Click for Main Weblog

   
The Weblog at The View from the Core - Monday, December 20, 2004
   
   

"Bolshevik Storytelling"

That's what Matthew Hoy calls the ginned-up fracas over unarmored Humvees, sparked by a revelation at Power Line:

.... The facts regarding the Guardsman's own unit also appear to be quite different from what has been reported....

P.S. Margaret forwards this e-mail today:

This is a shotgun blast response to the media reports on Secretary Rumsfeld's visit to our Camp. I was fortunate enough to be there and even shake the man's hand. When the media reports were released concerning the event, I could not believe what I saw and heard. There are over 12,000 troops on our base. Only 2,000 or so had the opportunity to attend the gathering and I can tell you, those were hotly contested seats.
Not as the media would have you believe, so we could voice our displeasure, but rather to have the opportunity to see and hear the man we admire. Mr. Secretary spoke for 10 minutes or so on the war in Iraq and what freedom meant to the people of Afghanistan. He was there for the recent elections, and shared his wonderful insight. After his prepared remarks he opened up the floor for questions and made it very clear that nothing was off limits.
Folks, this is extremely unusual for a dignitary to do. Also, we as leaders, were instructed to not screen our soldiers questions. They were to be honest and from the heart. Mr. Rumsfeld fielded a number of questions, took down notes for the ones he did not have answers to and genuinely enjoyed talking to the soldiers. Afterward, he spent over an hour with the enthusiastic troops who literally mobbed him and would not let him leave. He smiled for all, shook hands and had pictures taken. It ended only when his security forced us away. He was applauded, he was given a standing ovation and he was loved.
He stood there like a professional, like a man, and he took the heat because that's what leaders do. And yet somehow, the American media turned that wonderful event into a "disgruntled troops meet with Secretary Rumsfeld" headline. Incredible. The morale is high, the equipment is good, and improving daily. Disregard what you read and hear from the media and trust in the American fighting men and women to do the right thing. We have excellent leadership, and are doing what we signed up to do.
1SG Timmy Rikard

Lane Core Jr. CIW P — Mon. 12/20/04 06:08:27 PM
Categorized as Media.


   
   

The Paragraph Farmer

A young weblog by Patrick O'Hannigan.

Vide.

Lane Core Jr. CIW P — Mon. 12/20/04 05:47:18 PM
Categorized as Blogosphere Stuff.


   
   

Witting Shire

A new weblog by Jonathan & Amanda Witt.

You gotta love a place that blogs this.

See also these.

(Thanks, Kenneth.)

Lane Core Jr. CIW P — Mon. 12/20/04 05:34:17 PM
Categorized as Blogosphere Stuff.


   
   

Yikes!

My backyard thermometer says 3.6° Fahrenheit.

Lane Core Jr. CIW P — Mon. 12/20/04 08:09:40 AM
Categorized as Other.


   
   

Will the Pro-Abortion Party Change?

In a word: No.

Kristin Day, of Democrats for Life of America, has a column at NRO, Dec. 2:

Senator John Kerry and the Democratic party focused on changing the direction of America this election cycle, and people listened. The Kerry camp waged a serious campaign, but the fact is that America wanted a lot of things to stay the same. A perfect example of this was on "moral issues." On Election Day, Democrats and Republicans alike sent a clear message to Washington: Protect our values.
Pro-life Democrats are not surprised by the outcome of this year's election. In fact, pro-life Democrats have been pleading with their party to be respectfully included. Unfortunately, the "big-tent" Democratic party has allowed itself to be controlled by pro-choice forces and suffered as a result. For the past 25 years, pro-life Democrats have been leaving the party over the issue of abortion....

Earl Appleby blogged, Dec. 15, about recent discussions among Democrats concerning the inadvisability of the party's supine support of the absolute pro-abortion position:

.... Now, here he [John Kerry] was confessing that the Democrat Party's rigid and zealous stand in favor of every and all abortions cost votes. No wonder, advocates of baby-killing like Nancy Keenan, who regard the Democratic Party as their political lackey gasped in shock and disbelief.
"It might have sounded shocking," Rosenberg conceeds, "but John Kerry isn't alone in taking a new look at how the party is handling the explosive topic of abortion." ....

Now the Boston Globe runs an article, yesterday:

.... No prominent Democrat has suggested that the party change its long-held stance that a woman should have the right to an abortion if she chooses. But as Democrats assess what went wrong for them in November, some are urging a "big tent" approach that is more welcoming to those who oppose abortion. Democrats say that attitude might be especially useful with Hispanics, a critical constituency that tends to be Roman Catholic and whose majority support for Democrats has slipped in recent elections.
Abortion rights activists are alarmed at the potential shift in the party's approach to the issue as they look warily ahead to Supreme Court nomination fights and efforts in Congress to restrict abortion. But Democratic leaders say they can reach out to voters in the "red states," which voted Republican in November, without compromising their party platform on abortion....

Come on. This is suitable talk among the Democratic power brokers at 3 years and 10 months until the next presidential election. As that time gets whittled down — 3 years, 9 months; 3 years, 8 months; 3 years, 7 months... — that kind of talk will be less and less suitable, until it is finally ruled out completely again — until December 2008 (or, maybe, December 2006).

See also Johnny Got His Mind Straightened, C.I.N.O., and "The Kiss-Me-Kate Democrats".

P.S. And see The Dems' Pro-Life Gambit.

Lane Core Jr. CIW P — Mon. 12/20/04 07:51:34 AM
Categorized as Political.


   
   

The Lied and Art Song Texts Page

Vide.

Lane Core Jr. CIW P — Mon. 12/20/04 07:31:18 AM
Categorized as WorldWideWeb Stuff.


   
   

RSS Feed

I have added syndication links to the right-hand column on the main page.

Syndicate
RDF XML

Confer.

Lane Core Jr. CIW P — Mon. 12/20/04 07:10:46 AM
Categorized as Blog Stuff.


   

The Blog from the Core © 2002-2008 E. L. Core. All rights reserved.