Did Politics fail the People?

The US Supreme Court released their ruling today regarding the jurisdiction of Military Commissions (by Executive Order) to adjudicate charges against those terrorist we've captured while prosecuting our war on terror. The Court ruled in a 5 to 3 split decision that the Federal Government,

"Pursuant to Congress' Joint Resolution authorizing the President to "use all necessary and appropriate force against those nations, organizations, or persons he determines planned, authorized, committed or aided" Authorization for Use of Military Force (AUMF), 115 Stat. 224, note following U.S.C. 1541 (2000 ed., Supp. III)

does not have the Constitutional authority to hold Military Commissions hearings in lieu of the Geneva Convention and/or historical precedence.

The Court did not rule that the Bush Administration was committing a crime, rather that the Administration did not receive the authority from the Congress to hold such hearings. The 185 page opinion states (pg. 15),

"Congress' rejection of the very language that would have achieved the results the Government urges here weighs heavily against the Government's interpretations."

In other words, Congress did not enact the War Powers Act nor did they declare war against Islamo Fascism and the terror organizations they use around the world. Instead, Congress gave Authorization for Use of Military Force (AUMF). They played politics with our security and tied the Presidents hands with ambiguous statements of authorization. Take the Patriot Act for example; it is the direct result of Congress' inability to make a clear distinction in war so they instead have to institute different 'Acts' in order to empower the Executive Branch, which is directly responsible for the safety and security of the country.

Today's Supreme Court ruling reveals how toothless the AUMF really is. Congress should have known that our military would take prisoners in this conflict. How were they expecting the Executive Branch to deal with these prisoners? Did Congress address this issue at all? ...Obviously not. They gave an authorization without considering all that it entails. Once the Executive Branch made decisions regarding these and other issues, then members of Congress would wale and lament...stating that the Executive Branch is abusing its power. Where were they (Congress) when the Executive Branch went to Congress requesting authorization to use force? Why would their AUMF require additional 'Acts' of Congress in order for the Executive Branch to prosecute this war?

To make it clear: I agree that to award any Administration the authority to wage an open ended war against a global terror threat is a tough pill to swallow, especially when some of the enemy agents could be on our own soil. However, Congress should have dealt with these challenges in their 'Authorization'. Placing 'sunset' clauses in their Declaration could have been one way to keep the Executive Branch accountable. Not giving the Executive Branch the authority to detain, charge, and prosecute enemy combatants for their actions in the war on terror is just as egregious as not having properly armored vehicles sent to the front line to protect our troops.

Congress left the teeth out of their 'Authorization' only to have the Government challenged in our own courts by an enemy of the state; the personal driver and body guard to Osama bin Ladin. How insane is that???

Congress needs to pass a clear law/declaration/Authorization giving the Executive Branch the authority to hold Military Commission Hearings for those captured in the war on terror...PERIOD!

Congress needs to make it clear that the United States will not stop short of victory in this war on terror. Our Executive Branch as well as our military, law enforcement, border security, and intelligence services must be supported and authorized to conduct this war with only one goal in mind: Total Victory.

So, this time...let's think this through shall we? Let's not allow politics to get in the way of our security and our road to victory.

Mike DiBartolo
TWP

WMD's: From Saddam to Palestine with love...

As Hans Blix and the 'No WMD's in Iraq' crowd continue to dismiss the evidence of WMDs existing in Iraq after the 1991 cease fire agreement, other terrorist groups have been able to get their hands on the very weapons we've been so concerned about.

Back in 2003, the Al-Aksa Martyrs' Brigades (the militant wing of Palestinian Authority), declared that they possess chemical weapons. It just so happens that the same type of weapons disappeared from Iraq the same year that the Al-Aksa Martyrs' Brigade declared that they possessed them. Could it be that Saddam was sending more than paychecks to the terrorist waging war against Israel? The world continues to pressure Israel to absorb the attacks by the terrorist and respond 'with restraint' when using force. The Palestinian terrorist continue to attack. In fact the Al-Aksa Martyrs' Brigade has upped the ante.

After an increase in hostilities in the Middle East which included border intrusions and abductions of Israeli soldiers by the Palestinians and Israeli air strikes against bridges and power grids in the Gaza Strip, the Palestinians have now stated that they have launched chemical weapons into Israel.

According to a Sydney Morning Herald report:

A spokesman for gunmen in the Gaza Strip said they had fired a rocket tipped with a chemical warhead at Israel early today.

The Israeli army had no immediate comment on the claim by the spokesman from the al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, an armed wing of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas's Fatah movement. The group had recently claimed to possess about 20 biological warheads for the makeshift rockets commonly fired from Gaza at Israeli towns. This was the first time the group had claimed firing such a rocket.

"The al-Aqsa Brigades have fired one rocket with a chemical warhead" at southern Israel, Abu Qusai, a spokesman for the group, said in Gaza.

An Israeli military spokeswoman said the army had not detected that any such rocket was fired, nor was there any report of such a weapon hitting Israel.

This report, which is suspiciously missing from the US mainstream press, speaks directly to the need for the US lead war on terror: State sponsored terrorism, as carried out in Iraq (through Saddam Hussein) and Syria (through Hezbollah) has now placed chemical weapons in the hands of Islamo-Fascist who would use them at a whim and with no regard for innocent life. The UN's inability to stop the proliferation of said weapons has open the door for many innocent lives being lost. The current death toll brought on by terrorism may be just the tip of the iceberg. Free societies must stand together if we are to defeat the enemies of freedom.

Michael DiBartolo
TWP

Schwarzenegger misses the mark....AGAIN! Refuses to send additional Guard troops to the border

Arnold Schwarzenegger has denied the Federal Government's request for California to provide additional manpower to help secure our southern border. According to Schwarzenegger's spokesperson, Adam Mendelsohn,

the governor believed sending more troops would create an inappropriate burden on the state and disrupt the guard's training schedule.

Oh really? Arnold's double talk is so apparent that it's sickening. He says the borders need to be secured but he doesn't see that he has a role in securing them. He says the Federal Government is responsible for the border, and then denies the Federal Government's request for additional troops to secure said border.

I believe this is my third post telling Arnold Schwarzenegger that he can't have it both ways. He can't be a leader then blame others when they aren't leading him. He can't speak rhetoric about securing the border and kowtow to the illegal population in California because it's an election year.

Denying the request for Guardsmen/woman by the Federal Government only undermines the Government's attempt to control the border. We finally get the Feds to recognize the scale of the illegal immigration issue and now our own governor is refusing to help provide the manpower needed to secure the border once and for all.

Governor Schwarzenegger, by refusing to support the effort to secure our southern border, you are writing your own pink slip for departure in November. This isn't a political issue no matter how much the congress plays around with it. This is an issue that runs deep and has lasting effects on our economy, on our security, and on our National Identity.

Tell me Governor, where do you think all of the major meth labs get their chemicals from? They come from Mexico. Tell me governor, how many non-Mexicans have crossed the border in the past year? I bet you don't even know the number. Don't you realize that California is just as rich a target area for terrorist as DC and New York are? You are playing games with our soldiers and you are failing the electorate.

Governor Schwarzenegger, if you truly believe that California cannot afford to send an additional 1000 Guardsmen/Women to help secure our border and to train on border security and surveillance then you need to show us where our short falls will be. Taking your word for it isn't enough. You need to show the people of California why you refused the Federal Government's request for assistance.

If you had any kind of vision, you would create a California Volunteer Organization who will be trained and then assist the Fed's in the building of the border fence and the securing of our borders. You could still send the bill to the Federal Government and address the border at the same time, but instead...you give us political double speak.

We have volunteers in the prison system who help the California Dept. of Forestry fight fires so why not set up some volunteers to help build the fence? Their hard labor can be rewarded with shorter sentences for the non-violent offenders.

Schwarzenegger, I was actually considering voting for you in November despite your waffling on certain issues...but for you to play games with the border and refuse to give whatever assistance is required to make our borders secure, you are showing that you don't deserve my vote.

Why can't you understand that people want a leader in the Executive Branch of our government. You're not the leader of the State Legislature, you're the (so called) leader of the Executive Branch of our State government and you answer directly to the people of California. If you actually tried leading and stop politicking then perhaps you would see what I mean.

So, Mr.Schwarzenegger...you need to show the electorate of California how sending an additional 1000 troops to our southern border will "create an inappropriate burden on the state and disrupt the guard's training schedule."

You need to hold a press conference and let your rational be known to all Californians. And don't try playing the trump card...'I'm the Governor' crap! You answer to the People of California and if there's any one group you need to answer to, it is the people of this great state.

Reconsider your decision Mr. Schwarzenegger or lose all chances of winning the election in the Fall. One thing this current political climate is doing; it's showing us that leadership is needed in order to tackle the issues we face as a state and as a nation. Sure you can compromise when necessary but when your compromises undermine the will and desire of the electorate then you need to lead and let the will of the people of California be known.

Denying the Federal Government troops to help secure our border is not the will of the people. Wake up Arnold or face the alarm clock in November...

And remember, Tom McClintock can win as Lt. Governor and you can still lose as Governor...so don't become over confident...you can be replaced just as Grey Davis was replaced. We want a governor who looks out for the people of California. We already have a legislature who are so aloof that they have no clue as to will of their constituents...we don't need a governor doing the same thing.

Reconsider your decision Mr. Schwarzenegger...support our nation's efforts to secure our southern border or we'll support a different candidate for Governor in 2006.

Mike DiBartolo
TWP

Saddam vows hunger strike until Lawyers are protected (...or until dinner, which ever comes first)

After another one of Saddam Hussein's defense lawyers was killed by militants, Saddam and his co-defendants went on a hunger strike. Khalil al-Dulaimi, the chief lawyer for the Butcher of Baghdad was in Jordan when he broke the news.

“They pledged not to end the strike until international protection is provided to the defense team,”

said al-Dulaimi.

But I don't think that Saddam thought this through. After just missing one meal, Saddam made sure to partake in the evening's culinary cuisine.

According to Reuters(BAGHDAD),

Saddam Hussein ended a brief hunger strike after missing just one meal in his U.S.-run prison,

said a spokesman for the U.S. military.

Is it me, or is this just comical? I don't know which is more absurd. Saddam taking a stance for someone other than himself or his lawyers for believing that he'd follow through with his hunger strike on their behalf.

This ranks up there with with Baghdad Bob saying that the Iraqis were beating back the US forces and in the background you can see the US Marines driving by in their tanks.

Nice one Saddam!

I can see it all now...Saddam gets the news that one of his attorneys was killed and he starts his tirade,

'That's not fair! My attorneys deserve protection.'

(pounding the plexiglass to his cell, Saddam begins to yell)

'STRIKE! STRIKE! STRIKE! STRIKE!'

(Still yelling, Saddam notices the menu for Tuesday hanging on the wall by the guard, his yells now become a soft whisper)

'strike. strike? stri...'

(Saddam calls to the guard)

'Excuse me, Guard...'

(Saddam's co-defendants still yelling "STRIKE!" in the back ground, the sound now muffled)

(Saddam asks, with a noticible concern in his voice)

'...did I read this right? You're serving lamb for dinner tonight?'

**The guard says nothing**

(Saddam sits down and begins to read a magazine while his co-defendants continue with their mantra)

'strike. strike. strike.'

lol...

md/twp

House Minority Leader places 'brown bag' over Black Caucus

The House Democrats, lead by Nancy Pelosi, has marginalized almost the entire Congressional Black Caucus in recent months. Leading me to ask the Dems, yet again, what is it about the Democrat Party that is so alluring? Why do you remain so loyal to a party and a philosophy that has failed to improve the condition of black America for four decades?

During the Reconstruction Period and through-out the Jim Crow Era, blacks who had once found acceptance in certain parts of American society based on the shade of their skin, now found themselves all lumped in the category of 'Colored' or 'Negro'.

What lighter skinned minorities (Creoles) did to address this and to maintain their self-imposed hierarchy was to do the 'grocery bag test' to determine who was and who wasn't allowed into their little sub-groups. How the brown bag test worked was if you approached a house with a brown grocery bag on the mailbox and your skin tone was darker than the bag then you were too dark to enter.

Well Nancy Pelosi has started her own version of the (political) brown bag test for the House of Representatives. If you're black and there's controversy surrounding you on any 'unapproved' issue then you are too dark to be on Nancy's team of congressional leaders and she will do what she can to reduce the attention you are receiving; up to and including removing you from key leadership positions.

Take William Jefferson for example. He is an eight term Democrat representing District 2 in Louisiana. He was the ranking Democrat on the Ways and Means Committee until Minority leader Nancy Pelosi called for him to step down due to controversies surrounding his conduct in office. When Jefferson refused the Democrats, lead by Pelosi, voted to take away his committee seat. Jefferson has yet to be charged by any law enforcement agency for criminal wrong doing.

Is there incriminating evidence? There's tons of it. Throw in his two associates who named him as a beneficiary of their illegal shenanigans and you have quite the political stew. But none-the-less, he has not been charged with any crime.

Jefferson, like McKinney, and Waters have become political liabilities and Pelosi could give a rip about due process if there's a chance to gain power in the House. Presumption of innocence? Not if you're darker than Pelosi's brown bag hanging on the Democrat post in Congress.

In defense of Pelosi's actions, there have been many who have cited the Republican's rule that requires members to step down from leadership positions if they have been charged with a crime. That would be fine if Jefferson was actually charged with a crime.

Republican Majority Leader, Tom Delay was under scrutiny for a number of issues during his political career. He maintained his position as House Leader throughout. It was not until he was formally charged in his home state of Texas did he "temporarily" step down from the Majority Leader position. Pelosi, on the other hand, can't afford to keep Jefferson in the lime light while conducting her campaign against the "culture of corruption" she accuses the Republicans of fostering. It obviously does not matter if Jefferson has been charged...just being accused is enough for Pelosi...

Oddly enough, the other members of the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) remained relatively quiet. Some expressed concerns but when given the opportunity to disclose who voted for Jefferson and who voted against...the CBC remained silent allowing the vote to remain private. It's being reported that the CBC issued a statement saying that Jefferson was entitled to the constitutional presumption of innocence...but that's as far as they took it.

A statement?

Wow.

Good thing we weren't dependent on the CBC for civil rights in the 1960's...they would have just issued a "statement" and then remained silent.

According to an ABC/AP Story,

James E. Clyburn from the 6th district in South Carolina told reporters that most members of the Congressional Black Caucus did not want a vote, despite their accusation that Pelosi was subjecting Jefferson to a sanction without a rule or precedent to justify it.

So they knew it was wrong...they just didn't have the resolve to ensure that Jefferson received the same treatment as any other member of Congress.

But wait a sec'...

While Pelosi was leading the charge to remove Jefferson from the Ways and Means committee, she was also telegraphing her intentions to remove the current ranking Democratic leader of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, Rep. Jane Harman of California, and replacing her with Rep. Alcee Hastings of Florida.

This is where Pelosi's brown bag test comes to light. Pelosi leads the charge to remove Jefferson from his committee seat, saying repeatedly that Democrats will be held to the highest possible ethical standards. Then she earmarks one of the most sensitive positions in the House of Representatives, for a representative who has not only been accused, but who has been impeached for conduct that even exceeds the accusations made against Jefferson.

According to a Washington Times Op/Ed piece;

Hastings had 17 counts in his impeachment as a US District Court Judge. These counts included; perjury, fabricating evidence, and leaking information to obstruct an investigation. Hastings was ultimately removed from the bench only to be voted into Congress by Florida's electorate.

Now, Pelosi wants to make Hastings the leading Dem on the House Intelligence Committee and she's made no mention of the "culture of corruption" when speaking of Hastings' past exploits.

Why the double standard? What gives? Why is the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) silent? Pelosi has made it clear to the CBC that to oppose her is to find your way to the shortest route to marginalization. She has set the hierarchy and no one is to challenge it...the brown bag is on the mailbox and if you're too black then you can't come in.

For some reason the CBC continues to believe that the Democrat Party has their best interest at heart. 40 years have passed since the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Democrats controlled the Congress for 30 of those 40 years.

So 40 years later: Blacks have the second highest high school drop out rate, the second highest percentage of teen pregnancies, a shamefully disproportionate number of blacks in the prison system (see pages 10-11), the highest unemployment, and the highest percentage of sub-groups testing positive for HIV; and that's just the top five issues black communities face today. For 30 out of the 40 years of this 'black experience' the Democrats held the majority in Congress...and look at what's become of us.

Pelosi holds certain black members of Congress to a higher standard than others and the CBC does nothing. The Black Democrats are in a party that doesn't appreciate them being there and they're too afraid to join (or start) a party that would allow them to grow, express and lead as they are qualified to do so.

Even after 40 years, even after becoming a Congressman/woman they still wait for a handout instead of standing on their own and plowing a new direction for their constituents and for the Country.

This is exactly the reason why I cannot be a part of the Democrat Party. I know nothing of William Jefferson's politics. All I know is that he deserves the presumption of innocence despite the political atmosphere Pelosi finds herself in. The Congressional Black Caucus is nothing but a club for the disregarded. The brown grocery bag is posted and none of them will dare challenge it.

What they need to do is take the grocery bag down, ball it up, place it in their pocket and proceed inside. True leaders forge new paths. Waiting for others to build the road for you will always leave you on the bus. Rosa Parks got us to the front of the bus. Why can't the Congressional Black Caucus lead in getting us off the bus completely?

Michael DiBartolo
TWP

500 wmds found in Iraq since the Iraq war began!

June 21, 2006
Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Rick Santorum (R-PA), Chairman of the Senate Republican Conference, joined Congressman Peter Hoekstra, (R-MI-2), Chairman of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, today to make a major announcement regarding the release of newly declassified information that proves the existence of chemical munitions in Iraq since 2003. The information was released by the Director of National Intelligence, John Negroponte, and contained an unclassified summary of analysis conducted by the National Ground Intelligence Center. In March, Senator Santorum began advocating for the release of these documents to the American public.

“The information released today proves that weapons of mass destruction are, in fact, in Iraq,” said Senator Santorum. “It is essential for the American people to understand that these weapons are in Iraq. I will continue to advocate for the complete declassification of this report so we can more fully understand the complete WMD picture inside Iraq.”

The following are the six key points contained in the unclassified overview:

• Since 2003 Coalition forces have recovered approximately 500 weapons munitions which contain degraded mustard or sarin nerve agent.

• Despite many efforts to locate and destroy Iraq’s pre-Gulf War chemical munitions, filled and unfilled pre-Gulf War chemical munitions are assessed to still exist.

• Pre-Gulf War Iraqi chemical weapons could be sold on the black market. Use of these weapons by terrorists or insurgent groups would have implications for Coalition forces in Iraq. The possibility of use outside Iraq cannot be ruled out.

• The most likely munitions remaining are sarin and mustard-filled projectiles.

• The purity of the agent inside the munitions depends on many factors, including the manufacturing process, potential additives, and environmental storage conditions. While agents degrade over time, chemical warfare agents remain hazardous and potentially lethal.

• It has been reported in open press that insurgents and Iraqi groups desire to acquire and use chemical weapons.

What does Al Qaeda see that the Dems continue to miss?

An Iraqi car thief...

a fugitive,

and a terror cell leader go into Iraq...

What do they find???

Nothing but grief.

According to a recently translated document of a senior Al Qaeda operative in Iraq, the US led war on terror and the liberation of Iraq is succeeding and Al Qaeda in Iraq (AQ) are at their wits end to do anything about it.

The documents, captured in mid - April by US forces and translated in early May were released by the USCENTCOM on May 9th. The documents reveal the frustrations of the terrorist group and their inability to gain the upper hand in anything they attempt. Noting that all they are able to do is to take sniper shots at wayward police patrols and/or plant booby traps among civilians with the hope that they may hit an American or Iraqi official. The document states;

"these activities could be understood as hitting the scared and the hiding ones, which is an image that requires a concerted effort to change, as well as Allah’s wisdom."

The document, titled 'Baghdad State of Affairs', reads like a frank assessment by an internal auditor or adviser recruited to identify problems in one of their satellite offices. It identifies areas of concerns, speaks of foreseeable problems, and identifies those who are helping and those who are hurting the operation.

After reading the document, it is quite clear that the terrorist do not believe that they can hold Baghdad if the new Iraqi government succeeds.

"the Americans and the (Iraqi) Government were able to absorb our painful blows, sustain them, compensate their losses with new replacements, and follow strategic plans which allowed them in the past few years to take control of Baghdad as well as other areas one after the other. That is why every year is worse than the previous year as far as the Mujahidin’s control and influence over Baghdad."

You ask, where does the Mujahidin fit into all of this? Well, in a 2003 the Institute for Counter-Terrorism (ICT) report, defined the Mujahadin as an umbrella terrorist organization,

"...(who are) led by radical Islamic elements, and includes Taliban, al-Qaida and other Arab fighters who entered Iraq to fight against the Americans." Al Qaeda established this umbrella group in attempt to coordinate the different factions waring against the US and Coalition troops. So take caution when listening to anyone stating that the war in Iraq is a civil war between Iraqis. Refer them to this letter by a senior Al Qaeda operative and ask them to define the 'Mujahidin of Iraq' in terms that only include Iraqis.

In this letter, two particular "leaders" are discussed:

The car thief -

"...has little and simple experience in the military field and does not have a clear vision about the current stage and how to deal with it Most of his work at al-Rassafah County is to take cars to the Jubur Arab Tribes, convert them into booby traps and take them back inside Baghdad for explosion."

and,

the fugitive -

"...The current commander of Northern al-Karkh (Abu-Huda) is very concerned because of his deteriorating security situation caused by being pursued by the Americans, since they have his picture and voice print. Therefore, his movement is very restricted and he is unable to do anything here. We should remove him from Baghdad to a location where he can work easier; otherwise he is closer to become totally ineffective."

"Totally ineffective" and lacking a "clear vision" says a lot about AQ's recruiting drive. They have limited resources and they lack leaders with any experience to wage their war against us successfully. The document detailing these and other observations was intercepted prior to Abu Musab al Zaqawi meeting the business end of two 500lb bombs courtesy of the US military. After losing Zaqawi, AQ has been scrambling to replace him and to establish themselves as a relative force in the war on terror. Despite the bleak assessment made by one of Al Qaeda's own, they know that they can still paint the illusion of significance by performing brutal and/or spectacular acts of terror which draws the main stream media like moths to a flame, thus aiding Al Qaeda in their war of propaganda.

This propaganda seems to be all that the Democrats are able to see. Their myopic view of terrorism in Iraq only allows them to see what would benefit them politically causing them to miss the entire forest of terror we find ourselves in. One such act happened about a week after Zaqawi was killed. Following an ambush, two US servicemen were abducted from a check point in southern Iraq. Days went by with no word of their condition; then our soldiers discovered two unidentifiable bodies amidst explosives rigged to kill anyone trying to render aid.

According to a CBS/AP report,

the director of the Iraqi defense ministry's operation room, Maj. Gen. Abdul-Aziz Mohammed said that the bodies showed signs of having been tortured. "With great regret, they were killed in a barbaric way," he said.

The claim of responsibility was made in the name of the Mujahedeen Shura Council, an umbrella organization of five insurgent groups led by al Qaeda in Iraq. The group posted an Internet statement Monday claiming it was holding the American soldiers captive.

"We give the good news... to the Islamic nation that we have carried God's verdict by slaughtering the two captured crusaders," said the claim, which appeared on an Islamic militant Web site where insurgent groups regularly post statements and videos.
"With God Almighty's blessing, Abu Hamza al-Muhajer carried out the verdict of the Islamic court" calling for the soldiers' slaying, the statement said.

Assuming these reports are true, AQ has managed in one act to elevate themselves back into the limelight of butchery and barbarism and the Democrats have bought into it hook, line, and sinker. Instead of bringing to al-Muhajer what we brought to Zaqawi, they want our troops to withdraw. Leaving these butchers free to plot and scheme to perform even more atrocious acts in the future.

What this new leader of AQ fails to realize is that our military will not take lightly what they have done. Our resolve will increase, our tenacity will multiply, and our troops will be avenged. AQ has lashed out like a cornered animal and they have drawn more innocent blood, but their acts of barbarism in the name of their "religion" will only bring American/Iraqi justice to them even faster.

They may have convinced the Dems and the main stream press that they are winning this war, but in reality, they are being squeezed tighter and tighter by our operations in Iraq and soon....very soon, they will no longer be an effective force in the Iraqi theater.

I'm sure that they are watching the events happening in Somalia very closely. Staying in Iraq will only afford them with two options; retreat or die.


Michael DiBartolo
TWP

War on Terror: US using more than bombs

Despite the rhetoric being tossed around in liberal/progressive circles of dissent, the war on terror is being fought on multiple fronts and we are accomplishing a great deal. There's so much more to what our sailors, soldiers, airmen, and marines are doing in this global conflict than what's being reported in the main stream media.

Case in point: The US Central Command (USCENTCOM), headed up by General John Abizaid, has the motto, 'Defending, Protecting, Training, and Rebuilding for a Better Tomorrow' which they have embraced wholeheartedly and it is making a difference in our war on terror and the pursuit for peace.

USCENTCOM is responsible for all US Forces in the Middle Eastern Theater. According to Jay E. Hines, the Command Historian,

"(USCENTCOM) is responsible for planning and conducting United States (U.S.) military activity in a region consisting of 27 countries in Northeast Africa, Southwest and Central Asia, and the island nation of the Seychelles."

But rather than focus on the History of CENTCOM, which is rich with accomplishments ranging from the Liberation of Kuwait and the toppling of the Baathist regime in Baghdad, to the humanitarian relief in Somalia that staved off a famine that was reaching Biblical proportions. I wanted to note the work being done today to advance America's goal for peace and the dismantling of global terror networks like Al Qaeda and the environment in which the spawn.

I received my weekly news letter from the US Central Command and the leading stories spoke volumes to the work being done to improve the lives of those we have liberated from oppression and tyranny and also for those we are helping to maintain a free society in an ever changing world.

The following reports are on actions that you will not read about in the Editorials of our large news papers nor will you see in an Expose from the leading cable and broadcast media forums. They find the time to give you the latest report on the Duke Rape Scandal and/or the missing person report from Aruba but they just can't seem to squeeze in time to report on the accomplishments of our troops; our US Ambassadors to the world:

Iraq commissions their first female police officers

Women Join Iraqi Police
By Petty Officer 2nd Class John J. Pistone, Multi-National Security Transition
Command - Iraq

Although women throughout Iraq have been given the right to vote and are accepted in the army and police academies, the city of Irbil was the first city to allow women to hold positions of power.
“We knew that like so many successful and stable nations around the world, our views on women had to change,” - Iraqi Police Lt. Col. Aswar, the Khabat station commander

“We are equals, so we must work together,” says 2nd Lt. Lana Abdulwahad “No longer are there barriers for women.”

For the complete text click here.

US Medical Clinic doing more than handing band-aids

Airmen Pitch in for Worthy Cause in Iraq
By Air Force Staff Sgt. Bryan Bouchard, U.S. Central Command Air Forces Public Affairs

“I think there’s a humanitarian in all of us who voluntarily pursued a career in medicine and dentistry,” says Col. (Dr.) Mark McHenry. “I like knowing I’m able to alleviate at least a little pain and suffering in a population that has experienced so much already. Perhaps someday the people I treated can look back and realize the Americans are an honorable people who are really here to help.”

“Seeing these kids laugh and smile, despite the fact there’s a war going on, that’s just amazing,” says Airman 1st Class Jesse Theophilopoulos. “We’re trying to give them a future.”

For the complete text click here.

Middle School Students in the Horn of Africa receive new digs courtesy of the US Navy SeaBees

Seabees ahead of schedule on school dormitory in Djibouti
Story by U.S. Navy PH2 (AW/NAC) Scott Taylor

The Seabees began construction on two school dormitories April 18 in order to provide shelter for (150) students attending Dikhil Middle School.

“Working on this project is very rewarding, especially when you see the kids’ faces,” said Utilitiesman 1st Class James Penny, project manager. “With morale being as high as it is, the project should be finished ahead of schedule.”

For the complete text click here.

Afghan students carry torch of tradition and excellence to new facility

From Ashes and Rubble Rises a School by Master Sgt. Orville F. Desjarlais Jr.
455th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs

“You can judge by the smiles of our children how important it was to open this new school,” said Jabar Taqwa, the governor of the Parwan Province. “Although the old school had a rich tradition, this new school will be good for our future and I hope all our students study hard.”

For the complete text click here.

The work being done in the CENTCOM area of operations is but a small picture of the work being done by our service men and women around the world. It's unfortunate that the main stream press is unable or unwilling to report on the work being done by our military forces. I am grateful to the US Central Command Weekly News letter staff for sharing this news and for keeping those who are interested and supportive of our work abroad, informed and connected.

by Mike DiBartolo
The Working Patriot

Iraqi Troops and Government "standing up" to terrorist/insurgents

75,000 forces to be deployed in Baghdad

Security officials said tens of thousands of Iraqi and multinational forces would deploy Wednesday throughout Baghdad, securing roads, launching raids against insurgent hideouts and calling in airstrikes if necessary.

For the complete story click here

Bush drops in on new Iraqi PM in Baghdad

BAGHDAD, Iraq - President Bush met newly named Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki in a surprise visit to Baghdad on Tuesday...

Where's Arnold? Action Hero Governor avoids Iraq

According to a Department of Defense (DOD) report detailing the Reserve and National Guard deployments as of June 7th 2006, California has third highest number of troops deployed in the war on terror.

California has a total of 3,924 reservist and national guard memebers currently deployed in this war on terror, down from 8,089 in July of '05. These men and women are serving our country and representing the Great State of California with honor and yet I could not find any information regarding a visit by our beloved Governor to express the appreciation that all Californians have for their service and sacrifice.

So where's Arnold? Why can't he go and show support for the true heroes that he portrayed on the big screen, earning him millions of dollars?

I did some checking and I was surprised at what I found...

Alamaba's Governor was there and that state has 2,401 troops on active duty.
Wyoming Governor paid our troops a visit and they only have 253 troops on active duty.


So where's Arnold??? Does he not support the troops? Does he not believe that California's guard and reserves, who has the lion's share of active duty soldiers operating in the war on terror, deserve a personal thank you?


In fact, here's what I discovered:

STATE / # TROOPS DEPLOYED

Iowa / 1,391
Montana / 496
Georgia / 6,224 (2nd highest number of guard and reserves deployed)
Texas / 6,248 (highest number of guard and reserves currently deployed)
Florida / 3,034
Wisconsin / 2,778
Massachusetts / 851
Virgina / 1,719
Nevada / 865
W. Virgina / 674
Mississippi / 1,481
Illinois / 1,591
Indiana / 1,504
New York / 1,822
Wyoming / 253
Vermont / 502
Alabama / 2,401
Arkansas / 969

The Governors of all the states listed above have paid our troops a visit to show them our un-wavering support...but where's Arnold? Why is he missing in action?


If I may share a thought with you Governor Schwarzenegger:

In Hollywood...Leadership is implied but not exercised. It comes with the paycheck. The bigger the star, the more the people look to you for leadership and guidance without you having to actually demonstrate the qualities of a leader. Whether your guidance is flawed or not, they continue to kow-tow to your whims(as an actor) because it's Hollywood and you're Arnold Schwarzenegger.

As Governor of California, you have to actually earn our respect as a leader based on how you actually lead. There's no script, there's no special effects, only the people of California waiting for you to actually lead in this state and not behave like some lap dog waiting for scraps from the democratically controlled legislature.

Showing our deployed Reserve and National Guard troops that you're willing to head over to Iraq and personally thank them for their service and sacrifice would be a step in the right direction. Be a leader Governor...represent the People and the great State of California and thank our deployed troops on our behalf. Don't stand around and "let the courts decide"...stand up, call the US Central Command, and advise them that you are headed to Iraq to express your support for our servicemen/women and to asses the conditions on the ground. Do this, then come back and report your findings to the people of California.

Come out from under your rock and show our soldiers that you are willing to brave Iraq long enough to express your support of their service to our country and for our state. My employer may allow me to accompany you if you want a fresh perspective on this whole issue. So make the call, and get back on the radar.

Don't neglect the troops Governor Schwarzenegger. Support them as they support and defend our Constitution, the Iraqis, the Afghans, and our way of life. They deserve that much.


Mike DiBartolo
TWP

HoooAhhhhh!

al-Zarqawi is Dead!

Iraqi Defense, Interior, and National Security Ministers are approved by the newly elected Parliament.

Iraq has turned yet another corner in their march towards a free and peaceful Iraq. Staying the course has produced another milestone in the liberation of Iraq and caused a fatal blow to the Al Qaeda network operating in the Iraqi region.

Abu Musab al-Zarqawi was a blood thirsty butcher who could have fallen to a worse fate other than blowing up from a US 500lb laser guided ordinance.

He didn't see his fate coming. He wasn't bound and slowly decapitated while his executioners sang 'America, America' so it would be the last thing he heard in this life. He wasn't tortured for days on end only to be shot in the head and thrown in the ditch of some back road in Iraq. He wasn't dragged from a school bus in absolute fear, or lining up for employment at the local police dept. and then slaughtered in the street. No...He was in his safe house plotting to do more harm against the people of Iraq and the US coalition.

al-Zarqawi deserved much worse than he got...BUT HE'S GONE. And we have the US military in conjunction with Iraqi and Jordanian intelligence to thank for it. My only concern is that the 25 million dollars(US) offered as a bounty for his death or capture won't find itself in the hands of Al Qaeda.

There are some reports being circulated that people within al-Zarqawi's own circle were key in finding out where he was hiding and when he would be there. If these reports are true and the US honors the 25 million dollar bounty offered for al-Zarqawi's head, we could be financing future attacks by Al Qaeda...I wouldn't put it past a desperate Al Qaeda operation to go to such lengths in order to finance there efforts to destabilize Iraq. al-Zarqawi had become less and less important in the eyes of the Iraqi insurgents so turning him over to the US for some spending money would be a good way to facilitate a change in command while inciting others to join the cause. If the bounty is to be paid, I hope that the Iraqi government and the US intelligence knows exactly what type of character is receiving that kind of cash and how they intend to spend it.

But for now...let us rejoice that a mad butcher like al-Zarqawi will no longer reign terror on the people of Iraq and against the coalition troops.

Right On!

High Five!

(singing) 'Ding Dong the witch is dead, the ugly witch, the witch is dead...
ding dong al-Zarqawi is dead'


So, in memory of aL-Zarqawi, I like to dedicate this oldie but goody...


Geeeehaaaad!
(Sing to the melody of 'The Beverly Hillbillies')

Let me tell you a story about
Akmahl Ahmed
Middle class Muslim
Who wish the Zionist were dead

And then one day
he had nothin’ better to do
So he picked up the Koran
an’ became a babblin’ foooo'

Fooool that is…
Taliban,
Islamo Fascist.

Well the first thing ya know
Ahmed’s a terrorist
Kin folk said,
‘Kill all the Zionist!’

Kill all the infidels
Is what you ought to do
So they loaded up the trunk
With a lot of cow pooooo

Poo that it is…
Homemade bombs…
IEDs

After a few attacks
People start to get scared
ACLU said,
‘Profiling isn’t fair!’

They said,
It’s not JUST the Muslims
who want to kill you
So be politically correct
and check the Christians tooooo

Jesus that is,
Little old ladies,
5 year old kids.

Well the next thing ya know
Liberals turn against the troops
The activist say,
‘What’d they ever do to you?’
They say,
‘their killing us because their lives are so sad.’
So they declared a jihad
and they move to Baghdaaaad

Iraq that is,
Killing Iraqis,
Blowing up kids.

Well the worst thing you can do
To Akmahl Ahmed
Is fight his reign of terror,
And hang a Koran over his bed…

They say it’s their religion
But it’s really a façade,
and that’s all I have to say
About the Islamo Geehaaaad

War that is,
Kill the infidel
Kill us all

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

And now it’s time to say goodbye to
Ahmed and all his friends
‘cause they’re just intent on killing us
For living in our sins

I hope to see you all next week
To see if we’re still free
‘cause Al Qaeda’s heaping doses
of nothing but hos-tili-teeee

Y’all come to Iraq now…
Ya hear!

Geeeehaaaad!

By American Zulu
© 2005 The Working Patriot

Mike DiBartolo
TWP

The War on Terror: A Clinton Legacy

On February 26th, 1993 not quite a month into Bill Clinton's Presidency, the United States was attacked by the terrorist group Al Qaeda. Using Iraqi passports and trained by Iraqi bomb makers, the Al Qaeda terror cell exploded a bomb underneath the North Tower of the World Trade Center, killing 6 and wounding over 1000 people. The admitted goal of this attack was to cause the North Tower to collapse into the South Tower of the World Trade Center, bringing both down in a hail of destruction. Rather than see this as an attack against our homeland, Bill Clinton saw this as a criminal act and prosecuted a trial against the attackers and no further significant action was taken against the Al Qaeda network.

On October 3rd, 1993 Bill Clinton was faced with his first real time situation as Commander-in-Chief. 18 US Army Rangers were killed and 84 other soldiers were wounded in the country of Somalia. One US soldier's body was dragged through the streets of the Capital, Mogadishu, provoking anger and the cry for justice from the American people.

While Bill Clinton talked a good talk, as Commander-in-Chief, he did not show the testicle fortitude needed to bring to bear the power of the US military. Bill Clinton pulled our troops out of Somalia within 5 months of that dreadful day. This pull out and the lack of follow through with the February attack, made a lasting impression on a certain Osama bin Ladin and other extremist in that region.

The terrorist were embolden by Clinton's inability to respond forcibly to the blatant attacks against our country and our soldiers. Osama said it best, when he addressed the Clinton Administration directly...

"But your most disgraceful case was in Somalia; where, after vigorous propaganda about the power of the U.S.A. and its post-cold war leadership of the new world order, you moved tens of thousands of international forces, including twenty-eight thousand American solders, into Somalia. However, when tens of your solders were killed in minor battles and one American pilot was dragged in the streets of Mogadishu, you left the area in disappointment, humiliation, and defeat, carrying your dead with you. Clinton appeared in front of the whole world threatening and promising revenge, but these threats were merely a preparation for withdrawal. You had been disgraced by Allah and you withdrew; the extent of your impotence and weaknesses became very clear. It was a pleasure for the heart of every Muslim and a remedy to the chests of believing nations to see you defeated in the three Islamic cities of Beirut, Aden, and Mogadishu."

In June of 1996, the Khobar towers were attacked; 19 US soldiers dead, 515 people wounded.
In August of 1998, 3 US Embassies were attacked; 220 dead, 4,000 wounded.
In October of 2000, the USS Cole was attacked; 17 US Sailors dead, 39 wounded and a US Naval Ship rendered inoperable.

In all of these attacks, Bill Clinton did not respond as the Commander-in-Chief but as a polished politician. Sure, there were some limited "strikes" against targets of opportunity and a couple of terrorist were prosecuted in court but the terrorist continued to wage a war that Bill Clinton refused to acknowledge.

In 2001, just eight months after Bill Clinton left office, the largest and most horrific attack against the United States occurred on Sept. 11th where 3000 Americans were killed and thus finally began the US response to the Global Terrorism. A US led war on terror.

We are now almost 5 years into the US led war on terror and there hasn't been an attack against our homeland since that day. We have lost approximately 2400 military service men and women in this war on terror and we have liberated more than 50 million people from tyrannical Islamo fascist rule and brutal dictatorship.

Now, a new front in the war on terror has developed. Somalia, the land that Bill Clinton abandoned more than a decade earlier has been over-run by Islamist who share the same ideology as Al Qaeda and the Taliban. In their rhetoric, they are mindful to remind the US of our hasty departure back in 1993. Citing it as a lost for the US and a victory for the Islamic movement.

Sheikh Sharif Ahmed, the chairperson of the Islamic courts that have battled warlords for four months in Somalia, said the US would face a disaster similar to a botched 1993 intervention that left 18 US army officers and 300 Somalis dead.

"If US forces intervene directly against us in Mogadishu, then we are ready to teach them a lesson they will never forget and repeat their defeat in 1993," Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed told Saudi-owned daily Asharq al-Awsat.

Yes, terror attacks have killed US Citizens around the globe long before Bill Clinton was in office, but in the post cold war era...where the US was the remaining super power, no organization should have been able to wage such a campaign against us and we have Bill Clinton to thank for this.

Surprisingly, in a NPR Article titled, Somalia: Decades of Unintended Consequences written by Ted Koppel, there is barely a mention of Bill Clinton's contributions to the current war we find ourselves in. In fact, Koppel goes out of his way to blame both Bush Sr. and G.W. Bush for the "unintended consequences" he writes about in his article. The US and our allies are in battle against Islamic extremist for the safety of the modern world and Koppel has time to blame Bush for the unrest in a country Bill Clinton abandoned a decade ago. Koppel even went so far as to blame Bush Sr. for Bill Clinton's zero response to the killings in Rwanda where 800,000 people were slaughtered in less than a year.

"when the Canadian commander of U.N. peacekeeping forces in Rwanda desperately appealed for reinforcements to stop the killing, Washington, in particular, was not about to risk U.S. troops on another humanitarian mission in Africa."

said Koppel. A humanitarian mission that just so happen to have been started by Bush Sr. in 1992 in the country of Somalia.

I hate to disagree with such a distinguished media personality but this war and the unintended consequences we find ourselves in, is the legacy of the 2nd President in US history to be impeached; William Jefferson Clinton.

The war on terror is Bill Clinton's lasting legacy for the American people.

Mike DiBartolo
The Working Patriot (TWP)

Contributors to this article:
npr
US Dept. of State Terror Report
Mail&Guardian-online

Islamist continue their campaign in Somalia: Bush voices concern

"This is a long Islamic struggle and it will continue until the whole country comes under Sharia law,"

Fuad Ahmed, a militiaman loyal to the Islamic side, told Reuters.

"We are ready to shed our blood in order for that struggle to succeed."

When asked about Somalia, President Bush had this to say,

"(Our) First concern of course would be to make sure that Somalia does not become an al Qaeda safe haven, doesn't become a place from which terrorists plot and plan. So we're watching very carefully developments there,"

President Bush made these remarks in a question and answer period during his two state trip through New Mexico and Texas to express his support for the Border Patrol and to encourage Congress to pass a comprehensive immigration package that addresses all of America's concerns with regard to illegal immigration and border security.

The African Union Chief, President Denis Sassou Nguesso, asked the United States on Monday to find ways to end the crisis in Somalia without supporting the warlords battling for control of that region.

Mike DiBartolo
The Working Patriot (TWP)

Look, up in the sky...It's a bird, it's a plane...

It's the Special Forces flying in from over a hundred miles away to bring a special op near you. Yes, according to an article written in Daily Mail;

this lightweight carbon fibre mono-wing will allow special forces to jump from high altitudes and then glide 120 miles or more before landing - making them almost impossible to spot, as their aircraft can avoid flying anywhere near the target.

Fitted with oxygen supply, stabilisation and navigation aides, troops wearing the wings will jump from a high-altitude transport aircraft which can stay far away from enemy territory - or on secret peacetime missions could avoid detection or suspicion by staying close to commercial airliner flight paths.

The manufacturers claim the ESG wing is '100 per cent silent' and 'extremely difficult' to track using radar.

According to SAS insiders, very few operational parachute jumps have taken place in recent years, with teams tending to rely more on helicopters or other means of transport.

Sure helicopters have their purpose but imagine a SEAL team infiltrating an OA and the enemy none the wiser. This equipment could be a stop gap for operations that aren't close to large bodies of water where a sub could be used for the incursion.

The article also mentions a model with 'small turbo-jet drives' installed so self extraction is also a possibility after a mission has been completed.

Pretty interesting stuff...

Mike D.
The Working Patriot

Terrorist Plotted to storm Canadian Parliament and behead PM

Canadial Officials released an eight page report detailing charges against 12 of the 17 men arrested in terrorism charges today. The charges include:

~ Training terrorist
~ Receiving terrorist training
~ smuggling weapons and explosives with the intent to do terrorist acts
~ Taking over media outlets
~ Storming the Parliament Bldg. and holding government officials hostage
~ Beheading the Prime Minister of Canada
~ attacking power grids in Canada

Canadian Officials moved on this group after they puchased 3 tons of ammonium nitrate, a fertilizer that can be used to make a powerful explosive. Two of the 12 adults accused in this plot were arrested late last year as they were attempting to smuggle weapons from the US to Canada.

Speaking outside the courthouse in Brampton, Ontario, Canada, defense attorney Gary Batasar said that his client, Steven Vikash Chand, is accused of plotting an attack on Canada's Parliament and planning to take over media outlets, including the studios of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.

"There's an allegation apparently that my client personally indicated that he wanted to behead the prime minister of Canada," Chand's lawyer, Gary Batasar, told reporters.

Mr. Batasar also stated that the government papers laid out a plot to storm the Gothic Revival buildings of Parliament in Ottawa and take hostages. The hostages would be beheaded if the terrorists' demands that Canadian troops to be pulled out of Afghanistan were not met.

Investigators have said little about the evidence they have gathered against the suspects. At a news briefing on Saturday they showed a computer tower, a crude cellphone detonator and other electronic equipment they had seized. They also showed a bag of ammonium nitrate fertilizer that they said was like the three tons of material the suspects had planned to use to make bombs.

American officials, who have acknowledged being involved in the yearlong investigation, said Canadian authorities had monitored Internet chat rooms, e-mail messages and telephone conversations to learn of the activities of the suspects.

5 of the men arrested are minors so information regarding their names and charges were withheld.

News Contributors:
Reuters
NPR
The New York Times

666

666? Can you say Hype, hype, hype! Now I have to give it to the producers of The Omen (the remake); marketing the release of their film today was a great idea...but for everyone else?

Give me a break! In the year 666 AD there was hardly a world event that occurred... I believe Sicily was raided around that time but in 2006 we have churches all over the globe having 'pray-ins' I guess that's like having a sit-in only...you pray???

I'd put this day of hype up there with the Y2K Bug as far as hype is concerned. I'm sure there are some nutters who are doing their best to talk to their ol' pal Satan on this unholy of days...but for the rest of us...

IT'S FRICKIN TUESDAY MAN!!!

If you really want to look for the mark of the beast, I'd check the following hairlines for a number comparison:

~ Hillary Rodom Clinton
~ Any lawyer affiliated with the ACLU
~ Nancy Pelosi
~ Mahmoud Ahmadinejad
~ And those people on the corner of my street who refuse to maintain their yard. They probably have 666 weeds growing there right now!


Mike D.

Super....man?????

How is it that Superman has gone from this:

DC Comics 2005

And this...

DC Comics 2005

To this...

Superman Returns 2006

and...what the Hell is this all about?!?!

Superman Returns 2006

I mean, C'mon!!!

How is it that the Superman character dipicted in the DC comics evolved into...oh, I don't know.... A MAN! and the director of Superman Returns, a 2006 Summer Movie Release, comes up with this Yo-Yo who, if he looked any more feminine, would challenge the performer Prince for the Best Looking Male in Tights catagory.

The movie pics are from an actual link titled "bluetights.net" that is located on the Superman Returns Official web site.

Bluetights??? are they serious?

In the comics, people like Jim Lee and Jeph Loebe have developed the Superman character into something worth reading about. An alien, who looks human, with superhuman abilities following his instincts to save us from ourselves. Other's need him...but can they trust someone with that much power?

The guy I see in the TV ads and on the movie posters for Superman Returns is nothing close to the character that Jeph Loeb has personified and Jim Lee has captured in his art form. This guy Brandon Routh has an acting career that contains more gay rolls than straight and more small/supporting rolls than leading rolls. And now he's superman...???

The Director, Bryan Singer, does have X-Men and X-Men United under his belt but even there,
characters like the"Storm" played by Halle Berry, fell far short of the character Storm's true potential and the character's rich history. While Halle was nice eye candy for the big screen, the character Storm left a lot to be desired. So it's not a far reach to assume that Mr. Singer is unable to capture the true essence of Superman just as he missed the mark with Storm in the X-Men series...how he did that while having an Academy Award Winning actress like Halle Berry playing the part is still a mystery to me.

So say what you want about this movie; I am very cautious about the whole production. I'm still trying to figure out what they spent 300 million dollars on... I hope the movie is good, but my spider-sense tells me otherwise. It's up to Director Bryan Singer and actor Brandon Routh to prove me wrong and make Superman Returns one of the best summer releases since Star Wars III: Revenge of the Sith. We shall soon know the truth about this movie and it's chances for a sequel.

Mike DiBartolo

Islamist gain ground in Somalia: Capital Mogadishu under their control

Islamist fighters declare victory in Somali capital

Islamist warlords have announced that that they have taken control of Mogadishu, the capital of Somalia, after weeks of the worst fighting in a decade.

Islamists take Somali capital, four warlord-ministers sacked

Mogadishu - An Islamist militia announced Monday it had seized control of the Somali capital Mogadishu from an alliance of warlords, after the worst fighting in the country in recent years that claimed over 350 lives.

Prime Minister Ali Mohamed Gedi also confirmed he had sacked four ministers in the transitional government over their involvement in the unrest.

African Union (AU) seeks US help in Somalia

Sassou, who said the AU was struggling to find a solution to the crisis, urged the Bush administration to do more to help put a government in place there without providing aid to warlords battling for control on the country.

Northrop's unmanned Global Hawk: Second to none

"Global Hawk is providing the department a combination of unmanned persistence, reach and (intelligence) collection that no other program can provide," the Pentagon said in a statement about the restructuring, which follows a 60-day review triggered when the program's cost growth exceeded 25 percent.

Canadian terror probe expands to 7 nations

A U.S. law enforcement official said investigators were looking for connections between those detained in Canada and suspected Islamic militants held in the United States, Britain, Bangladesh, Bosnia, Denmark and Sweden.

AB 2948 not the answer to disenfranchised Voters

AB 2948 attempts to address the Electoral College by forming an alliance with other states to submit their entire electoral vote count to the popular winner of the national Presidential/Vice-Presidential election.

On the surface this may seem like a grand idea but what it does is prop up the current two party system and continues to alienate viable third party candidates by allocating all of the electoral votes to one political party candidate. This accomplishes the same affect as the current 'winner-take-all' program. Millions of Californians who may have voted for a different candidate than even the popular vote winner of other states would still be mandated to award that popular vote winner (of other states)all of California's 55 votes. This does not represent the congressional districts within the State. It trumps their popular vote results for those of other states within the union.

To fairly represent the will of each Congressional District, the popular results of each district should dictate where that particular electoral vote will go. The national popular vote winner will receive the two electoral votes that represent the US Senate Districts but each House Congressional District will award their vote according to the will of the people within their respected districts.

While we are voting on a national ticket, our voices are better heard through our Congressional representation. If three districts in California believe that the Green Party Candidate is best suited for the President/Vice-Presidential office then their votes would be awarded to reflect that. If another four Congressional Districts believe that the Libertarian Candidates are the best suited for the job then their votes would reflect their local, political, and popular will.

Each State must keep its unique rights within the constitution so making packs with other states to affect the Presidential Election circumvents the will of the people who are seeking representation within those states.

AB 2948 falls short of what is required to best represent the will of all Californians participating in our national elections.

This bill requires a veto by our Governor, and the Assembly should seek the will of Californians and not those of other states within the Union when trying to best represent their will in a national election.

Michael DiBartolo

A Year in the Blogosphere

In January of 2005, inspired by Hugh Hewitt, I started my own blog. Being totally new to the concept of blogging, I was unclear as to where I was going with my new web log and the caliber of bloggers I was reading, I felt, far exceeded my own abilities to produce a comparable web page. Months went by before I decided to rethink and reinvent my blog.

So, today, June 1st 2006, it is my official one year anniversary of actually maintaining my web log and the 18th month since its creation. The year has been pretty interesting. I've gone from writing indictments of the State Legislature to poems about the threats we face from China.

I've found over the past year that trying to create a blog that rivals those like La Shawn Barber's Corner or The Mudville Gazette just wasn't in the cards. Those are two of many great blog sites maintained by very competent and capable people. They serve a need on the Internet and I serve an audience of one (sometimes two)...which is cool with me.

What my blog serves is an outlet for me to express my thoughts and opinions. I like it, it has a great many options as far as editing and formatting and you always have that slight chance that someone may come across it and say...'Wow! This is a pretty cool Blog.' Well, even if they do or don't, I find this new forum of communication interesting and on the cutting edge for news and opinions.

So in recognition of my one year anniversary, I'm going to list what I think are my 12 most interesting blogs covering the last 12 months (in no particular order):

* Enemy of the State
* Senator Schumer shifts legislative powers to Supreme Court
* It was Americans
* Geeeeehaaaaad!
* Europe had Chicken Little, Russia had Peter and the Wolf, The US has the Main Stream Media
* Reliant City: (Part of the Hurricane Katrina: Trail of Tears essay)
* Rosa Parks: A Conscience of black America
* Iraqi Freedom
* What Border Problem?
* Islam: The World’s Ghetto
* All I have is America
* Text: Criminal Indictment of the California Legislature

Ok...maybe they weren't that interesting. I hope that my next annual report will be full of positive news and opinions re: the world in which we live. Until then...stay informed and stay in touch; and remember...words don't make a difference...People do.


Mike D.
a/k/a American Zulu

Protect traditional marriage

Respect for the democratic process compels this Congress to protect traditional marriage in the face of a coordinated effort to redefine marriage through the courts.

Marriage, the union between a man and a woman, has been the foundation of every civilization in human history. It is incorporated into the fabric of our culture and civic life. It is the platform on which children, families and communities are nurtured.

Unfortunately, the U.S. Constitution is being amended to reflect a new definition of marriage - not by democratically elected members of Congress, but by unaccountable and unelected judges.

As a result, I introduced an amendment to the Constitution that simply defines marriage as the "union of a man and a woman," while leaving to state legislatures the freedom to address the question of civil unions and domestic partnerships. The amendment would not overturn current state and local laws dealing with these arrangements.

Democracy and representative government are at the core of this debate. In 2004 and 2005, voters in 14 states overwhelmingly passed constitutional amendments protecting marriage. Today, 19 states have constitutional amendments protecting marriage, and 26 have statutes designed to protect traditional marriage. The will of the people is clear on this issue.

Unfortunately, dissatisfied with the outcome of these votes, activists have intensified their campaign to circumvent the democratic process and redefine marriage through the courts. Currently, nine states face lawsuits challenging traditional marriage laws. Among these lawsuits are challenges to state constitutional amendments passed by an overwhelming majority of voters.

Recent decisions by activist judges not only fail to respect the traditional definition of marriage, they also highlight a lack of respect for the democratic process. The courts are driving a redefinition of marriage contrary to democratic principles.

The process to amend the U.S. Constitution is one the American people can trust.

My amendment reflects a belief that the institution of marriage is too precious to surrender to the whims of a handful of unelected, activist judges. The American people should have a say in the matter. If we in Congress fail to define marriage, the courts ultimately will not hesitate to define it for us.


Sen. Wayne Allard (news, bio, voting record), R-Colo., is the author of the Marriage Protection Amendment.