Archive for May, 2007

In my small slice of the Republican Party (Republican Women of Williamson County), most of the women are very angry about the “Immigration” reform bill (s.1348).  They are tired of the Republican National Party promoting what we consider to be RINO’s.  Most of us stopped donating to “The Party” and only donate to the candidate.  But I do believe we are the face of the Republican base who used to be the stalwart of under $50 donation support for Republicans and I might say the grunts on the ground for the Republican Party around election time.

From The Washington Times we read about the RNC firing or eliminating it’s phone banks attributing the reason to obsolete phone bank equipment.  But the staffers cite different reasons:

Faced with an estimated 40 percent fall-off in small-donor contributions and aging phone-bank equipment that the RNC said would cost too much to update, Anne Hathaway, the committee’s chief of staff, summoned the solicitations staff last week and told them they were out of work, effective immediately, the fired staffers told The Times.

snip…There has been a sharp decline in contributions from RNC phone solicitations, another fired staffer said, reporting that many former donors flatly refuse to give more money to the national party if Mr. Bush and the Senate Republicans insist on supporting what these angry contributors call “amnesty” for illegal aliens.

“Everyone donor in 50 states we reached has been angry, especially in the last month and a half, and for 99 percent of them immigration is the No. 1 issue,” said the former employee.

Course the RNC states there is no decline in donations, but doesn’t say if that’s with the small dollar donors! Could be just another twist of words.

Other CAII news:
Illegal aliens in jail, then what? from Right Truth

An Inconvenient Immigration Truth … from Blue Collar Muse

The Presidents Immigration Speech Translated…CONGRESS SHOULD HAVE THE COURAGE TO LIE from stikNstein

Bush defends immigration plan from My Country My View

An Open Letter To President Bush from Violence Worker – I’m cross posting this letter since I think this expresses the thoughts of many of us out there:

Dear Mr. President,

Sir, I’ve supported you these past 6 years through thick and thin and I have to tell you, that’s is hard to do living in the People’s Republik of Washington. People hate you out here. They get a hangnail out here and they somehow figure out some way to blame you for it.

I’m afraid, sir, that you’ve lost my political support. You lost me, not over the war in Iraq or the greater war on terror, but on the domestic issue of immigration. Your remarks over this travesty of an immigration package were uncalled for. This is where we part ways. From this moment on, you can place me in that polling statistic that no longer supports you.

Mr. President, you can call it what you want. You can wrap it in nuance and political doublespeak, but this bill is amnesty and laden with more loopholes then the tax code.

Honestly sir, can you really look me in the eye and tell me that any bill that Teddy Kennedy supports is good for America?

We need to control our borders first! Then we need to work on dealing with those illegal immigrants that are already here. We need to address local government and their idiotic policies of “sanctuary”.

Mr. President, you and most liberals have it wrong. We are NOT a nation of immigrants. We are a nation of Americans. I’m not an immigrant, you aren’t an immigrant and most people here today are not immigrants. There was a time in our history when we could take in the world’s huddled masses, but times have changed.

So good-bye, Mr. President. If you had any political capital at all, it’s now gone. You are now truly a lame duck. Amnesty is your legacy.

VW

**This was a production of The Coalition Against Illegal Immigration (CAII). If you would like to participate, please go to the above link to learn more. Afterwards, email stiknstein-at-gmail-dot-com and let us know at what level you would like to participate.

Technorati Tags: RNC, Illegal aliens, RINOs, amnesty, immigration, s.1348, small dollar donors,

Michael Yon has a story that could have come out of a Hollywood movie.  A story of leadership, courage and decisiveness. 

There are good things happening in Iraq!

The Final Option

Remember, Michael Yon depends on the generosity of his readers to continue his reporting of the Good and the Bad. 

Donate Here

Technorati Tags: LTC Doug Crissman, Michael Yon, Hit, Iraq, General Hamid, Someone You Should Know

This Weeks Soldier Was Suggested By Kathy

Ahmed Qusai al-Taayie
41 years old from Ann-Arbor, Michigan

Specialist Ahmed Qusai al-Taayie is a Iraqi American U.S. Army linguist soldier, from Ann-Arbor, Michigan who was kidnapped on October 23, 2006 in Baghdad and has not been seen since.

al-Taayie joined the Army in 2004 to help not only his country, the United States, but also his birthplace of Iraq and was deployed in 2005. On October 23, 2006 he was visiting his wife in the Karrada Shiite neighborhood in central Baghdad when he and his cousin were kidnapped by a group calling themselves Ahel al-Beit Brigades. His cousin was released shortly after. On November 2, 2006 al-Taayie’s uncle received a ransom demand of $250,000 for his return. Along with the ransom came a grainy video that showed a man beaten up who was identified as al-Taayie. No more has been heard from al-Taayie or his captures.

For more information on Ahmed Qusai al-Taayie you can go here

These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives so that others may enjoy the freedoms we get to enjoy everyday. For that, I am proud to call them Hero.

We Should Not Only Mourn These Men And Women Who Died, We Should Also Thank God That Such People Lived

This post is part of the Wednesday Hero Blogroll. To find out more about Wednesday Hero, you can go here.

Technorati Tags: Wednesday Hero, Ahmed Qusai al-Taayie, Support The Troops

Every story I’ve heard about the man in Federal quarantine is the dangerous strain of TB which he has.  Yet, how would anyone know if they came into contact with him since there’s no name or picture of the man.  The man was flying internationally to get married!  If he got married hasn’t he already spread the disease?  But you don’t need to worry cause TB man said he didn’t cough at all while flying all over the place.

A man placed under the first government-ordered quarantine since 1963 because of a dangerous form of tuberculosis said he took one trans-Atlantic flight for his wedding and honeymoon and another because he feared for his life, a newspaper reported.

snip…The man told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution that while doctors told him they preferred that he put off his long-planned wedding in Greece, they didn’t order him not to fly.

snip…The man flew from Atlanta to Paris on May 12 aboard Air France Flight 385. He returned to North America on May 24 aboard Czech Air Flight 0104 from Prague to Montreal, then drove into the United States at the Champlain, N.Y., border crossing.

He told the newspaper he flew into Canada in a successful attempt to avoid U.S. authorities. He said he believed he had to return to the U.S. to get the treatment he needed to survive.

He was potentially infectious at the time of the flights, so officials at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have recommended medical exams for cabin crew members and passengers who sat within two rows of the man.

snip…The man told the Journal-Constitution the CDC contacted him in Rome during his honeymoon, telling him that he had to turn himself in to Italian authorities to be isolated and be treated. The CDC told him he couldn’t fly aboard commercial airliners.

“I thought to myself: You’re nuts. I wasn’t going to do that. They told me I had been put on the no-fly list and my passport was flagged,” the man said. 

He told the paper he and his wife decided to sneak back into the U.S. via Canada. When he arrived back in the United States, he voluntarily went to a New York hospital, then was flown by the CDC to Atlanta. He is not facing prosecution, health officials said.

In case you’re not aware – TB is a highly infectious disease where the germs can be spread through the air. Does anyone else think this man’s identity should be revealed?

Technorati Tags: Tuberculosis, contagious diseases, communicable diseases, TB

From Freedom Folks:

In honor of the brave men and women who serve this country we traveled to a small Illinois town that was dedicating a veterans memorial this memorial day weekend….

Please keep the troops in your thoughts and prayers!

And please keep calling your congresscritter, we are winning this fight folks, all we need to do is keep up the pressure.

Technorati Tags: blogs for borders, memorial day, veterans, honoring the troops, small town America,

Sgt Maj Brad Kasal has a new book out – “My Men Are My Heroes”.  Of course, Sgt Maj. Kasals is the hero who was awarded the Navy Cross for protecting another Marine with his body.

Injured war hero aims to inspire others with book

Sgt. Maj. Brad Kasal still thinks every day about death, sacrifice and honor in Iraq, even though he’s back in Iowa. The war hero has written a book in hopes of inspiring other Marines.

Kasal, 40, said he can’t forget what happened on Nov. 13, 2004, while he was engaged in urban combat against insurgents in Fallujah.

It was there that he earned a Navy Cross for leading a mission into an enemy-held house to rescue wounded Marines. He killed one insurgent in the house in a face-to-face encounter. Then he was shot seven times by an enemy fighter with an AK-47 assault rifle and absorbed the brunt of a grenade blast while shielding another badly injured Marine with his body.

snip……Kasal initially rebuffed all offers for a book deal, but relented after Helms told him he could use the book to discuss how well his men performed in Iraq.

Kasal also said he recalled reading about famous Marines years ago and he hoped he could help to inspire younger Marines. Finally, Kasal said he wanted to talk frankly about the seriousness of his wounds and his personal battle to recover, which has included bouts with depression.

Although Kasal marched before a Marine Corps general at Camp Pendleton, Calif., with no apparent limp when he was awarded the Navy Cross on May 1, 2006, he disclosed recently that his right leg has never fully recovered from his wounds.

“I can hide it pretty well if I need to, and right then I was hiding it very well,” he said.

In the weeks and months after Kasal was injured, doctors recommended amputation of his lower right leg, but he strongly resisted. Then he surprised medical professionals, who had predicted he would never walk again on the leg, by recovering to the point where he passed the Marines’ physical fitness test last November with a first-class score. The test includes a three-mile run, pull-ups and abdominal crunches.

This is an amazing man who has been through something most of us could never fathom!

Technorati Tags: Sgt Maj Brad Kasal, My Men Are Heroes, Navy Cross, Fallujah, Hell House, Iraq, Someone You Should Know

A special thanks to Greta and Silke of Hooah Wife for their help.

To every man and woman who has served and is serving in the United States military, thank you for everything that you do and have done. And every man and woman who’s given their life for the cause of freedom will never be forgotten.

These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives so that others may enjoy the freedoms we get to enjoy everyday. For that, I am proud to call them Hero.

We Should Not Only Mourn These Men And Women Who Died, We Should Also Thank God That Such People Lived

This post is part of the Wednesday Hero Blogroll. To find out more about Wednesday Hero, you can go here.

Technorati Tags: Memorial Day, Wednesday Hero, Support The Troops, Honoring Our Military

From Atlas Shrugged:

If the Muslims get away with this “test case”, it will shut us all down. The intrepid blogger and PI (and valued Atlas source) has been sued for publishing stories about Muslims with ties to Islamic terror. News stories already published in the mainstream media. Warner obviously hit a nerve. This is the next nefarious step in the litigation jihad. Warner must prevail. This wreeks of CAIR. Their tactics are written all over it. How is this different than the CAIR lawsuit against the Jane/John Does on the US Airways flight that reported the belligerent, aggressive behavior of the six imams?) Perhaps we need legislation to protect us (what happened to free speech?)

From the comments is info on the law firm bringing this suit:

The McIntyre Law Firm, P.L.
Address: 6987 East Fowler Avenue
Temple Terrace, FL 33617

Phone: (813) 899-6059
(813) 785-9073 (Cell#)

Fax: (813) 899-6069
——————————————-
Attorneys:

Baruch, Jason H.
Deese, Dustin D.
McIntyre, Richard J.

h/t Gateway Pundit

Technorati Tags: Abdul Raouf M. Dabus, Islamic Academy of Florida, William Warner, American Youth Academy, Islamists in USA, CAIR, litigation jihad

I was going to be attending and helping with the Memorial Day Ceremony in Franklin, Tn at the War Memorial but instead I will standing in respect with Patriot Guard Riders at the military funeral for PFC Travis Haslip of Ooltewah, Tn. Please think about and remember what this day is all about and tell your children so they grow up understanding and cherishing what their freedom has cost those before them.

The Significance of the “Buddy Poppy”
Inspired by the poem, “In Flanders Fields” by John McCrae, Moina Michaels replied with her own poem:

Ms. Michaels then had the idea to wear red poppies on Memorial Day in honor of those who died serving the nation during war. She was the first to wear one, and sold poppies to her friends with the money going to benefit servicemen in need. Later, a Madam Guerin from France was visiting the United States and learned of this new custom. When she returned to France, she had artificial poppies made to benefit war orphaned children and widowed women. In 1921, Madam Guerin approached the Veterans of Foreign Wars for help in carrying on this tradition. Shortly before Memorial Day in 1922, the VFW became the first organization to nationally sell poppies. Two years later, their “Buddy Poppy” program was selling artificial poppies made by disabled veterans.

Memorial Day is a day of remembrance of those who died in our nation’s service. Memorial Day was first observed on May 30, 1868 when flowers were placed on the graves of Union and Confederate soldiers at Arlington National Cemetery.

After World War I, the holiday changed from honoring just those who died fighting the Civil War, to honoring all Americans who died fighting in any war.

Battle Deaths:
**American Revolution – 4,435
**War of 1812 -  2,260
**Indian Wars – 1,000
**Mexican War – 1,733
**Civil War – 214,938
**Spanish-American War – 385
**World War I – 53,402
**World War II – 291,557
**Korean War – 33,741
**Vietnam – 47,424
**Gulf War (’90-’91) – 147
**Operation Iraqi Freedom(to date) – 3,454
**Operation Enduring Freedom – Afghanistan(to date) – 390

“Let us, then, at the time appointed, gather around their sacred remains and garland the passionless mounds above them with choicest flowers of springtime; let us raise above them the dear old flag they saved from dishonor; let us in this solemn presence renew our pledges to aid and assist those whom they have left among us sacred charges upon the Nation’s gratitude, the soldier’s and sailor’s widow and orphan…”
- John A. Logan, 1868

The Flags Our Heroes Served

We remember those who died in service to our country, with these flags:

*The American Flag

*The flags of the branches of the modern day armed services;

-The Army flag

-The Navy flag

-The Marines flag

-The Coast Guard flag

-The Air Force flag

*The official flag symbolizing Prisoners-of-War and Missing-In-Action.

This flag reminds us that many have died who have not returned to our shores. Their sacrifice and the special loss of their families, who do not have a grave to honor, are remembered this day.

*The 34-Star American Flag

The 33-star Garrison Flag that flew over Fort Sumter has been called “the flag tat started a war.” In 1861, at the outbreak of the Civil War, the U.S. Flag had a field of 33 stars representing 33 states. By the third month of the war until 1863m the 34-star Union flag was flown, now including Kansas as the 34th state. President Lincoln raised this flag over Independence Hall as an act of faith, that the nation created by our forefathers would be preserved.

* The First Confederate National Flag, “Stars and Bars”

The original flag of the Confederate States of America, commonly known as the “Stars and Bars” was firsat hoisted over the Capitol building in Montgomery, Alabama on March 4, 1861. The seven stars of the flag displayed here represented the first seven states to secede.

*The Grand Union Flag of the Revolutionary War

Known as the Congress flag, and the Continental Colors, this flag is traditionally considered to be the first national flag of the United States. Authorized by the Second Continental Congress in 1775, and used by General George Washington, it was the official flag of the 13 American Colonies on July 4, 1776 when the Declaration of Independence from England was signed. It was the official flag through the first year of the Revolutionary War.

Technorati Tags: Memorial Day, Buddy Poppy, Remember

This should be required reading for all those Senators in D.C. who seem to think putting panties on the heads of Al Qaeda prisoners is torture.  Treating these animals as though they are signators of the Geneva Convention is beyond ridiculous or that the US to not use water-boarding as an interrogation tool will prevent  these animals from torturing our soldiers if captured is delusional.  Amnesty International might also want to take note!

H/T The Jawa Report

From The Smoking Gun:

MAY 24–In a recent raid on an al-Qaeda safe house in Iraq, U.S. military officials recovered an assortment of crude drawings depicting torture methods like “blowtorch to the skin” and “eye removal.” Along with the images, which you’ll find on the following pages, soldiers seized various torture implements, like meat cleavers, whips, and wire cutters. Photos of those items can be seen here. The images, which were just declassified by the Department of Defense, also include a picture of a ramshackle Baghdad safe house described as an “al-Qaeda torture chamber.” It was there, during an April 24 raid, that soldiers found a man suspended from the ceiling by a chain. According to the military, he had been abducted from his job and was being beaten daily by his captors. In a raid earlier this week, Coalition Forces freed five Iraqis who were found in a padlocked room in Karmah. The group, which included a boy, were reportedly beaten with chains, cables, and hoses. Photos showing injuries sustained by those captives can be found here. (12 pages)

Each picture seems more horrific than the last picture.

Technorati Tags: Al-Qaeda, Iraq, torture, manual, Baghdad