday.

One of the suspects allegedly made contact with those elements in an attempt to assassinate US President George W. Bush during his visit to Israel in May.

The group, arrested in a joint Shin Bet-Israel Police investigation, includes two Hebrew University students, one of whom lived in the university dormitories with a view of a helicopter landing pad.

These guys may have been amateurs, but their intentions were quite real. They were looking for advice and guidance from al Qaeda via Internet queries, which is how the cell caught the attention of the Israeli Shin Bet. Where these men chose to meet should not really come as much of a surprise either.

These six men were meeting and plotting at the al Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem. That would be the mosque on the Temple Mount.

Investigators found bomb making instructions and other related information on the computers of the men.

The Science Strikes Back

A day after Al Gore gave a speech that may or may not have included references to clean coal in pursuit of a 10 year mission for the US to go carbon neutral, the scientists at the American Physical Society have found that the IPCC, which has been pushing the human-caused global warming meme has some serious explaining to do.

In fact, they go beyond merely demanding explanations from the IPCC to pretty much calling the IPCC a fraud and that human caused global warming is unproven.

The APS is opening its debate with the publication of a paper by Lord Monckton of Brenchley, which concludes that climate sensitivity — the rate of temperature change a given amount of greenhouse gas will cause — has been grossly overstated by IPCC modeling. A low sensitivity implies additional atmospheric CO2 will have little effect on global climate.

Larry Gould, Professor of Physics at the University of Hartford and Chairman of the New England Section of the APS, called Monckton’s paper an “expose of the IPCC that details numerous exaggerations and “extensive errors”

In an email to DailyTech, Monckton says, “I was dismayed to discover that the IPCC’s 2001 and 2007 reports did not devote chapters to the central ‘climate sensitivity’ question, and did not explain in proper, systematic detail the methods by which they evaluated it. When I began to investigate, it seemed that the IPCC was deliberately concealing and obscuring its method.”

When other planets in the solar system experience the same kinds of climate change, there's only one factor that would affect all - the sun.

It's the one factor that Al Gore and his followers discount and ignore, even as solar output appears to be waning over the past several years.

This undermines the argument by the global warming crowd that the scientists are in consensus about the human factor on global warming.

Hot Air has more, including how the Australian scientist in charge of developing that country's Kyoto compliance measures has come to realize how the facts have come to show that carbon plays only a minor role in climate change and that there were other more important factors to consider - like the sun.

As for Gore's speech yesterday, it's curious how a Times report today mentions clean coal as a solution for American energy needs.

“When we look at all three of these seemingly intractable challenges at the same time, we can see the common thread running through them, deeply ironic in its simplicity: our dangerous over-reliance on carbon-based fuels is at the core of all three of these challenges — the economic, environmental and national security crises,” Mr. Gore said. “We’re borrowing money from China to buy oil from the Persian Gulf to burn it in ways that destroy the planet. Every bit of that has to change.”

His solution was to do away with all carbon-emitting forms of electricity production in the United States within 10 years, replacing them with alternatives like solar, wind and geothermal power, conservation and so-called clean-coal technology in which all carbon emissions from the burning of coal are captured and stored. It is a bold, and some say, unrealistic goal given the tremendous cost and the nation’s fractious politics.

Given that the US already relies heavily on coal for power generation needs, increasing clean coal operations isn't all that much of a stretch. Of the alternative energy sources listed above, it's the one most likely to succeed in a short time frame and produce stable and steady power in the greatest capacity.

UPDATE:
Doug Ross has screen caps of Gore's entourage arriving in multiple cars and other acolytes arriving to attend his sermon on global warming and US reduction in carbon emissions.

The full video of that is here.

UPDATE:
It figures that the EPA bureaucrats would push that climate change can result in major changes to lifestyle. I don't think anyone's questioning that climate change can result in lifestyle changes, but the problem is that the junk science behind human-caused global warming is bunk. And some of those climate changes might actually enhance and improve lives, not harm them.

UPDATE:
Michelle Malkin points out that the APS position is more nuanced. One of the units of the APS notes the problems, with other units retaining their global warming outlook. Still, it doesn't exactly suggest that there's conformity or unanimity or consensus on human induced global warming.

District of Columbia Rejects Heller's Gun Application

There's de facto (in fact) violation of a constitutional right, and there's de jure (in law) violations. The Supreme Court struck down the District of Columbia's de jure violation of the Second Amendment in District of Columbia v. Heller.

Now, the District appears hell bent on engaging in a de facto violation by making completely unreasonable and overly restrictive limitations on gun ownership and handling of firearms that puts the District squarely at risk of spending millions of dollars to lose in court yet again.

Dick Heller is the man who brought the lawsuit against the District's 32-year-old ban on handguns. He was among the first in line Thursday morning to apply for a handgun permit.

But when he tried to register his semi-automatic weapon, he says he was rejected. He says his gun has seven bullet clip. Heller says the City Council legislation allows weapons with fewer than eleven bullets in the clip. A spokesman for the DC Police says the gun was a bottom-loading weapon, and according to their interpretation, all bottom-loading guns are outlawed because they are grouped with machine guns.

Besides obtaining paperwork to buy new handguns, residents also can register firearms they've had illegally under a 180-day amnesty period.

Basically, the District is claiming that only six shooters are eligible to be registered as firearms. 9mm automatic handguns, such as those used by police forces around the country, would be illegal under the District's interpretation.

The District further intends:

Firearms in the home must be stored unloaded and disassembled, and secured with either a trigger lock, gun safe, or similar device. The new law will allow an exception for a firearm while it is being used against an intruder in the home.

Yes, I'm sure that an intruder will wait and give a person the time to assemble a gun to be used. Asinine doesn't begin to cover this. More here.

Of course, the District runs afoul of the Heller decision, which anticipated this kind of chicanery.

Gore's Energy Pronouncement Misses Mark

Al Gore belches forth another blast of hot air, calling for the US to go carbon neutral in 10 years.

How does he propose that we achieve this? Here:

To meet his 10-year goal, Gore said nuclear energy output would continue at current levels while the nation dramatically increases its use of solar, wind, geothermal and so-called clean coal energy. Huge investments must also be made in technologies that reduce energy waste and link existing grids, he said.

If the nation fails to act, the cost of oil will continue to rise as fast-growing China and India increase demand, Gore said. Sustained addiction to oil also will place the nation at the mercy of oil-producing regimes, he said, and the globe would suffer irreparable harm.

Government experts recently predicted that, at the current rate, world energy demand will grow 50 percent over the next two decades. The Energy Information Administration also said in its long-range forecast to 2030 that the world is not close to abandoning fossil fuels despite their effect on global warming.

So, Gore thinks that we can meet our energy demands with dramatic increases of solar, wind, geothermal, and clean coal?

He conveniently leaves out nuclear power as the great equalizer. Wind and solar are too variable given that output ebbs and flows depending on weather conditions and some parts of the country are better suited to those technologies than other.

No mention of hydropower either. I guess he doesn't like or want dams, even though they helped power his home state of Tennessee in one of the greatest feats of electrification in the 20th Century (see the Tennessee Valley Authority).

Clean coal is a great idea, but isn't that a fancy way of saying coal? Coal is a fossil fuel.

At least Gore realizes that we're not going to get rid of all fossil fuels, and that coal is one of the cheapest forms of energy we have available today and for the foreseeable future. That's a switch for him. And it would tend to signal a walk back from his inane demands to go cold turkey on carbon emissions.

Gore also doesn't quite understand that even if the US does everything he says, the cost of oil will continue to go through the roof because demand worldwide will continue to increase as China, India, and other third world countries develop and rely on petroleum sources for power.

UPDATE:
The NYT coverage of the same speech makes no mention of clean coal. Something is definitely amiss here. Someone is playing with quotes and what Gore said.

The text of the speech appears to be here, though those are the prepared remarks. Did what he actually say differ from what he submitted to the press?

Hizbullah Knows How To Distinguish Itself From Civilians

As you go through a database of photos from Lebanon yesterday, you see Hizbullah terrorists all dressed up in uniforms. They're busy saluting Samir Kuntar and the bodies of their fellow terrorists.



They're dressed in uniforms, which shows that they know how to distinguish themselves from the civilian population when they want to.

They choose not to when they fight with Israel because they're terrorists who do not follow the laws of war and will hide behind civilians at every turn. They didn't wear uniforms when attacking Israel to capture Goldwasser and Regev, and they didn't wear uniforms when fighting their destructive war with Israel so that they could blend in with the Lebanese people and use them as human shields.

Welcome to Hizbullahland, formerly known as Lebanon, because the terrorist group has effectively imposed its will on the country.

The Cycle of Harassment

Misogyny rears its ugly head again. This is just repugnant. Two thirds of Egyptian men admit to harassing women, and a majority blame women for the situation.

The survey of more than 2,000 Egyptian men and women and 109 foreign women said the vast majority of Egyptians believed that sexual harassment in Egypt was on the rise, citing a worsening economic situation and a lack of awareness or religious values.

It said 62 percent of Egyptian men reported perpetrating harassment, while 83 percent of Egyptian women reported having been sexually harassed. Nearly half of women said the abuse occurred daily.

Only 2.4 percent of Egyptian women reported it to the police, with most saying they did not believe anyone would help. Some feared reporting harassment would hurt their reputations.

"The vast majority of women did nothing when confronted with sexual harassment," the survey said, adding that most Egyptian women believed the victim should "remain silent".

Some 53 percent of men blamed women for bringing on sexual harassment, saying they enjoyed it or were dressed in a way deemed indecent. Some women agreed.

They had it coming? Where are the womens' rights groups to complain about this odious attitude towards women?

Red Flagging the Yellow Jersey

The 2008 iteration of the Tour de France is in serious trouble, as yet again doping threatens to destroy the race.

Numerous riders have already been tossed from the race, and now one of the race leaders has been banned because of testing positive for EPO and his team withdrew. Nice.

Riccardo Ricco, the winner of two stages in the Tour’s first nine days and in ninth place in the race so far, tested positive for a new-generation variant of the blood-boosting drug EPO after the fourth stage of the race last week, according to the French Anti-Doping Agency.

After the results became known Thursday morning, French Gendarmes questioned Ricco in the start village at Lavelanet and then drove away with him in a team car.

Members of Ricco’s Saunier Duval-Scott team had already prepared to start the 12th stage of the race in Lavalanet on Thursday morning when news of the failed drug test led the team’s management to withdraw its remaining riders from the Tour.

Ricco’s is the third failed test by a rider at the Tour this year. Two Spanish riders previously tested positive for EPO: Manuel Beltran of the Liquigas team and Moises Duenas Nevado of the Barloworld team. Duenas Nevado was also arrested after a police search found banned performance-enhancing drugs in his hotel room.

The Tour management was expected to address doping issues at a news conference after the finish of Thursday’s stage here. In informal discussions about doping issues earlier this week, Tour officials have maintained that catching riders who are doping indicates that their testing regimen is working and that they are succeeding in trying to keep the sport clean.

Apparently, there's nothing that will be a sufficient deterrent to riders using performance enhancing drugs.

It's sad, since this race is one of the true spectacles in sport as it winds its way through France, culminating in the final leg in Paris, including a stint down the Champs Elysee throughout the month of July.

Underscoring Hizbullah's Victory

Samir Kuntar says he's going to continue the murderous legacy of Imad Mughniyeh (Mugh the Thug). Who actually thought otherwise? Anyone?

Kuntar was welcomed back to Lebanon as a hero. Some hero. He murdered innocent and defenseless children.



Hizbullah praised him to no end and pulled out all the stops in major rallies celebrating the return of this murderous terrorist and child killer. He was welcomed by thousands in his hometown. Iran cheered.

Israelis meanwhile, buried Ehud Goldwasser and Eldad Regev yesterday. While I share in their families' grief, the decision to return live terrorists so that they can continue their deadly goals is a serious mistake that Israel will regret. Considering a death penalty for terrorists is not a bad idea, though the terrorists might consider capturing Israelis so that they can reclaim the bodies.

Curiously, the Arab media appears to mock the Hizbullah claims that they won, noting the catastrophic toll on Lebanon in the Hizbullah war with Israel.

These Arab countries fail to realize that everyone else can and will suffer at the hands of these Islamists in their pursuit of their ultimate goal of destroying Israel. It doesn't matter to them how many Arabs (Muslim or otherwise) are killed in fighting Israel so long as Israel loses eventually. This is why the terrorists go to such lengths to claim that those Muslims who die are considered martyrs. The religious veneer covers up their destructive intentions, though as we've seen in Iraq, the people harmed most by such fighting and death and destruction will take only so much of it before they stand up against the terrorists and cast them out.

With Hizbullah firmly in charge in Lebanon, that is an incredibly difficult task, especially with Syrian and Iranian support.

UPDATE:
Carl in Jerusalem notes that Hizbullah mutilated the bodies of Goldwasser and Regev. I doubt we'll ever hear an outcry against the terrorists when they torture their victims, behead them, mutilate them, and desecrate their remains.

UPDATE:
Hot Air also comments on Hizbullah's odious displays, including Nazi salutes, in the course of welcoming home Kuntar as a conquering hero.

Meryl Yourish has a roundup of reaction. Israellycool calls this the expected consequences. He's right.

At least some Lebanese are wondering why everyone is going out of their way to label Kuntar a hero. Lebanon Iznogood calls Kuntar a scumbag. Abu Kais notes what Hizbullah wrought on Lebanon.

UPDATE:
Meanwhile, Charles Johnson came upon this odious photo, which once again underscores just how useless the UN is in dealing with the Islamic terrorist group Hizbullah. They saluted the remains of the terrorists who Israel returned to Lebanon.

You Don't Get To Complain

The Record of New Jersey once again throws itself in with the Democrats pain at the pump strategy. They want people to think that President Bush's lifting of the executive ban on offshore drilling was a cynical attempt to lay blame on Democrats.

Well, the facts are the facts. Democrats have blocked offshore drilling time and time again. Indeed, Gov. Corzine, Sen. Lautenberg, and Sen. Menendez all want to continue to ban on offshore drilling. Other members of the NJ delegation are engaging in little more than the typical NIMBY posturing - they want to see more production, just not in their backyard.

All ignore the very real costs to the people of the US for failing to provide new sources of oil, especially those that would help wean the US from foreign dependency on oil and improve US strategic economic interests.

The Record runs a Margulies cartoon which cynically suggests that the Jersey Shore view would be one of a series of oil rigs. Tell that to California, Texas, and Louisiana, where there are offshore rigs, but they haven't put a damper on tourism to their beaches.

The editorial goes on to say that the lifting of the ban and subsequent drilling wouldn't take much off the price of oil. Well, the facts again suggest that the Record gets it wrong. In the two days following the President's decision, the price of oil has slipped by nearly $10. Clearly, the oil traders think that the President's decision has an effect.

Conservation would never be able to keep up with rising demand, so that the need to find additional sources will continue to be present. Democrats, however, have a vested interest in seeing the price of oil climb through the roof - the need to press for more governmental power and control. Note that it is Democrats (see Obama, et seq.) who push for windfall profits taxes on oil companies - the very companies that would be drilling for oil and whose profits are actually less per dollar of revenue than those of Microsoft or the taxes taken out by the federal and state governments.

Note that it is Democrats who stand in the way of building new refineries or alternative energy sources like wind power (see Ted Kennedy's opposition to Cape Wind).

Note that it is Democrats who stand in the way of building the national repository for nuclear waste at Yucca Mountain (see Sen. Harry Reid).

Conservation sounds great, but it doesn't create a single new watt of power or a new barrel of oil.

Meanwhile, the fact is that depending on where the oil is actually discovered offshore, the possibility that you could actually see the oil rigs from the shore may not even be possible. With offshore oil drilling possible out to more than 100 miles, rigs might be completely over the horizon. It wouldn't mar the views, and indeed, the drivers who take their families down to the shore probably wouldn't mind those rigs if they were visible because they might be better able to afford the trip and help out the local economy by spending more locally rather than devote a greater percentage of their hard-earned money on gas for the trip.

UPDATE:
Investors Business Daily lays out what the Democrats have done - nothing but obstruct the possibility of crafting an energy policy that actually creates new energy.

Sorry Charlie

So, Rep. Charles Rangel's (D-NY) neighbors are realizing that there's a double standard in how Rangel was treated and how they are treated when it comes to rent stabilized housing in the Olnick Organization's Lenox Towers in Harlem. They say that they would never get the kind of preferential treatment had they broken the rules as Rangel had done.

Although landlord-tenant battles, especially in rent-stabilized buildings, are a staple of New York life, residents and housing advocates say that after the Harlem real estate market began to soar around 2000, the situation at Lenox Terrace grew intense. The Olnick Organization, the owner of the development, brought in a new manager at that time and began aggressively seeking to evict tenants from rent-stabilized units.

While some of those evicted were clearly in violation of rent laws, tenants say the company went beyond those cases, pressuring legitimate residents to give up their homes.

Rangel has been in violation of the rent laws from the moment he began using that fourth apartment as a campaign office. He says he's given up the use of that apartment, but the damage had been done. Some other family in Harlem lost out on the opportunity to use that apartment as their home for years.

Rangel didn't seem to mind taking advantage of the system, and that sense of entitlement carries over to other ethical misconduct that may get him in more serious trouble. He's holding a presser this morning to discuss the fact he used Congressional letterhead to solicit contributions to his future library.

Use of official congressional letterhead for these solicitations is a potential violation of House ethics rules. Lawmakers and a liberal watchdog group, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, have already called on the House ethics committee to launch an investigation into the matter.

Given that the House Democrats haven't exactly jumped to clean up the most unethical Congress in history, don't expect them to jump ugly on one of the most senior Democrats in the country and the most powerful member of the New York delegation.

After all, if Nancy Pelosi wouldn't go after Rep. William Jefferson after he was found holding $90,000 in cold cash stashed in his freezer, they're going to be less likely to do so on what they'll call a minor ethical violation.

Jesse Jackson Sticks Both Feet In Mouth

Jesse Jackson really stepped in it when he was caught off camera talking about Obama in derogatory and less than inspiring language. It turns out that the reports of what Jackson said were incomplete and actually worse than first indicated.

Jackson apparently uttered the word "nigger" in the course of his off camera tirade.

The Rev. Jesse Jackson used the N-word during a break in a TV interview where he criticized presidential candidate Barack Obama, Fox News confirmed Wednesday.

The longtime civil rights leader already came under fire this month for crude off-air comments he made against Obama in what he thought was a private conversation during a taping of a "Fox & Friends" news show.

In additional comments from that same conversation, first reported by TVNewser, Jackson is reported to have said Obama was "talking down to black people," and referred to blacks with the N-word when he said Obama was telling them "how to behave."

Though a Fox spokesman confirmed the TVNewer's account to The Associated Press, the network declined to release the full transcript of the July 6 show and did not air the comments.

Nice. Real classy.

This whole mess also shows just how resentful Jackson is over Obama's success thus far. Obama has succeeded better than Jackson ever could - and it's got to be eating at Jackson.

We've also got ourselves quite a double standard quandary given that Jackson has repeatedly questioned the use of racist and misogynistic lyrics in songs and other media. Yet, it seems that Jackson doesn't appear to have a problem saying them himself.

Is it possible that this goes back to something else I'd written; it's that it can be acceptable for African Americans to use words like "nigger" but white people can't. It was only after Jackson got caught saying these things that he's put out apologies.

Someone who truly believes that such language is wrong would not say it in the first place. For a change, Slim Shady Al Sharpton actually agrees: "I am against the use of the N-word by anyone and I think we must be consistent," he told The Associated Press. "We must not use the word.""

Jackson's time as a leading political figure came to an end a generation ago, but no one told him. It's time for someone to tell him.

Promises He Can't Keep

What's the latest promise from Sen. Barack Obama? That he's going to rid the world of nuclear weapons.

He's too busy trying to tell people what they want to hear that he ignores the sad reality that too many nations around the world seek that technology to use it, and there's nothing that will put the nuclear genie back in the bottle.

This is the kind of disarmament that Obama's looking for:


It's unilateral, and it would leave the US at the mercy of its enemies, both in the present and going forward.

UPDATE:
And the reason that he calls for scrapping all nuclear weapons - Trinity. Today, 63 years ago, the US tested the first atomic bomb at the White Sands testing range.

Time For Some Campaignin'

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From the fine folks at JibJab, here's their annual ritual of skewering the elections

Rangel's Chutzpah Continues

Rep. Charles Rangel must think his constituents are idiots if he thinks this will fly:

We didn't want that apartment anyway

"They had decided they were going to move anyway," Rangel said brusquely.

The powerful chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee announced the move Monday night amid questions about four rent-stabilized apartments he has at the Lenox Towers complex in Harlem.

The 78-year-old lawmaker uses three of the below-market apartments as a residence, and the fourth was occupied by his campaign committee.

He said the lease for the office was up in October, and his campaign staff was already looking to pull up stakes and find bigger quarters.

Housing laws dictate that rent-stabilized apartments be used only as the leaseholder's primary residence, but Rangel said he didn't know that.

"I did not have any idea that it was wrong and we're removing that from the discussion by leaving [the apartment]," he said.

Right. You're paying half the market rate and you didn't want that apartment? You're either dumber than a bag of hammers, or think your constituents are.

Who buys into this nonsense? Well, considering that Rangel's constituents in Harlem keep reelecting him without the slightest consideration of any opponent, I'd say that Rangel definitely thinks no one cares.

He's probably right, and I suspect he will once again be reelected by a strong majority.

Rangel took advantage of the rent stabilization program, enabling him to save tens of thousands of dollars every year in rents on his four units. The unit in question that he's giving up was one that he used as an office in violation of the rent stabilization guidelines.

It's amazing chutzpah for him to claim that he had no idea about the office prohibition given that he's often championed affordable housing programs, which means he knows the ins and outs of rent stabilization and rent control programs in New York State.

And that's not even the most audacious thing Rangel's done so far. Jammie has the details about Rangel's use of Congressional letterhead to raise funds for a library to house his papers and records.

Iraqi Items Overlooked by the Media

Basra could become region's next Dubai.

Security progress in Basra is “overwhelming” and Iraq’s second-largest city could be “another Dubai in the coming decade,” the commander of Multi-National Division - Southeast said June 14, referring to the bustling international business hub.

British Army Maj. Gen. Barney White-Spunner told Pentagon reporters via teleconference from Baghdad that Operation Charge of the Knights - ordered by Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki in March - has “well and truly” turned the tide in the city.

Before the operation, militias controlled large parts of the city. Militia leaders, many under control of Iran, intimidated the populace and turned the city into a crime empire.

Basra is key to Iraq’s success, with oil fields, the port of Umm Qasr and the international airport being economic engines for the region, White-Spunner said.

To even make such a comment a year ago would have been grounds to call your sanity into question as the Mahdi Army and Iranian influence threatened to tear the city apart in sectarian violence. However, the combined efforts of the US and Iraqi Army have wrested control and brought tremendous optimism to the city, enabling the general to make these comments.

Iraqi air force trains on newly acquired aircraft. This is a tremendously important development. Right now, even though the Iraqi government and Iraqi army are doing far better than just a year ago, they still depend on US airpower to back up those Iraqi army units operating around the country against the remaining pockets of insurgents and terrorists.

Getting the Iraqi Air Force up to speed would greatly reduce the reliance on the US Air Force and allow the US Air Force to task on other missions in the region and around the world.

This doesn't mean that Iraq is safe; threats do remain, and US forces continue to take some casualties, including a Marine killed in Anbar and a suicide bomber killed 35 police recruits. I suspect that the death of this Marine will get more coverage than the other more positive reports.

The Pakistani Rubicon Awaits

Has the die been cast? US and NATO forces are supposedly massing along the Afghan border with Pakistan after cross border raids included Pakistani troops operating in conjunction with Taliban and al Qaeda elements. This comes on the heels of a significant attack on US forces in Afghanistan that resulted in nine US soldiers killed and 40 Taliban killed as well.

Indian and Afghan intelligence reports that the Pakistani intel services have sided with the terrorists. That isn't exactly a surprise to anyone following the situation in Pakistan, as the ISI has long harbored favorable sentiment to the Islamists and al Qaeda in particular.

The problem remains as it has been for some time now - control over the Pakistani nuclear arsenal. Taking action against the Islamists might throw control over those weapons into the hands of the very people we're trying to keep from ever getting their hands on the button. Pakistan's long standing appeasement policy towards the border regions has fostered the conditions that we're seeing today. And India could see the brunt of those weapons as India and Pakistan have fought repeated conflicts since their founding and the conflict boils over from time to time over the Line of Control.

Meanwhile, Taliban propagandists who were pushing claims that NATO forces killed civilians in airstrikes were rebutted by ISAF investigators, who found that the closest airstrikes were more than 40km away.

Goldwasser and Regev Return To Israel In Coffins

Israeli authorities have given positive identifications to the remains in coffins delivered by the Islamic terrorist group Hizbullah as Ehud Goldwasser and Eldad Regev. Video of the transfer can be seen here.

It was an incredibly high price to pay for the return of those men.

Israel released five terrorists, including the child murderer Samir Kuntar. Kuntar's being received as a conquering hero, and the government of Lebanon via Hizbullah is pulling out all the stops.

The Palestinians are also celebrating the release of Kuntar, passing out candies. Abbas congratulates his fellow terrorists. The sickening display once again underscores just what these people seek. They want Israel destroyed, and it doesn't matter who stands in their way. Kuntar murdered two children and their father before being captured by Israeli security forces after his terror cell invaded Israel to carry out attacks.

His group's motivation? Egypt and Israel had signed a peace treaty in 1979.

UPDATE:
More than a few media outlets consider this to be a prisoner swap. Sorry, but this is nothing more than terrorists for coffins. That goes for MSNBC and New York Times, among others.

The terrorists were convicted of murdering Israelis, including children. Hizbullah captured Goldwasser and Regev to secure a prisoner release - and they got exactly what they hoped out of the deal. They got terrorists released from Israeli prisons, and will receive them as conquering heroes.

UPDATE:
The Israeli Consulate in New York sent out the following:

July 16th, 2008
Ehud Goldwasser and Eldad Regev Returned to Israel in Today's Prisoner Exchange


The bodies of Ehud Goldwasser and Eldad Regev were returned to Israel on Wednesday, 16 July 2008 along with additional recovered remains of soldiers who fell during the Second Lebanon War. In exchange, Israel returned Samir Kuntar and four other Lebanese terrorists, as well as the bodies of dozens of infiltrators and terrorists to Lebanon .

Israel has a duty, as a nation and as a people, to protect those who risk their lives to defend its citizens. Every Israeli soldier knows that his country will do its utmost to retrieve him should he fall into enemy hands. This is an expression of Israel 's deep reverence for human life and of its respect for the fallen. This principle stems from Israel 's sense of morality as well as from Jewish ethics and is a demonstration of Israel 's moral and physical strength.

It is morally reprehensible that Samir Kuntar, a vile child-killer, is now being hailed as a hero in Lebanon . As this YouTube video makes clear, his crimes are truly reprehensible and are condemned by every decent society. Hizbullah, just like any other society, can be judged by whom it chooses to idolize and to hold up as an example for its youth. Yet as an extremist Islamist organization, it chooses to worship death and destruction while clinging to its goal of destroying Israel .

This exchange to return IDF soldiers does not legitimize Hizbullah. Israel 's decision to return its soldiers should not be interpreted as indicating any change in Israel 's policy towards this Iranian-sponsored terrorist organization. The international community must continue to recognize the danger posed by Hizbullah and its extremist cohorts to the stability of the Middle East and should redouble its support of the pragmatic elements in the region, who seek to make peace through dialogue and compromise.

Ehud Goldwasser and Eldad Regev will be laid to rest tomorrow, 17 July 2008, in Israeli military cemeteries.

There are some kernels of truth in this, namely that one can judge Hizbullah by who it seeks to elevate as heroes. They are terrorists, and honor those who murder Israelis.

Still, to claim that the return of IDF soldiers doesn't legitimize Hizbullah is the height of folly. Of course it does. It also lays the groundwork for Hizbullah to undertake further infiltration operations to capture Israelis so that they too can be used as pawns in terrorist releases from Israeli jails.

If it was so morally reprehensible to release Samir Kuntar, why did Peres issue a pardon? That wasn't a necessary precondition to his release.

UPDATE:
Besides providing the five live terrorists including Kuntar, Israel is returning to sender the remains of 180 Hizbullah. And Hizbullah will honor each with a glorious welcome and party on while Israel grieves.

Bruno Goes Bye Bye

New York State Senate Majority Leader Joe Bruno is calling it quits, effective this Friday. After 32 years in the Senate representing Rensselaer County, and 14 years as majority leader, he's calling it quits.

Of course, this is not simply a retirement and a ride into the sunset.

The possibility of a perp walk is present, as Bruno's activities are being investigated by the FBI for criminal wrong doing over his business interests and ties.

Bruno has managed to maintain a GOP hold on the State Senate, even though Democrats outnumber Republicans statewide. That could change in November, as the GOP holds a razor thin advantage in seats but several state senators are considering retirement.

Hizbullah Crows; Israel Rolls

As my friend Legalbgl notes below, Israel has capitulated and will be releasing the terrorist child murderer Samir Kuntar in exchange for the remains of Israeli soldiers Ehud Goldwasser and Eldad Regev. It is a serious mistake, and was the reason that those soldiers were captured by Hizbullah in the first place.

Their capture was meant to pressure Israel into releasing terrorists held by Israel. Hamas still holds out hope that a similar deal will result in more Palestinian terrorists released by Israel in exchange for Gilad Shalit.

The Israeli government approved the Hizbullah prisoner swap, and Hizbullah crows loudly that they won.

They did.

And in the following months, the UN did nothing as Hizbullah regrouped, rearmed, and essentially took over the Lebanese government with veto power.

Now, they will celebrate the release of terrorists from Israeli prisons.

UPDATE:
I urge you to read the following, because it highlights what I've been saying here for some time now.

The famous example of Entebbe—when Israeli commandos raided a Ugandan airport 32 years ago and liberated dozens of hostages in one of the most heroic forays of the Israel Defense Forces—was the exception, not the rule. The truth is that in most cases, Israel will pay any price to get its soldiers back.

And that is a weakness exploited time and time again by Israel's enemies.

UPDATE:
Israeli President Shimon Peres pardoned Kuntar. Why? Since when has these prisoner swaps included pardons for past crimes against Israelis? They don't.

NJ Legislator Calls For Sales Tax Exemption For Energy Star Products

Retailers and environmentalists support the measure. It leaves it up to consumers to figure out what they want, and this amounts to a 7% (3.5% in enterprise zones) discount over non-Energy Star products. Given that many appliances are Energy Star rated, this means that entire classes of products would become exempt from sales tax if this measure is adopted.

On an item like CFLs, the tax exemption might see the cost to a consumer drop $.14 (figuring $2 per CFL). It would still be more expensive than an incandescent lamp with the same output, but more people might be willing to switch once the savings over the life of the lamp are figured in.

The bill, A3025/S1778, would provide a sales tax exemption for the following Energy Star rated products: compact fluorescent light bulbs, ceiling fans, clothes washers, dehumidifiers, dishwashers, refrigerators and freezers, residential light fixtures, room air conditioners, and room air cleaners.

Other products, like televisions, radios, etc., would not qualify for the exemption.

If anything, the exemption doesn't go nearly far enough if you want to improve and encourage conservation. It should include insulation and other items that would improve the energy efficiency of homes around the state like doors, garage doors, and windows. The state already has an exemption for solar energy systems, but not one for heat pumps, geothermal, or biodiesel. These savings will add up over time, not only to taxpayers who will be able to save thousands of dollars over the life of the products, but the state will be able to reduce emissions from all sources and slow the increase in power demand, which are laudable goals.

That said, I don't give the bill much of a chance, despite the merits are present because the state is in serious fiscal shape and Gov. Corzine wouldn't want to lose the sales tax revenue, even though it might bolster the corporate tax revenue (the bottom line that companies pay to the state in the corporate tax) and might also help the state reach Corzine's energy conservation goals. If more people are spending on new more efficient products, it would help reduce energy consumption going forward and businesses would see more people come in to buy products if they were saving on the sales tax.

Israel Cabinet Ratifies Deal for Return of Abducted Soldiers

I just received the following Press Release from The Israel Project, and I must say how disappointed I am in the Israeli government.

The Israeli Cabinet today (July 15) authorized the release of convicted murderer Samir Kuntar in exchange for Eldad Regev and Ehud Goldwasser, two Israelis abducted by Iran-backed Hezbollah in July 2006 as they patrolled Israel’s side of the border with Lebanon. Four members of Hezbollah, captured during the ensuing war, are also scheduled for release in the prisoner exchange agreement. [1]

Israel is also expected to release the remains of several Palestinian and Lebanese terrorists who carried out some of the most brutal attacks of the conflict. These include the remains of terrorists who carried out the Ma’alot massacre of 1974, in which members of the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine murdered 22 Israeli high-school students in the city of Ma’alot in northern Israel.[2]

The bodies of the terrorists who carried out the Coastal Road Massacre in 1978 are also scheduled for return to Lebanon tomorrow, including the remains of Dalal Mughrabi, the leader of the attack. In this terrorist assault, members of Fatah hijacked a bus on Israel’s coastal road and killed 35 civilians, including 13 children. This attack led directly to Israel’s operation in southern Lebanon, Operation Litani, aimed at destroying the Palestinian terrorist infrastructure in that region.[3]

Other bodies which are due to be transferred to Hezbollah include the Palestinian Islamic Jihad terrorists responsible for the attack on Kibbutz Matzuba in 2002, in which six Israeli civilians were murdered. The terrorists had been working in conjunction with Hezbollah.[4]

In April 1979, Kuntar, a member of the Palestine Liberation Front – part of the Palestine Liberation Organization - led a terrorist cell that infiltrated Israel and shot to death 28-year-old Danny Haran in front of his 4-year old daughter Einat near their home in the northern Israeli town of Nahariya. Kuntar then killed Einat by smashing her head against a rock with his rifle butt. Two Israeli police officers were also killed during the attack.

Kuntar was caught by Israeli police and was tried and convicted on four counts of murder. He was given four life sentences. [5]

Goldwasser and Regev were abducted by Hezbollah when a cell of the terrorist group in Lebanon infiltrated the internationally recognized border with Israel, fired on two Israel Defense Forces (IDF) jeeps and detonated explosives nearby. At the time, the soldiers were on a routine patrol of the border. [6]

Hezbollah killed eight soldiers in attacks during the day while at the same time firing thousands of rockets and mortar shells into northern Israeli communities. Goldwasser and Regev were reportedly taken into Lebanon and authorities said then that they believed they were alive at the time of their kidnapping. There have been no signs of life from them since then. [7]

The attack sparked a month-long war between Israel and Hezbollah. Since the cessation of hostilities, both sides have been in negotiations via mediators to exchange captives and war dead. Goldwasser at the time was almost 31; Regev was 27. [8]

On June 1, 2008, Israel released Nassim Nasser, a spy convicted of espionage on behalf of Iran-backed Hezbollah. On the same day, Hezbollah released partial remains of five Israeli soldiers killed in the 2006 war with Hezbollah. [9] In total, 20 IDF soldiers were not buried intact. [10]

Kuntar has promised to carry out futher terrorist attacks after his release and Palestinian Authority TV has called him a national hero.

Read the last paragraph again -- Kuntar has promised to carry out further attacks after his release. This cold blooded killer has vowed to kill again, and Israel is RELEASING him. I understand the desire to secure the release of Goldwasser and Regev, who, in violation of international law, have been kidnapped for more than two years by Hezbollah. However, to release a murderer, who has vowed to murder again, is crazy.

These prisoner exchanges are exactly the reason that Goldwasser and Regev were kidnapped for in the first place. Hezbollah knows full well that Israel will concede in these matters to secure the safe release of their citizens. What will it take for Israel to realize that they compromise their own security in doing so?

What will Israel offer up to secure the release of Gilad Shalit? Also being held, against international law, for more than 2 years, this time by Hamas.

Where is the world outrage that three soldiers, have been kidnapped, denied visitation by the Red Cross, have more than likely suffered torture (at least mental, if not physical), denied any form of due process or habeas corpus. This is more than the world holding Israel to a higher standard than any other could ever achieve, this is crickets chirping in the silence for three violations of world law! The world decries the "harsh" treatment of the Gitmo prisoners, yet is out right silent as to three prisoners in the hand of Hezbollah and Hamas. Why is the world not crazy that in order to secure the release of two of these prisoners, a CONVICTED MURDERER IS BEING SET FREE!!! A convicted murderer who was given due process, legal representation, a fair trial and the rights to appeal.

Not only has Israel been weakened by this exchange, the world has been embarrassed! The UN has again proven how ineffectual and absolute useless that it is. As an international body it is a joke. Its disbandment is surely warranted.

My only hope is that Kuntar not live long enough for Israel to regret this action.

Obama's Tax and Spend Policy Would Hit NYC Metro Area Hard

New York City and the surrounding region is highly dependent on Wall Street. In particular, the City and NY State reap the benefits of Wall Street to the tune of tens of billions of dollars every year.

If Barack Obama got his way, that cash cow would be slaughtered on the altar of tax and spend.

Mr. Obama is proposing to raise taxes on capital gains and dividends by a staggering two-thirds, moving the rate up 10 percentage points to 25%, which could curtail investment and business on Wall Street, a backbone of the city's and state's economy.

According to the Institute for Research on the Economics of Taxation, Mr. Obama's tax hike would knock off $2.5 trillion in capital formation over five years, or nearly 2% of gross domestic product.

"If we are only growing around 2% over the next five years, then we will have virtually zero growth for the period," the president of the institute, Stephen Entin, said. "This will create a permanent hit of 5% or greater to GDP."

The effect on New York will be even more acute: Wall Street accounts for nearly 9% of the city's tax revenues and up to 20% of the state's revenues; the city collected more than $3.3 billion in tax revenue from the securities industry in fiscal year 2007 and New York State collected $9.6 billion, according to New York State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli. In addition, every job added on Wall Street results in the creation of two additional jobs in other industries in the city, and one additional job in the suburbs.

Obama wants to reassert higher capital gains taxes, which would put a strangle hold on Wall Street and curb new investments. It would act as a further brake on the economy and investment houses in the region would suffer accordingly.

It would seriously harm New York and New Jersey, and yet the statewide elected officials have not reacted as they should given the terrible fiscal toll is imposed by an Obama administration. You can hear the crickets chirp as Obama lays out his tax grab scheme, even though both New Jersey and New York would get hit hard by the capital gains changes.

The local economies would suffer an additional shock since Wall Street workers live throughout the region and their spending would be curtailed as well. That would mean lower state tax revenues from sales, income, and property taxes, to say nothing of lower federal income tax revenues. It's a ripple effect that no one in the Obama campaign, let alone Democrats who support this kind of tax grab wants to talk about.

Just How Often Did Obama Attend Trinity?

American Thinker notes that there's some serious discrepancies in just how often Presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama attended Trinity Church. Newsweek's latest story on Obama claims that Obama attended the church more infrequently once his children were born, which could explain why he was never around when the odious pastor Jeremiah Wright gave his racist and anti-American sermons.

The problem is that this runs counter to Obama's own recounting of his experiences with the church - as per American Thinker:

This latest Obama spin does not square with a more honest portrayal he himself gave in a 2004 interview where he stated that he "regularly attended weekly services at Wright's Trinity United Church of Christ" and indicated that had been his regular schedule since joining the church 16 years before (1988). He did not indicate any scheduling problems or absences back in 2004, no scapegoating of his daughter. Now he has to deal with Pastor Wright controversy and he just dreams up a different history-and Newsweek helps him along.

If the Newsweek account is correct, then why didn't Obama use that as a defense when the whole Wright mess exploded?

Either he's telling the truth now and really didn't attend the church as frequently as he previously stated and he was lying in his book and earlier interviews, or he is lying to Newsweek and the truth is that he was around for Wright's odious sermons and did not leave the church.

One way or the other, he's lying, and the question is in which direction. He's lying to further his political ambitions, and now that he's got the Presidency within his sights, further distancing himself from Wright is necessary, so I tend to believe that he's lying now.

It goes to show that he isn't some new breed of politician, but rather is nothing more than a typical political hack who has absolutely no experience but all the ambition in the world. He's hoping that everyone overlooks the lack of experience while he puts on a shiny face (thanks to a media that can't help put put a halo on him), offers up no new policy choices except higher taxes, higher oil prices, and more government intrusion.

Further, where was Newsweek's fact checkers to run Obama's latest account against his prior statements? That's a story in and of itself that goes unexplored by Newsweek to determine what the truth is, and yet Newsweek doesn't do that extra legwork. Curious.

Rangel Evicts Himself From Apartment

Rep. Charles Rangel, (D-NY) has chosen to give up one of the four rent stabilized apartments that came to light after the New York Times came upon that curious situation. Rangel had acquired the apartments over a period of years, and no one apparently noticed that it was illegal to use one of the apartments as an office.

At a time when affordable housing in New York City is hard to come by, Rangel had four units (two of which were a combined unit that were rented in that condition). He had added a third unit and then the fourth as an office.

It is the one that Rangel uses as a campaign office that he's giving up. Nice.

Of course, it's against the rent stabilization guidelines to use the apartment in that manner. A watchdog group is pushing the case against Rangel:

Rangel's announcement that he would move out of one of his Lenox Terrace apartments, which he was using as a campaign office, came as a Washington-area watchdog organization filed a complaint with the Federal Election Commission.

A moving truck may not be enough, though, to protect Rangel from the legal repercussions of his longtime discount, according to Ken Boehm, chairman of the National Legal and Policy Center, which filed the complaint.

State and local regulations require tenants of the discounted apartments to use them as their primary residences.

The center's complaint alleges that Rangel's years of low rent constituted an illegal corporate campaign contribution from the building owner, the Olnick Organization.

Said Boehm, "His case doesn't look that good. It went on for more than a decade, it involved thousands and thousands of dollars, and he had every reason to know it was improper."

I also suspect that his constituents will give him a pass on this and the issue will quickly fade, regardless of the outcome of the complaint.

Snuffed Out

Via The Jawa Report comes this reprehensible reporting and photo montage from the Associated Press. One of their photographers, Rahmatullah Naikzad, embedded with the Taliban and stood by as they captured two women and brutally murdered them by daylight.

It's one thing to come upon this scene independently and film/photograph it. It's quite another to be along for the ride as the whole scene unfolds and to willingly provide a propaganda outlet for what is nothing more than a snuff film.

It's instructive because we see the barbarism of the Taliban and their fellow travelers - al Qaeda.

It's also instructive because we see that there are depths of depravity that AP will not avoid plumbing. Their stringers and reporters and photographers will go with anyone, anywhere, and document anything in pursuit of a Pulitzer. They will embed with terrorists, and provide an outlet for their propaganda.

True, this provides insight into the workings of a terrorist group and reprehensible group, but the costs are simply too high - and AP should bear the burden for their transgressions. They have aligned with the enemies of humanity and look the other way as they repeatedly have their people working closely with terrorists, insurgents, jihadis, Taliban, and al Qaeda - all of whom are intent upon doing harm to others.

Rahmatullah Naikzad had to know he was going to see bad stuff when he decided to embed with the Taliban. It's not like they were going to pass out candy and flowers and build roads or schools. They were going to kill people. And he should have seen the writing on the wall as those two women were held - to await execution by daylight.

Inexcusable.

However, the fact that he embedded gave him little choice once this situation developed because I'm also sure that the Taliban would have made it three bodies instead of two if he didn't participate. Yes, I know that the Taliban need to get their propaganda out, but if this photographer really had qualms about what was unfolding, he could have refused to take the photos/video. It would have been a principled stand and could have meant his own death. And instead of seeing this footage, we'd learn that the terrorists have killed yet another reporter.

The fateful decision was to embed with these thugs in the first place. Every decision thereafter only compounded the error.

The other possibility is that Naikzad is Taliban, and he was simply offering up his services as a photographer to further the cause. If that is the case, then the AP's problems are no less troubling as it lacks the ability to weed out terrorists from its midst even after troubling issues arose in the past.

UPDATE:
In reference to the Pulitzer Prize, there still remain serious questions around how AP photographers managed to get this photo of al Qaeda/insurgents murdering Iraqis on Haifa Street in Baghdad in December 2004. That photo was part of a series of photographs that helped the AP win a Pulitzer Prize for Breaking News Photography. The AP never identified the stringer.

Misleading Headline of the Day

Here's the headline and the link:

Analysts say more U.S. banks will fail

Can we get a timeline or any frame of reference?

Actually, if you did that, the story would fall on its face. The report actually acknowledges as much in the third paragraph, noting that the banking industry is in far better shape than in the late 1980s and early 1990s.

They worry that as many as 150 banks may fail in the next 12-18 months.

Out of 7,500.

So far, this year only six banks have failed:

Still, only six lenders have failed so far this year, including IndyMac. In 1994, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation listed 575 banks that it considered to be troubled. As of this spring, the agency was worried about just 90 banks. That number may go up in August, when the government releases an updated list.

Things may be bad for some banks because they followed Congressional directives to provide loans to more people without the bothersome requirement to make sure that they had the capacity to repay because that might limit minority ownership of homes, but the vast majority of banks are on sound fiscal footing.

However, it's the rumor of bank problems that are feeding the current problems - most notably the IndyMac bank rush due to Sen. Chuck Schumer's letter urging the FDIC to take steps to prevent a bank rush. Far from quelling worried depositors, that letter spurred the bank rush that forced the FDIC's hand and required it to step in.

While IndyMac wasn't on the FDIC radar, it was Schumer's actions that led to the FDIC having to step in as a last resort.

Some major banks may still fall before all is said and done, but the end result will be a banking industry that is in far better shape to handle these crises going forward and whose lending practices will be shaped by the lessons learned the hard way.

Only Close If You Ignore the Incessant Terror Attacks

So, what are we to make of Israeli Prime Minister Olmert's pronouncements that peace is achievable and that they're closer than ever.

I'd say it's nothing more than an empty promise by an empty suit who is doing everything possible to avoid being taken away in a perp-walk for multiple criminal charges.

There's no reason to be optimistic about peace with the Palestinians because they have never strayed from their ultimate goal of destroying Israel. Recent terrorist attacks, including using a front end loader, shootings, and incessant mortar and rocket attacks should be a reminder that the terrorists have not changed their goals, and yet the diplomats ignore this repeatedly in their pursuit of pseduorealism.

Hizbullah, which seeks Israel's destruction is resurgent in Lebanon, and the idea of a peace deal with Syria has been floated repeatedly in recent months, even though Assad will not even dignify the Israeli delegation with a public indication of their presence - except with having his back turned to them.

Terrorists Plead Guilty In Liquid Explosives Air Terror Plot

For all those people who wondered why the US government and TSA banned liquids on flights and restricted people to specific amounts of liquids, it was because of a disrupted terror plot.

Five of those involved entered guilty pleas on lesser included charges today rather than face the prospect of being found guilty on the most serious of the charges.

Prosecutors say the five, along with three other defendants, wanted to kill hundreds of passengers with bombs concealed in soft drink bottles as their flights crossed the Atlantic Ocean or passed over North American cities.

Prosecutors say they were close to carrying out their plan when they were arrested in August 2006 and that they had created "martyrdom" videos to be shown after the suicide-bombings were carried out.

The alleged plan's unraveling quickly led to tough new restrictions on the amount of liquids and gels airline passengers could take in their carry-on luggage — restrictions which remain in place.

Three of the men — Abdulla Ahmed Ali, 27, Assad Sarwar, 28, and Tanvir Hussain, 27 — admitted they planned to set off bombs, just not aboard planes bound from London's Heathrow to North America, the jury was told.

They and two other defendants — Ibrahim Savant, 27, and Umar Islam, 30 — have also admitted to "conspiring to cause a public nuisance" by publishing videos threatening suicide bomb attacks.

Ali and Sarwar told the court they were assembling the weapons as part of a publicity stunt to promote an anti-Western documentary which would feature the videos. Ali said he hoped a small, non-fatal, bombing — at Britain's Houses of Parliament, at an oil refinery, or at an airport — would jolt Londoners and draw attention to his movie.

"We did not want to kill or injure anyone," Ali told Woolwich Crown Court in southeast London last month. He added that he wanted to set off something "that would be considered serious and credible, something to generate that mass media attention."

Jurors still need to rule on whether the eight defendants are guilty of plotting to murder hundreds of people by using their bombs aboard planes. Their trial is drawing to a close. If convicted, the men face maximum sentences of life imprisonment.

Bombings as terror stunt. That's right, we're supposed to believe these terrorists that they were hoping for small non fatal bombings at sensitive locations like government offices, oil refineries (where small explosions can lead to much much bigger ones), or at airports (where again, a small explosion can lead to bigger ones) would be attention grabbers for a movie.

This is nothing but spin on their part to divert attention from the fact that they were assembling bombs and were intent upon using them. They want people to think they were using them as advertising to create buzz, but they succeeded in getting law enforcement's attention.

President Bush Moves To Lift Ban on Offshore Drilling

This is a developing story, but the basics are that a moratorium in place since President Reagan will be lifted by executive order by President Bush. The moratorium restricted offshore drilling on the continental shelf.

Expect the Democrats to complain bitterly over the move, particularly New Jersey Democrats Gov. Jon Corzine, Sen. Bob Menendez, and Sen. Frank Lautenberg who all think that offshore drilling with destroy the Jersey Shore tourist economy. They also all ignore the fact that to get people to the Jersey Shore requires oil refined into gasoline, and if the prices are sufficiently high, tourists will seek other venues to spend their money.

President Bush had wanted Congress to act first, but dithering by the Democratic leadership has meant that no change to the Congressional ban on offshore drilling. This move puts still more pressure on the Democrats to finally take action that will result in more energy produced domestically.

UPDATE:
As expected, Congressional Democrats are absolutely tone deaf and think that drilling for oil is a bad thing if it results in lower gas prices and means that people might spend more elsewhere than on fuel, transit, and heating costs. Rep. Nancy Pelosi illustrates this principle nicely:

"The Bush plan is a hoax. It will neither reduce gas prices nor increase energy independence. It just gives millions more acres to the same companies that are sitting on nearly 68 million acres of public lands and coastal areas.

"If the President wants to bring down prices in the next two weeks, not the next two decades, he should free our oil by releasing a small portion of the more than 700 million barrels of oil we have put in the Strategic Petroleum Reserve.

"It's time to tell the oil industry: 'You already have millions of acres to drill. Use it or lose it.'"

Releasing a small portion of the SPR? Are you kidding me? That's going to bring down the price of oil? Nope, that's a literal drop in the bucket compared to the daily usage by the US and worldwide demand.

No, the way to reduce prices of oil is a long term plan of more drilling domestically coupled with conservation and better efficiencies. You cannot conserve your way out of the mess because the global economy is growing.

And threatening to yank oil leases if companies do not drill is just asinine. Not every acre of land provides viable oil, nor does it provide viable oil at a cost-effective rate. Areas that have been off limits until now might provide economically viable and cost effective oil going forward, and that could have a tempering effect on the prices moving upwards.

Cover Artlessness

Sen. Barack Obama wants people to know that the right will bring up his race, ethnicity, and religion in attacking him. That hasn't happened, but the left that hasn't embraced him has attacked him in spades.

The latest evidence?

The New Yorker's cover for their latest edition. I'm sure that the New Yorker loves this kind of exposure since it means people might pick up the magazine for the first time in years outside of a doctor's office. Obama's staffers have already derided the cover as tasteless and offensive.

However, I'm more interested in what the article says than the tasteless cover art. The New Yorker defends the piece as satire of the use of scare tactics and misinformation in the Presidential election to derail Barack Obama’s campaign. So far, the only folks who have been busy on that front have been Sen. Hillary Clinton's shills during the primaries. It's been left v. far left (and I'll leave it up to you to figure out which of those two is further to the left.

Besides, you don't need scare tactics to attack Obama's policy positions on anything. He has stuck his finger in the wind and seen which way the wind blows. That's how he's shifted his position on Iraq, though he still favors a calamitous and hasty withdrawal. He's flipped and flopped on the status of Jerusalem. His energy policy doesn't create a single watt of new power generation or a single barrel of new oil.

Obama's tax policy is tax, tax, and tax some more. And if he doesn't think that oil companies are paying enough in taxes, he'll tax them more too.

Who needs cheap shots like a New Yorker cover when the reality is so much worse.

UPDATE:
Ed at Hot Air and DrewM at Ace delves in to the article, and indeed finds that the Obama campaign is probably wise to focus on the cover, because the article does him no favors.

NYC Waterfalls

I went into the City with Mrs. Lawhawk to meet up with some college friends. We walked all over Lower Manhattan and it was a gloriously beautiful day. We figured that we could check out the waterfall installation along the East River. There are four waterfalls in all, with one located beyond the Manhattan Bridge, one located under the Brooklyn Bridge on the Brooklyn side, one located along the Brooklyn waterfront below the Brooklyn promenade, and a fourth one graces Governor's Island.
Consider me underwhelmed.

The waterfall beneath the bridge looks like the bridge is taking a leak. I consider it more humorous than artistic. There were plenty of people out, but I don't think it was more than usual on a sunny summer day.

The Rebuilding of Ground Zero, Part 40

The core slowly rises.



That's the core for the Freedom Tower, which is slowly rising to street level as it looks today. The steel and concrete will support the massive structure above. At the moment, concrete work has been delayed due to a strike of concrete truck drivers, which has affected work sites throughout the City.

Here's how the Freedom Tower looked 11 months ago:
 

It's the virtually identical angle, so you can see just how far we've come since the first photo was published in August 2007. This photo actually shows a closeup of what the site looked like in August 2007, and you can see that there's been quite a bit of preparatory work done since then.

 

Still, it is remarkable at the lack of progress at Ground Zero when compared with the Goldman Sachs building next door. A year ago, the building was perhaps 15-20 stories tall.

 


Today, the tower's structural steel has been completed for months now and it is being clad in its final glass skin. This is how the Goldman Sachs building looked at the end of April as it was being topped out.



And you wonder why I continue posting on the slow pace of construction and exhort those involved to get it done.