Bryan Strawser

I haven’t had the time or the right mindset yet to dig into the legal arguments surrounding the New York Time’s disclosure of the NSA Wiretaps of some US Citizens thought to be connected to Al-Qaeda, but I did enjoy this little tirade from Froggy:

So essentially what the liberals are saying is that the US should not monitor calls from known terrorists abroad to previously unknown US co-conspirators under any circumstances. They are proposing in essence that only calls to terrorist co-conspirators who are well known and under surveillance already can be monitored. The idea that the US should put its fingers in its own ears and repeat, “I can’t hear you, I can’t hear you!” when terrorists communicate with their agents in the US is one of the most ridiculous and silly ideas that I have ever heard. Members of the Frogosphere already know that Democrats cannot be trusted with the security of the United States, but this highly political stance cannot be mistaken as anything other than the utterly irresponsible and laughably weak gesture that it is.

I am especially encouraged by the President’s rapid and forceful defense of this practice which has already compelled his leftist malefactors to take indefensible positions that they will undoubtedly regret at the ballot box. Timing the release of this story with the filibuster of the Patriot Act and the successful Iraqi elections demonstrates beyond reasonable doubt that the MSM and the radical left are one single purpose entity focusing on any possible method of attacking the President and prematurely ending his term. When Democrats make the same argument against wiretaps targeting terrorists trying to kill millions of Americans with eavesdropping on civil rights leaders and anti-war activists in the 1960’s one shudders at the implications of that level of timidity and cowardice.

When I get a chance to read the 20+ articles I have tabbed here in Firefox about this, I’ll spout off some more…

Former NYC Mayor Rudolph Giulani pens this editorial in the New York Times:

It is simply false to claim, as some of its critics do, that this bill does not respond to concerns about civil liberties. The four-year extension of the Patriot Act, as passed by the House, would not only reauthorize the expiring provisions - allowing our Joint Terrorism Task Force, National Counterterrorism Center and Terrorist Screening Center to continue their work uninterrupted - it would also make a number of common-sense clarifications and add dozens of additional civil liberties safeguards.

Concerns have been raised about the so-called library records provision; the bill adds safeguards. The same is true for roving wiretaps, “sneak and peek” searches and access to counsel and courts, as well as many others concerns raised by groups like the American Library Association and the American Civil Liberties Union.

Given these improvements, there is simply no compelling argument for going backward in the fight against terrorism. Perhaps a reminder is in order. The bipartisan 9/11 commission described a vivid example of how the old ways hurt us. In the summer of 2001, an F.B.I. agent investigating two individuals we now know were hijackers on Sept. 11 asked to share information with another team of agents. This request was refused because of the wall. The agent’s response was tragically prescient: “Someday, someone will die - and wall or not - the public will not understand why we were not more effective.”

How quickly we forget.

Read the rest.

Via Michelle Malkin:

Blunt words from Iraqi voter Betty Dawisha for the Cindy Sheehan Left (hat tip: The Political Pit Bull):

“Anybody who doesn’t appreciate what America has done, and President Bush, let them go to hell!”

Go Betty, indeed!

Froggy writes of Howard Dean raising the white flag:

It is hardly surprising that someone like Howard Dean would predict a US defeat in Iraq. Being a huge loser himself and Chairman of a party chock full of losers, I would imagine that it is difficult to see any serious challenge as being achievable. As for Kerry, it’s not like he hasn’t been down this road before; the only difference is that instead of slandering US troops before the Senate, he is doing it as a Senator. Frankly, I don’t know what to say that
wouldn’t fall into the category of ad hominem attack, and that is not the way I like to write. So I’ll let you do it.

It’s a damn shame that Howard and John have forgotten the lesson of one of greatest Presidents - a democrat himself who refused to ever give in:

I believe I interpret the will of the Congress and of the people when I assert that we will not only defend ourselves to the uttermost but will make very certain that this form of treachery shall never endanger us again.

Hostilities exist. There is no blinking at the fact that our people, our territory and our interests are in grave danger.

With confidence in our armed forces - with the unbounded determination of our people - we will gain the inevitable triumph

Larry Elder posts both sides of what appears to be an email dialogue with a moonbat leftist:

What to do when you encounter someone who instinctively, pathologically hates President George W. Bush? Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean clearly spoke for many when he said, “I hate the Republicans and everything they stand for …” Consider, for example, the following anti-Iraq war letter I received, and my attempt to engage the sender in dialogue.

Read the rest.

Shockingly, there was no mention of “Bushitler” or “BushChimp”, though Cheney’s dark men make an appearance.

Yup, the levees were bombed. I knew it! I KNEW IT!

On Tuesday, black Katrina survivors told Congress they felt racism played a major role in the government’s slow response to the storm, with some residents telling Congress they believe the government bombed the levees to intentionally breach them.

Ernie the Attorney feels the same way:

Yes, let’s send some more people to Washington like this. As Congress decides how much money to appropriate to a region that has been devasted by an epic storm (a region, which by the way includes the Gulf Coast of Mississippi), it’s always good to hear from New Orleans conspiracy theorists who have no shred of scientific evidence to back up their ludicrous claims.

For example, read the article that contains this quote: “I was on my front porch,” Diane Cole French said at the hearings. “I have witnesses that they bombed the walls of the levee.” And watch the video associated with the article.

As Forest Gump said, stupid is as stupid does.

And we wonder why things are taking so long in New Orleans.. now you know…

Congress is now investigating the BCS.

What’s the BCS, you might ask? It’s the points and bowls system used to determine the national champion for college football.

Why is Congress investigating this? I’ve no idea. Where do they get the authority to investigate this? I’ve no idea of that either.

Coyote Blog has more:

Wow, it must be the 30th Amendment:  Congress shall make no law abridging the right of Division 1 college football fans to have a clear national champion.  I wonder if this is just a ploy to get free Rose Bowl tickets?

Everyone in Congress.  Go home.  Now.  Don’t come back.

Froggy has some clear thoughts on the future course of the conflict in Iraq and Afghanistan and the current political stance of the “loyal” opposition:

Contrary to the pleadings of Cindy Sheehan et al, the only way to view our combat losses in Iraq as a waste would be to cut and run before affording our soldiers the opportunity to complete the mission they have given their all for. In that vein, we now have the most lethal and battle tested military we have ever fielded which may well come in handy down the road. The synergistic effect of our unrivaled military proficiency coupled with the strategic and diplomatic effect of our victory in Iraq will serve as a powerful bargaining chip against the intransigent regimes that continue to threaten us.

I could go on, but you get the picture. Bush didn’t lie, but that is hardly a reason to withdraw even if he had. Moreover, the Democrats know this which makes their protestations all the more craven and politically motivated. The fact that a major political party and its adherents are willing to trade victory and by extension the sacrifices of our troops for political power will attest to their eternal shame. Fortunately, President Bush and our military are not about to let that happen.