Around the Bend in Idaho

Time to take up knitting or gardening or crosswords...maybe even (gasp) exercise! Anyone with the fortitude to read this back-and-forth would realize it's come to the point where I can't even take my own advice!

Founding daughter

Story published at magicvalley.com on Thursday, May 03, 2007
Last modified on Thursday, May 3, 2007 12:20 AM MDT

A tiring litany of behavior from the left

I'm tired of spineless politicians, both Democrat and Republican, who lack the courage, fortitude and character to see our security interests through.

I'm tired of the hypocrisy of politicians who want to rewrite history when the going gets tough.

I'm tired of the disingenuous clamor from those who claim they "support the troops" by wanting them to "cut and run" before victory is achieved.

I'm tired of a mainstream media that can only focus on car bombs and casualty reports because they are too afraid to leave the safety of their hotels to report on the courage and success our brave men and women are having on the battlefield.

I'm tired that so many Americans think you can rebuild a dictatorship into a democracy over night.

I'm tired that so many ignore the bravery of the Iraqi people to go to the voting booth and freely elect a constitution and soon a permanent parliament.

I'm tired of the so-called "elite left" that prolongs this war by giving aid and comfort to our enemy, just as they did during the Vietnam War.

I'm tired of anti-war protesters showing up at the funerals of our fallen soldiers. A family whose loved ones gave their life in a just and noble cause, only to be cruelly tormented on the funeral day by cowardly protesters is beyond shameful.

I'm tired that my generation, the Baby Boomers-Vietnam generation, who have such a weak backbone that they can't stomach seeing the difficult tasks through to victory.

TONY MAYER
Twin Falls

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Community Speaks
Story Commenting Forum

Tom Young (id:bluedarter) wrote on May 3, 2007 8:13 AM:

" Tony - well written. The problem revolves around the "me" generation who want freedom to pursue their daily lives, without the sacrifices necessary to maintain their lifestyles. Pretending that Radical Islam doesn't exist in Iraq, or wasn't there until we "provoked" them is patantly ridiculous. Our grandparents sacrificed so we wouldn't have to fall victim to the Nazis. They didn't have anywhere near the lifestyle enjoyed by most Americans today. I think the Greatest Generation would be appauled by all the people sitting in front of their 42" big screeens, sipping $4 cappucinos, eating French cheeses, saying, "America is the problem, we are just Imperialists going after the poor people's oil. We should get out of there." Tony, it is an equal amount of greediness, slovenliness, arrogance, and cowardice that drives the socialist Frenchified left, and the weak kneed Republicans. Like my grandparents, and their grandparents, I don't want my children living under tyranny of any kind. "
______________________________________

Sharon Metcalf (id:sleight47) wrote on May 3, 2007 10:05 PM:

" Ah, but not as tired as I am of people like yourself who refuse to spend time learning what exactly has gone on and is now going on in this fiasco. Are you tired of the studies that show terrorism has increased since GWB's ill-fated invasion and occupation? Are you tired of his rewriting of history already including naming heads of agencies that regulate from the very agencies they are supposed to regulate? I respect the troops enough not to see them die for the enrichment of Bushco and their friends. If you're so pround of the Iraqis who voted in order to receive their food rations (if you had bothered to even delve into it a little), how proud you must be of those who have lost their lives and homes because of this disastrous situation. If you're tired of MSM showing bombings (you probably think there's one bombing a day just as the president's lovely but ignorant wife does), try McClatchy Newspapers, try Dahr Jamail, try Seymour Hersh. I'm tired of people who spout off yet refuse to gain the knowledge they need to make a clear judgment of this occupation. As for the time it takes to change a dictatorship into a democracy, buckle up, Bud, because we're close to being just that -- a dictatorship. "
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Tom Young (id:bluedarter) wrote on May 4, 2007 12:09 PM:

" Seymour Hersch is a proven left-wing hack who accused American soldiers of raping young boys in Iraq. Dahr Jamail writes articles for much of the Anti-American press, including Islam Online. McClatchy Newspapers simply re-print AP and Reuters stories like every other news conglomerate, including their worst rag, The Idaho Statesman. Calling people "uneducated" when your sources are highly dubious is ludicrous. This is exactly why far-left liberals can't seem to make any traction. If Seymour Hersch is your beacon light of "clear judgement"...you and Rosie can have some excellent conversations together in the looney bin your are both headed to. Finally, how can we be headed for a dictatorship when both houses of congress are controlled by a different party than the presidency? That statement alone reveals a true lack of education. "
______________________________________________

Sharon Metcalf (id:sleight47) wrote on May 4, 2007 7:01 PM:

" Oh come off it, Tom. Seymour Hersh is a Pulitzer prize winning journalist who has broken some of the biggest stories ever reported. Dahr Jamail is an independent journalist who aligns with no news organization in order to report what he sees without interference. As for McClatchy, they are one of the (very) few organizations that still actually investigate -- in case you don't recognize the term, it's called look into the matter and don't accept the talking points handed out by the RNC and this White House. And let's call a spade a spade. Your posts put me in mind of the typical blowhard redneck who refuses to accept that the US is not the shining gem of liberty you continue to hype. In fact, if you really want your children and grandchildren to avoid living under a tyrant, start counting the basic rights formerly enjoyed by US citizens that are now gone. "

Magic Valley and Magic Thinking

Note from Founding Daughter: No more writing letters to the Editor! A 400 word limit does nothing but cramp my creativity. My new avocation is to respond on the Times-News Magic Valley Community Speaks page. No word limits; you just take ‘em on one at a time. As for the following letter, Mr Vanderpol neglected to mentioned the King of Creationism: George!

Only creationism can teach children morality

Addressing the concern for our youth:

Why is teenage suicide up? Why is teenage meth use up? Why are teenage pregnancies up?

I think we are teaching this stuff in our schools:

(1) By teaching the religion of evolution, we are telling our children that you are an accident and have little or no value.

(2) There is no purpose to life except to have fun and pass on your genes.

(3) There is no absolute right or wrong; in fact, there are no absolutes.

(4) Your presence here is a burden on the planet since you are one of the polluters and it would be better for the world if you died.

When we teach the religion of evolution in our schools, this is what we are telling our children because there is no real future. Since there is no way to tell right from wrong, survival of the fittest becomes a way of life. It is unthinkable that we would dare teach intelligent design and give eternal value to our children.

Maybe they (educators) will come up with a new program for morality like they did for fatherless children in the '50s, drugs in the '60s, HIV in the '80s, all of which was a miserable failure. Only creationism teaches morality.

Good luck, Mr. and Mrs. America.

BILL VANDERPOL
Castleford

Community Speaks Story Commenting Forum

Kristen Keck (id:ckkeck) wrote on April 16, 2007 6:19 AM:
"Bill, You hit the nail on head with your letter. People who believe evolution is the truth are like ostriches burying their heads in the sand. They don't want to believe in creationism, or a creator; otherwise they would have to answer to someone other than themselves. I pity them come judgement day. "

Jared Asay (id:axisofjared) wrote on April 16, 2007 11:48 AM:
"I've always had a sort of built in irony meter, but I think Bill dealt it a powerful blow with this letter. He blames teen suicide, drug use, and pregnancy on the teaching of a particular field of science! I suppose Physics is to blame for violent crimes, and let's not forget the detrimental effect Chemistry 101 has on our divorce rate. Here's what caused my irony meter to sail dangerously off the charts. If you take a look at the statistics of social ills, they all occur most frequently in Red states – the very states that usually try to avoid teaching evolution and attempt to teach creationism instead. 7 of the 10 states with the highest teen pregnancy rates are red. 6 out of the 10 with the lowest rates are blue. The top 5 highest murder rates in America? Why that would be Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Tennessee, and South Carolina, all Red. What about divorce rates? Well, get your irony meters ready, the state with the lowest divorce rate is that beacon of gay marriage called Massachusetts. Actually 9 out of the 10 lowest divorce rates are blue states. 8 of the 10 highest divorce rates are all Red states, with averages nearly 3 times higher than the 10 lowest! Now, I'll bet you're wondering which states have attempted to teach creationism in one form or another over the century: Tennessee, Arkansas, Louisiana, Alabama, Georgia, Kansas, Kentucky, Ohio…hmmm, what color were those states?"

Sharon Metcalf (id:sleight47) wrote on April 16, 2007 1:37 PM:
Mr. VanderPol: I am interested–to what do you attribute the countless depredations committed by man prior to the advent of the Theory of Evolution? In the same manner that man once thought all planets rotated around the earth, many men still think the universe rotates around man. Evolution does not claim to have all of the answers; most organized religions do. As Galileo Galilei once said, "I do not feel obliged to believe that the same God who has endowed us with sense, reason and intellect has intended us to forego their use." We are still killing each other, destroying the earth, and depending on outside sources for our beliefs or lack thereof. Until we can learn to take back the inherent responsibility for our own behavior and recognize what is wrong with "group think," our problems will continue. In the meantime, rather than subject the theory of evolution to bizarre accusations, may I suggest you simply use the term "devilution."

Are you sure Idaho is in the United States?

http://www.magicvalley.com/articles/2007/04/08/opinion/letters/109731_17.txt
Story published at magicvalley.com on Sunday, April 08, 2007
Last modified on Sunday, April 8, 2007 12:15 AM MDT

We know neither ourselves, nor our enemies

In the 2,500-year-old book, "The Art of War," Sun Tzu says that "excellence in warfare" is to keep the sword in its scabbard, to not use one's military might. If the opposite was true, then surely the United States, with its superior military might, would not be entering the fifth year of war in Iraq. Certainly, excellence in warfare does not mean more than 3,200 of our own warriors and hundreds of thousands of Iraqis dead. Our current leaders seem to put the use of military might first and reason in a distant second place.

Sun Tzu also says that "If one knows themselves and knows their enemy, they will always prevail." If they know themselves and not their enemy, or if they know their enemy and not themselves, they will win some and lose some. But if they know not themselves nor their enemy, they will always suffer defeat.

At this time we, through our commander and chief, certainly fall into this last category. We are too arrogant to know those we call our enemy, and we are too caught up in the hubbub of our wasteful consumptive lifestyles to have the time to contemplate and to know ourselves. Perhaps if we were to take the time to look more at ourselves, we would find the wisdom that would lead us away from war, not toward it.

BILL CHISHOLM
Buhl

Community Speaks - Story Commenting Forum

Tom Young (id:bluedarter) wrote on April 08, 2007 10:53 AM:
"Bill - try to remember....17 UN Resolutions and 12 years went by before we took action against Saddam Hussein. We allowed plenty of time for the "peace process" to take place. I agree with your points that we didn't know our enemy very well; we fought the war in much too politically correct a fashion. And we didn't know ourselves very well; we should have anhillated much more of the enemy in the first stages of the battle, when 90% of Americans were in agreement."

Sharon Metcalf (id:sleight47) wrote on April 09, 2007 1:40 PM:
"Tom: Peace process? Sanctions and bombing? After the innumerable atrocities committed by this administration, this is the first time some yahoo has stated that this battle has been fought in too politically correct a fashion. Congratulate yourself for reaching a new low. As for annihilating more of the enemy in the first stages, to whom do you refer? Osama, or isn't a total of 650,000+ innocent dead Iraqi civilians to date (per the Johns Hopkins survey) enough for you? And you can forget using the Saddam-was-a-tyrant excuse unless you can explain simultaneous US support of Islam Karimov, evil leader of Uzbekistan. Could it have been the oil, Enron influence, use of their airbase or the fact that they torture and murder Muslims? Oh heck, any of them will do. You really should take the time to visit Washington and apply for a job in this administration. I hear there are new openings weekly."


http://www.magicvalley.com/articles/2007/04/08/opinion/letters/109731_20.txt
Story published at magicvalley.com on Sunday, April 08, 2007
Last modified on Sunday, April 8, 2007 12:15 AM MDT

High morale for troops costs too much for protesters

Boise had an anti-war rally recently. The parents of a medic in Iraq spoke at the rally and were quoted as saying, "It's hard to maintain morale with a lack of a mission." Perhaps the bigger threat to troop morale is having the parents of your unit's medic speaking at anti-war rallies. Or maybe it's having members of Congress essentially buying, and even more perverse, selling, votes in order to pass legislation hastening withdrawal.

Maybe morale is hard to muster when news outlets pander to war protesters in Washington while ignoring or downplaying thousands of respectful, U.S. flag-waving, veteran supporters of a worthy mission. I'm sure happy thoughts abounded when Jane Fonda, that great lover of America's military, was a noted speaker at last January's war protest.

How are we to expect our soldiers' morale to be high when we bombard them with political rhetoric that they have failed, that they're "stuck in Iraq" because they're stupid, and that their lives and the lives of their fallen have been "wasted" on a country and its citizens - citizens who, until recently, were ruled by a genocidal dictator allowed to maintain power by a world community more interested in his bribes than in stopping his atrocities; a world community apparently convinced that since he "contained" his murders to his own people, it didn't warrant intervention.

If troop morale is low, it would be because instead of giving hope and resolve to our soldiers and the people of Iraq, America tells them sorry, it's much too hard, the price is too high, it's time to quit and come home.

CAMERON ROBINSON
Jerome

Community Speaks - Story Commenting Forum

Tom Young (id:bluedarter) wrote on April 08, 2007 10:46 AM:
"Cameron-I remember a time when, as Americans, hard work in the pursuit of noble goals was the normal way we did things. The current members of the liberal left are weak sponges who want freedom to pursue their lives without any interference of morality or decencey or a sense of duty. The real men who do the heavy lifting are seen by them as the problem, rather than the solution. There is nothing more grotesque than to see members of our society try to appease our enemies. Just because the left wishes we could all get along does not make it so. The Islamic extremists will kill an appeaser infidel just as fast as any other infidel. How come Nancy Pelosi or Cindy Sheehan will not go into Afghanistan or Sadr-City and try to spread their message? All you have to do is sit down and talk to these guys, right?"

Sharon Metcalf (id:sleight47) wrote on April 09, 2007 1:37 PM:
"What? You mean to tell me that after filtering news into and e-mails out of, creating their own media reports in the US as well as Iraq, somehow this mighty Bushco machine has allowed news of protest to reach those serving in Iraq? Troop morale couldn't possibly be low because of the situation, could it? And you really must e-mail Washington and let Bush know the rest of the "hard work" phrase; he keeps forgetting it. The "real men who do the heavy lifting" aren't seen as the problem by those fed up with this protracted occupation. On the contrary, their protests center on "chicken hawks" who denigrate real heroes and ignore the troops' well being as a means to an end. As for myself, add the 30% or so of Americans who are so inflamed with hubris and/or the possibility of making more money off the "heavy lifters" that they are willing to abandon any moral or ethical standards they may or may not have ever had, in support of Bushco. (Which reminds me, BRAVO to the Cheney protesters at BYU.)"



http://www.magicvalley.com/articles/2007/04/08/opinion/letters/109731_19.txt
Story published at magicvalley.com on Sunday, April 08, 2007
Last modified on Sunday, April 8, 2007 12:15 AM MDT

Honor and duty led 1016th Army Reserve to accept task

It is interesting to note in this day and age, where a person will say one thing and do another. They will tell you they will be some place and never show, sign a promise to pay and never follow through, take a marriage vow and later break it and never be concerned about the consequences or what lives they affect. They live as if there is no tomorrow or repercussions. To give one's word and follow through is a very special gift.

This gift was evident for a select group of citizen soldiers of the Magic Valley. They enlisted in our military system, obeyed their officers' orders and promised to support and defend the Constitution against all enemies, foreign and domestic. They said they would put their lives in harm's way for a principle. They are the 1016th Army Reserve in Pocatello, with a detachment in Twin Falls.

Last February, they deployed to Iraq as they said they would do. They did not have to fly to Kuwait and drive loaded trucks into hostile areas of Iraq. They said they would do this and have performed with valor.

These Magic Valley warriors are now getting ready to return to their homes, loved ones and jobs left behind. They may have wished they had not given their word, but they did what they said they would do.

We need to take a lesson from these brave soldiers and welcome them home. We need to thank them for doing what they said they would do and keep the Islamofanatics over there rather than over here.

If we were all to do what we said we would do, then someday we can expect the Lord to do what he said he would do.

COL. JOSEPH E. EYRE
Jerome
(Editor's note: Joseph Eyre is a retired Army colonel and an Army Reserve ambassador for Idaho.)

Community Speaks - Story Commenting Forum

Sharon Metcalf (id:sleight47) wrote on April 08, 2007 3:14 PM:
"No, what's really interesting, Colonel Eyre, is your failure to note that what put the 1016th Army Reserve in this impossible and deadly situation is the total failure of this president to tell the truth to the American people. Is there anything at all about which he and his cohorts have not lied?

And please, for the benefit of those who actually care enough to look further than their noses, give up the old "fight them there so we won't have to fight them here" line.

William Douglas of the McClatchy Newspapers Washington Bureau in "Is there any truth to ‘the enemy would follow us here'?" wrote regarding that question: "U.S. military, intelligence and diplomatic experts in Bush's own government say the violence in Iraq is primarily a struggle for power between Shiite and Sunni Muslim Iraqis seeking to dominate their society, not a crusade by radical Sunni jihadists bent on carrying the battle to the United States. Foreign-born jihadists are present in Iraq, but they're believed to number only between 4 percent and 10 percent of the estimated 30,000 insurgent fighters - 1,200 to 3,000 terrorists - according to the Defense Intelligence Agency and a recent study by the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a center-right research center. ‘Attacks by terrorist groups account for only a fraction of insurgent violence,' said a February DIA report.

While acknowledging that terrorists could commit a catastrophic act on U.S. soil at any time - whether U.S. forces are in Iraq or not - the likelihood that enemy combatants from Iraq might follow departing U.S. forces back to the United States is remote at best, experts say. ‘The war in Iraq isn't preventing terrorist attacks on America,' said one U.S. intelligence official, who spoke only on the condition of anonymity because he's contradicting the president and other top officials. ‘If anything, that - along with the way we've been treating terrorist suspects - may be inspiring more Muslims to think of us as the enemy.' "

It never fails to amaze me how people who continue to support this occupation appeal to idealism to justify the deceit that propelled reserve participation. This administration has a trail of failures to prepare and/or equip those on the ground, let alone provide what they need upon return. Wrong is wrong even when dressed in pretty words...or have you forgotten that?"

How many Idahoans are aliens?

On the March 18 Face the Nation, Bob Schieffer issued a travel advisory for visitors from outer space. Referring to the Libby trial and the Justice Department regarding the latest Bushco scandal, he would excuse aliens for thinking that government service is "harder on memory than Alzheimer's."

This administration is remarkably deficient in recall but are always able to swear they didn't do whatever was done. Is that selective memory?

Research shows that December's Bush purge consisted of almost as many U.S. attorneys as were let go in the past 25 years, with e-mails confirming that dismissals were based on perceived disloyalty to Bush's agenda.

Watergate reporter Carl Bernstein recently said that in the Bush administration, "disinformation, misinformation and unwillingness to tell the truth – a willingness to lie both in the Oval Office, in the Office of the Secretary of Defense, in the office of the vice president, the vice president himself – is something that I have never witnessed before on this scale."

Gee, do you think that's why Bush offered to have Rove and Miers testify behind closed doors, without being put under oath and with no written record of the session?

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said, "After telling a bunch of different stories about why they fired the U.S. Attorneys, the Bush Administration is not entitled to the benefit of the doubt. Congress and the American people deserve a straight answer. If Karl Rove plans to tell the truth, he has nothing to fear from being under oath like any other witness."

Oddly enough, these same Republicans have perfect recall of every talking point created by the Republican National Committee in the last 5 years. And Schieffer didn't really have to target aliens for his travel advisory; he could just as well given it to most Idahoans.

Sharon Metcalf
Gooding

In Response to Ann Coulter's Yellow Cake and Yellow Journalism

Yellow hair and yellow eyes,
Backed-up bile and redneck lies.

Aimee New
Gooding

Three hints that we should have known...

Georgie Porgie, puddin' and pie,
didn't kiss, preferred to lie,
When the troops came out to play,
Georgie Porgie ran away!

D'Souza is a Looza, Idaho!

In the Times-News, Mariana Mink recently applauded a Dinesh d'Souza op-ed, "To Say Bush Lied on Iraq is Itself a Lie." She mustn't miss d'Souza's, "How The Left Led Us Into 9/11," and his book, "The Enemy at Home."

But she'd do well to ignore Alan Wolfe's book review and opinion of d'Souza as a writer.

"Like his hero Joe McCarthy, he has no sense of shame. He is a childish thinker and writer tackling subjects about which he knows little to make arguments that reek of political extremism. His book is a national disgrace..."

It does take an ability to ignore mid-East experts in order to see the overwhelming clarity of d'Souza's charge that, "What disgusts [Muslims] is not free elections but the sights of hundreds of homosexuals kissing one another and taking marriage vows."

An unsurprising conclusion from a man who also ignores most history of western involvement in the mid-East to decide it was Clinton and Carter weakness that made us a target for 9-11 in the first place.

Walter Uhler writes that, "D'Souza writes history as if he studied under the tutelage of that historian-imbecile, Ann Coulter."

Ms. Mink mustn't allow the existence of recorded speeches (lies) by Bush, which dismiss all fact as contrary to the message, or allow fallout like the Libby trial to diminish her hero worship.

After all, d'Souza's logic is an eerie match for George's meanderings. In a December 2003 interview with Diane Sawyer, Bush excused statements that Saddam had WMDs as hard fact by responding, "What's the difference?"

Tell me, does that mean whether you actually have WMD, don't have WMD, dream about WMD, or want WMD, then you do, even if you don't?

Sharon Metcalf

Idaho Supports a dicTATER and a DICKtator

On Sunday’s 60 Minutes, President Bush admitted that he had watched Saddam Hussein’s execution--but only until right before the trap door opened. But then, Bush has "readers," much like kings used to have "tasters." If the "reader" finds something critical (distasteful), he makes sure the president is kept in his normal state of blissful ignorance. So I doubt Bush knows about the former Nuremberg prosecutor who some time back stated that he (Bush) should be tried along with Saddam for war crimes.

Meanwhile, there’s an urban legend concerning Cheney’s youth. Seems he dropped a glass milk bottle which broke, milk everywhere. Dick stood there glaring at the milk as it spread. His mother raced to the kitchen, took the situation in and said, "Richard, jutting your chin out will not clean up this mess." Cheney turned to his brother, Robert, and said, "Well, then what’s your plan for cleaning up my mess?"

With great portions of Iraq destroyed and some estimates of over 600,000 Iraqi civilians dead, Bush was asked whether this war had been botched. "Not at all. I think the Iraqi people owe the American people a huge debt of gratitude."

Rejecting assertions that Bushco repeatedly lied to instigate this war, Bush said his spirits were strong. Well, duh, I’d have to stay pretty drunk too if I had set such a disaster in motion let alone insisted on keeping it going.

Bush stated Saddam’s execution could have been handled better, but luckily didn’t add "at Abu-Ghraib." He also wants us to know he is not a "revengeful" person. But that might be because he is actually a preemptively vengeful person. Ask some of the people who ran against him in elections. Ask those who have been sacked for not toeing the line.

Aimee New
Gooding

Submitted to Times-News 1/11/07

Redneck Idahoans who support Bush -- Stand on your heads before reading

Idaho and Utah typically grab first and second places in presidential approval polls. I don’t know if this is because, as one letter suggested, red necks signify no blood reaching the brain, or if people have burned an admonition to “follow the rule of the land” into their brains. The latter does not mean to stand idly by while the rule of the land is arbitrarily changed.

In an article titled ‘How Do You Spell “DICTATOR”?’, Elliot Cohen notes predictors ignored by mainstream media (paraphrased), such as a president who made facts fit the policy, deceived the nation into going to war; got Congress to transfer war-declaring power to him under false pretenses; systematically engaged in warrantless wiretapping while denying same; invaded personal banking records; canceled the right of habeas corpus for anyone he deems to be an unlawful enemy combatant; infiltrated and spied upon peaceful anti-war groups; paid journalists to tout administration policies; hired PR companies for phony war success stories; exempted himself from following many of the laws he signed; permitted abuse of detainees; and was never truly elected to office in 2004 (when suddenly exit polls were no longer reliable indicators). http://www.buzzflash.com/articles/contributors/715

The major news agencies are still owned by those who have benefited the most from this administration’s policies, and they have a big stake in keeping control of what we know. But there are alternatives; a few cited below.

Bush Tells a Tale, Dan Froomkin http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/blog/2007/01/12/BL2007011201281.html?nav=rss_world/mideast/iraq

Interview with Scott Ritter and Seymour Hersh on White House Plans for Regime Change http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=06/12/21/143259

Peace is Possible in Iraq, Lisa Farino and Medea Benjamin
http://www.commondreams.org/views07/0112-23.htm

New U.S. Embassy in Iraq cloaked in mystery, AP file http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/12319798/

Bush: Iraq Troop Boost Going Forward
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070115/ap_on_go_pr_wh/us_iraq

Sharon Metcalf
Gooding
Submitted to Times-News 1/14/07

Omigosh! Idaho will be virtual emptiness (sigh)

Words have failed me tonight. So, welcome to those of one of my heroes who says it better than I could anyway.

**********************************************************************************
1/10/07

Dear Mr. President,

Thanks for your address to the nation. It's good to know you still want to talk to us after how we behaved in November.

Listen, can I be frank? Sending in 20,000 more troops just ain't gonna do the job. That will only bring the troop level back up to what it was last year. And we were losing the war last year! We've already had over a million troops serve some time in Iraq since 2003. Another few thousand is simply not enough to find those weapons of mass destruction! Er, I mean... bringing those responsible for 9/11 to justice! Um, scratch that. Try this -- BRING DEMOCRACY TO THE MIDDLE EAST! YES!!!

You've got to show some courage, dude! You've got to win this one! C'mon, you got Saddam! You hung 'im high! I loved watching the video of that -- just like the old wild west! The bad guy wore black! The hangmen were as crazy as the hangee! Lynch mobs rule!!!

Look, I have to admit I feel very sorry for the predicament you're in. As Ricky Bobby said, "If you're not first, you're last." And you being humiliated in front of the whole world does NONE of us Americans any good.

Sir, listen to me. You have to send in MILLIONS of troops to Iraq, not thousands! The only way to lick this thing now is to flood Iraq with millions of us! I know that you're out of combat-ready soldiers -- so you have to look elsewhere! The only way you are going to beat a nation of 27 million -- Iraq -- is to send in at least 28 million! Here's how it would work:

The first 27 million Americans go in and kill one Iraqi each. That will quickly take care of any insurgency. The other one million of us will stay and rebuild the country. Simple.

Now, I know you're saying, where will I find 28 million Americans to go to Iraq? Here are some suggestions:

1. More than 62,000,000 Americans voted for you in the last election (the one that took place a year and half into a war we already knew we were losing). I am confident that at least a third of them would want to put their body where their vote was and sign up to volunteer. I know many of these people and, while we may disagree politically, I know that they don't believe someone else should have to go and fight their fight for them -- while they hide here in America.

2. Start a "Kill an Iraqi" Meet-Up group in cities across the country. I know this idea is so early-21st century, but I once went to a Lou Dobbs Meet-Up and, I swear, some of the best ideas happen after the third mojito. I'm sure you'll get another five million or so enlistees from this effort.

3. Send over all members of the mainstream media. After all, they were your collaborators in bringing us this war -- and many of them are already trained from having been "embedded!" If that doesn't bring the total to 28 million, then draft all viewers of the FOX News channel.

Mr. Bush, do not give up! Now is not the time to pull your punch! Don't be a weenie by sending in a few over-tired troops. Get your people behind you and YOU lead them in like a true commander in chief! Leave no conservative behind! Full speed ahead!

We promise to write. Go get 'em W!

Yours,

Michael Moore

Hallucinations and obsession

Bush, dedicating the Marine Corps museum, said:

"Years from now when America looks out on a democratic Middle East, growing in freedom and prosperity, Americans will speak of the battles like Fallujah with the same awe and reverence that we now give to Guadalcanal and Iwo Jima" in World War II."

The scream was mine.

Idaho votes based on strong GOP economy!

Strong GOP economy? Robert Freeman buried that GOP claim in ink, paraphrased below:

Millions of people have dropped out of the workforce; heckuva no good jobs, but thanks for the low unemployment rate. Meanwhile, three million high-paying manufacturing jobs went to China, and most new American jobs were low-paying service positions.

The Dow may be over 12,000, but it only indexes 30 stocks. NASDAQ, which tracks a broader collection, is 55% below its high.

Gross domestic product has gone from 5.6% to 1.6% in the last three quarters. Hello recession.

The trade deficit is over $800 billion a year, double the last year of the Clinton administration. Bush has added $3 trillion to the national debt, and so the US has to borrow almost $3 billion a day to keep functioning, mostly from foreigners. When he leaves office, Bush’s administration will have created more debt than all previous presidents combined! Finally, he gets to be #1 in SOMETHING.

Of Bush’s $1.6 trillion in tax cuts, 70% went to the top 20% of earners; the bottom 40% got a heckuva 5%.

The economy has stayed afloat this far due to the complete fiscal irresponsibility of this administration. Combine $11 trillion in home mortgage debt with home prices just taking their biggest plunge in 35 years, and guess what’s at the end of the road? The open arms of the Bush Bankruptcy Act.

The savings rate has fallen below zero and income inequality is the greatest since just before the Great Depression.

And a direct quote from Mr. Freeman:

“Any moron borrowing almost $18 trillion in five years can fake the illusion of prosperity. But even at that, Bush can still barely even muster the illusion. The facade is popping rivets like the Titanic just before it went down.”

Aimee New
Gooding

I'm confused...

Why are we legislating against unions between consenting homosexual adults? Seems to me there is far more harm done to society by hidden Republican homosexuals whose unresolved issues morph into hate for their ilk. We should be legislating against allowing unadmitted homosexuals to become Republicans; (Rove? Mehlman? Craig? [sorry, but I even wonder about our "leader," with his macho swagger], etc., etc.). Seems likely they've caused one heck of a lot more trouble for us. And yes, I am being facetious, but it's Saturday and I have to work. Oh yes, and Haggard -- who incidentally is looking much more haggard as time passes. Must be exhausting making up those intricate, believable excuses. "I bought it but I threw it away." "I only got a massage."

US tied with Botswana, Croatia and Tonga, yet Idahoans continue to decry the "liberal" media.

Since 2002, Reporters Without Borders has rated freedom of the press in 168 nations. That year, the U.S. ranked 17th. The 2006 index shows the U.S. to be in 53rd place, shared with Botswana, Croatia and Tonga.

In a February 2006 article, Timothy Karr wrote, “The tab for the fleecing and flogging of Americans comes to at least $1.6 billion. That's the amount seven Bush administration agencies spent from 2003 through mid-2005 on hundreds of contracts with advertising agencies, PR firms, and individuals, according to a Government Accountability Office report released yesterday.”

Those who continue to play the “Liberal Media” record can’t look much further than Fox News, because if they were interested in the truth there are still places it can be found. But by 2008, the Government Accountability Office will probably be gone because its very name is an anathema (look it up) to this administration.

Sometimes I wonder how all of these talking heads can continue to spit out the lies and consciously avoid the truth that should be the goal of a trustworthy fourth estate. Then I remember the ownership.

Doubtless, Bushco would label Justice Hugo Black treasonous for his interpretation of the first amendment as regards press freedom.

"In the First Amendment, the Founding Fathers gave the free press the protection it must have to fulfill its essential role in our democracy. The press was protected so that it could bare the secrets of government and inform the people...paramount among the responsibilities of a free press is the duty to prevent any part of the government from deceiving the people and sending them off to distant lands to die of foreign fevers and foreign shot and shell." Hugo Black, Associate Justice of the Supreme Court.

Sharon Metcalf
Gooding

Idaho Protection the Federal Way

It defies logic that this administration’s strong point is protecting us from terrorism.

In 2005, The Boyd Group (http://www.aviationplanning.com/asrc11.htm) reported:

• “The United States is just as vulnerable as it was on 9/11...very little fundamental progress has been made in light of five years of trying.

• The Transportation Security Administration is a raging failure, run at the top by patronage appointees who have no fear of accountability.

• The proof for these conclusions is overwhelming - GAO reports, instances of major security breaches, instances of near-zero security on major airport ramps, and what is outright confusion on the part of Homeland Security. Further, note that in nearly every case where there's been a failure, the TSA never admits mistakes or faults.”

Meanwhile, Idaho’s own airborne threat does not seem to be of major concern to many local governments.

A Times-News editorial on Nov. 13, 2003 protested the state’s failure to notify news agencies for two weeks that the first human case of West Nile had been identified in Twin Falls. Rather than allow the potato vine to spread the news, they felt people should know it was not a public health threat.

In August 2004 the arrival of West Nile in Idaho was confirmed in a dead magpie; followed by infection of a Gooding County man and six Gooding horses in September 2004.

The adult Culex species of mosquito and any virus they carry are capable of surviving winter. Also, while resistance can build as the virus wends its way through birds, animals and humans, it is also true that the virus can replicate and become more virulent to overcome that resistance.

Gooding County Commission candidate Troy Hurd recently presented an emergency petition to county commissioners for creation of a mosquito abatement district. The commission has failed to take action.

Stan Metcalf
Gooding

Submitted 10/22/06

Hey, there are a whole lot of Idahoans who don't get it, Jack.

Submitted to Times-News 10/19/06

October 15-21 has been declared “National Character Counts Week” by President Bush.

Given what this administration has done to America, if it showed character for even one week, it would be an improvement. But knowing Bush’s tendency to misspeak, I fear he likely thought he was proclaiming it “Only By Being a National Character Do you Count Week.” We all know who our national characters are, don’t we.

Bush proclaimed that “by demonstrating values such as integrity, courage, honesty, and patriotism, all Americans can help our children develop strength and character.” Hmmm. I wonder if his proclamation included the usual signing statement; backdated to forgive former lapses, of course.

Jack Cafferty opened his Broken Government special on Oct. 19 by saying, “Our leaders lie to us and steal from us and do it all with a straight face. They think we just don’t get it.”

My response? “Hey, there are a whole lot of Idahoans who don’t get it, Jack!”

So those who want to jump on the Times-News website and spout support for Bushco and their flying monkeys, go right ahead. If you haven’t figure out by now what has been done to your country, your constitution, and your future, the day is looming when you won’t be able to cover your ears with your hands and chant nanananana any more.

In the latest issue of Rolling Stone, Matt Taibbi writes, “The Republicans who control this Congress are revolutionaries.... In the past six years they have castrated the political minority, abdicated their oversight responsibilities mandated by the Constitution, enacted a conscious policy of massive borrowing and unrestrained spending, and installed a host of semipermanent mechanisms for transferring legislative power to commercial interests. They aimed far lower than any other Congress has ever aimed, and they nailed their target.”

Sharon Metcalf
Gooding

Twin Falls, ID resident sings R-E-S-P-E-C-T

http://www.magicvalley.com/articles/2006/10/06/news_letters/opinion_letters.5.txt

Disagree with leaders, but don’t disrespect them
By ROBERT B. NORTON
Twin Falls

I do not respect anyone, nor will I read an article when they demean the office of the president of the United States. Calling our president (whether a Democrat or Republican) any type of name except Mr. President is not acceptable in my opinion.

I had the privilege to provide security for a past president of the United States. Did I agree with all he did? No. Did I call him anything but Mr. President, hell no! Did I like or respect what President Clinton did with a certain intern and the way he disgraced the office of the president of the United States? No, but I will never call President Clinton anything but sir or Mr. President. It’s not the man I always respect, but the office he holds.

I spent many a time with President Reagan. President Reagan overhead me say, under my breath, that a certain senator was a “member of the jackass family” after I overhead the senator say something I felt was not proper outside ear shot of the president.

The president told me in no uncertain terms that I was to always respect any senator of the United States and never refer to him or her as anything but Mr. or Ms. Senator. The president said that to do otherwise was not acceptable, and that it just diminished my ability to convey my point of view.

I knew the president was correct, and I never again (in public) showed disrespect for that senator or any other person that held that privileged office.

So when people feel the need to express their opinion on how the country should be governed by the president of the United States, I hope they do not belittle themselves or their views by also being a member of that jackass family.

REPLY SUBMITTED 10/6/06

Stop reading right here, Robert Norton, because I have just about as much respect for the members of this administration, especially the president, as they do for the American people. The latest scandal oozing out of Washington is just a small example of how they operate. Look like you’re doing what the people want but if you’re caught with your pants down (figure of speech), lie, spin, lie again, blame the Dems, blame the victims until everyone gets fed up with hearing about it.

Besides, what’s the big deal? So there will be some emotional scars from working in Washington. Many young people only a year or two older than the retired pages contacted by Foley but working in Iraq will not come home at all, will come home without parts of their bodies and/or with physical and/or emotional scars. Just imagine how much spin that generates by these idiots to justify their lack of concern for America’s soldiers.

Twenty-one killed in the first 6 days of October. But the fearless leader won’t consider leaving. He’s too busy learning those canned “cut and run” messages so he can continue to preach to his 30-something percent approval. Pathetic.

Aimee New

No Rocky in Idaho?

http://www.sltrib.com/ci_4263654

See? Even after speaking these words in Utah's pro-Bush rarified air, lightning didn't come down and strike the Mayor!

Same old Idaho Republicans

Stand behind party platform in GOP
By TERRY ROEMER
Jerome

Will you vote Republican? The Idaho Republican platform can be found at www.idgop.org. Some points of interest from the preamble:

We believe the strength of our nation lies with our faith and reliance on God our creator, the individual and the family.

We believe the proper role of government is to provide for the people only those critical functions that cannot be performed by individuals or private organization.

From financing government:

We believe Social Security should be stabilized, diversified and privatized to expand individual retirement options.

From education:

The Idaho Republican Party recognizes that the future of this great state lies with our faith and reliance on God our creator, in our strong efforts to uphold family values and in the quality of education provided for its citizens.

From American family:

We believe the traditional family to be the basic unit of society. Government officials and legislators are called upon to protect the traditional family and use all means possible to prevent expansion of the definition of marriage beyond that of a bond between one man and one woman. (Has Sen. Coiner read this?)

Are these ideals outdated in modern society for a political party? With liberals, environmentalists, Democrats and “enlightened” progressives running as Republicans in the Idaho State primary, the Republican Party will be transformed. Keeping the open primary system in Idaho will change (read destroy or transform) the Republican Party as we know it today. Idaho’s primary needs to be closed as 39 other states have done.

Read both parties platforms on their respective web sites. There is a difference.

One of the penalties for refusing to participate in politics is that you end up being governed by your inferiors (Plato).

RESPONSE:

Read between the lines... wrote on August 30, 2006 11:04 AM:
"Same old "save our morals" speech failing to note what has happened to this country under a GOP who knows what strings to pull, but does whatever they want (moral or not) when the people aren't watching. They want Social Security changed so rich people don't have to repay bonds with interest they've borrowed out of it. This even though only the first $94,000 of earnings has Social Security deductions. Privatizing would transfer over $1 trillion from the bottom 95% of income distribution to the richest 5%. Well, they're taking almost everything we earn just to live now, why not give them the rest? And education? Look at the headline on Yahoo "Sharpest SAT drop in 31 years." Yet another "tell them one thing but do another" result. Unbelievable! And the old "God" argument. Let's be honest here. You have no more proof of the existence of your god than the Muslims do. Look into the origins of the bible you live by and get a clue."

Who'd Have Guessed? A Decent Challenger for Hillary

Far closer to what most of us consider of Democrat persuasion. Unfortunately, without the big bucks that seem to come to Hillary.

http://www.smirkingchimp.com/article.php?sid=27250&mode=nested&order=0