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Politics : Impeach George W. Bush -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: steve harris who wrote (49942)	12/24/2005 5:07:33 PM
From: paret	Respond to of 93284

When Criticism Becomes Treasonous by Herb London Thursday, December 15, 2005 chronwatch.com There was time not so long ago when Democrats crossed the aisle to support Republican positions in war and vice versa. These were not always instances of gentility and partisanship wasn’t ignored; this occasional gesture was a recognition of national welfare that transcended politics. What one observes with the Democratic Party at the moment is an astonishingly anti-American posture that I have not encountered in my lifetime. The impression has been created that critics of the Bush administration are more interested in capturing the presidency than in winning the war in Iraq. In fact, if success in the war is attributed to President Bush, they would prefer defeat. Obviously this isn’t the position of every Democrat, as Senator Lieberman’s stance demonstrates, but it is the Kennedy, Pelosi, Rockefeller, Kerrey, and Reid stance. Moreover, two former Democratic presidents, Carter and Clinton, have engaged in what was once taboo for those who sat in the executive office: they have attacked the present administration abroad, in countries already hostile to American interests. Such behavior was always regarded as a “no-no.” You might disagree or even criticize a sitting president at home, but to do so outside the confines of the nation and in countries inimitable to U.S. interests was simply off-limits. It seems that the Democratic Party has imbibed the Michael Moore approach to politics which includes equal parts caricature and traitorous commentary. Moore has noted on several occasions that the Iraqi insurgents are the equivalent of the Minutemen and that we must suffer the bloodletting of our young for the misguided policies of our president. Of course, Moore is not alone. Frank Rich at the New York Times, among others, has engaged in a refrain that the president lied in order to promote the war effort. Despite the evidence that has been marshaled demonstrating a bipartisan concern about weapons of mass destruction prior to Bush’s election, the president’s detractors cannot let go of this theme. It is instructive that the word “lie” is employed. Even if you embraced the Frank Rich stance (which I do not), you might say the president was “mistaken,” or “misguided” or “misread the signals.” But, of course, these words are equivocal offering the president an alibi, a concession the critics are not willing to consider. The Democratic Party position at the moment is search and destroy. Whether this is “get even” time for the Clinton impeachment or the venting of hostility over the 2000 election is anyone’s guess. What it does suggest is a parlous political state in which any move that harms the Republican leadership is deemed acceptable. Bush, by contrast, acts as if Marquis of Queensbury rules apply to this street fight. He has been remarkably subdued in the face of continual vitriol heaped upon him. From my perch, I would prefer greater boldness on his part, a condition I did observe with his recent Annapolis speech. I believe presidents should be criticized when it is appropriate to do so. What I’m getting at is criticism that verges on treason. When polls say that defeat serves us right, they either want to embarrass the administration without regard to the risks involved or they actually think a defeat for the administration is justifiable. That kind of criticism is beyond the pale. This backbiting may be amusing for news aficionados, but the stakes are high and go well beyond amusement. The Fifth Column in the United States is growing, led by some officials who do not fully appreciate the consequences of their actions. Lives are at stake, regional stability is in the mix, and civilization itself is in the balance. This is not hyperbole. Al Qaeda is watching and listening. Every anti-American position is music to their ears. For them, it defines a nation that has lost its will and fortitude. The disloyal Americans only embolden the enemies. We’ve been down this path before, albeit historical lessons have to be relearned. Unfortunately lives will be lost that could be saved and this nation will suffer before the critics learn their lesson. About the Writer: Herbert London is president of the Hudson Institute.

To: steve harris who wrote (49942)	12/24/2005 5:09:03 PM
From: paret	Respond to of 93284

Muslims angered by FBI radiation checks at mosques [Right to bear nuclear bombs under attack] The Los Angeles Times via The Seattle Times ^ \| 12/24/05 \| Richard A. Serrano WASHINGTON — Federal law-enforcement officials said Friday that FBI agents have secretly monitored radiation levels at Islamic mosques, businesses and homes for several years in large cities to determine whether nuclear or chemical bombs were being assembled. The officials said no suspicious radiation levels have been found. The disclosure, after the revelation last week that the government has secretly spied on U.S. citizens without court permission, angered a number of U.S. Muslim leaders. They cited a Supreme Court ruling three months before the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks in which the justices rejected such government monitoring. "All Americans should be concerned about the apparent trend toward a two-tiered system of justice, with full rights for most citizens and another diminished set for Muslims," said Nihad Award, an official of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, the nation's largest Muslim civil-liberties group. But Justice Department officials said the monitoring was lawful. They said that investigators used special equipment to gauge radiation levels at homes, warehouses and religious centers of Muslim groups, and that the testing was done in or near parking lots and driveways, areas the government views as public property. They said the testing was still taking place. It was first reported Friday by U.S. News & World Report... (Excerpt) Read more at seattletimes.nwsource.com ...

To: steve harris who wrote (49942)	12/24/2005 5:20:04 PM
From: paret	Respond to of 93284

Germans Thumb Their Noses at Americans Over Terrorist Release mensnewsdaily.com by Jim Kouri, CPP Thursday, December 22, 2005 Excerpt: When Senator John Kerry ran for President in 2004, many of his critics claimed that if elected he would take a European approach to fighting the war on terrorism. And a recent case may shed some light on that "European approach." The German government secretly released a member of the terrorist group Hezbullah after he served a mere 19 years of a life sentence for murdering a US Navy diver. In spite of strong objections by American diplomats, Germany disregarded the Bush Administration's pleas that the killer either be extradited to the US or remain behind bars in Germany. German officials claim that there was no link between terrorist Mohammad Ali Hammadi being set free and the release of a German national who was held hostage by terrorists in Iraq. In a news conference held at the German Justice Ministry, spokeperson Eva Schmierer simply said, "He served his term." The ruthless terrorist, who was convicted of killing Robert Dean Stethem in Beirut during the 1985 hijacking of a TWA flight and sentenced to life in prison, was quietly transported to Lebanon last week. Critics of this release accuse the German government of being disingenuous during the Justice Ministry news conference. To them it's simple -- serving 19 years in prison for a vicious murder is not life imprisonment. Ms Schmierer also said her ministry had never received a formal extradition request from Washington, but the US State Department says the German government was well aware the Americans would have liked Hammadi extradited upon release to the US, where he is already under indictment for the career sailor's murder. The Germans claim that under their laws, the brutal terrorist could not have been extradited to the United States for his crimes since he had already been convicted and punished. The Hezbullah member was convicted, after a lengthy trial, of all charges which included murder, air piracy and the possession of explosives. The President Ronald Reagan's White House did submit an extradition request for Hammadi to the West German government in 1987. However, the West German government at that time refused to extradite on the grounds that he faced the death penalty. West Germany and now the unified Germany do not employ capital punishment for even the most heinous of crimes. American authorities had wanted Hammadi to remain behind bars for the murder of Stethem, whose bruised and beaten corpse was thrown out of the TWA plane by the hijackers after they had killed him execution style. The act was televised throughout the world and Americans were shocked by this display of ruthless disregard for human life.