Sunday Morning Talk Show Thread 28 May 2006

"It gets cornfusing, but a 120 mm anything, is one big ash gun."

Self correction... A 30 MM anything, and that might get transfered to 120 caliber.

"I remember a lot of we Allen fans were a little disappointed..but really, no big deal....but, I think it has made me more leery about him...but, like you pointed out, he does have the executive experience of being a Governor..which I think is much better on a POTUS resume, than being a Senator."

Speak kindly of George Allen, he will be our next POTUS.

For all his faults, anyone that can spit tobacco juice on a grasshopper, and hunted squirrels on his college campus, can't be all bad.

LOL....those sound like good enough qualifications for me. I am definitely voting for him!

Me too!

I supported GW in 98, long before most heard of him, I support George Allen now for 2008.

So far, I haven't seen any GOP candidate that even comes close to Allen for me.

Mark Kilmer's review of the Sunday Shows was posted yesterday at RedState.COM and his (now amended) comments on Murtha was mentioned by several people on this thread. Here's the header and link to the full piece and comments:

The Sunday Show Review

By: Mark Kilmer · Section: Other Politics

Sunday, May 28, 2006
It's a holiday weekend, and we've got a nifty, new logo.
On NBC's Meet the Press, Chuck Hagel argued that it is not amnesty and his bill is not Simpson-Mazzoli. Jim Sensenbrenner countered that it is so amenesty and that Hagel's bill is so Simpson-Mazzoli.
ON FOX News Sunday, Bill Frist said that the Senate is pushing Constitutional Amendments on flag desecration and gay marriage now of all times because of the flags that fly at Arlington National Cemetery and the cornerstone of our society which is marriage. In the next segment, Dick Durbin saw no Separation of Powers issue with the search of William Jefferson's office and he promised that Nancy Pelosi will get serious about "culture of corruption" when she is in a leadership position.
On ABC's This Week, Jack Murtha called the Marines murderers who might have been ordered to ~~do so~~ lie abut it by Joint Chiefs Chairman General Pete Pace, USMC. Next segment, John Warner warned us not to rush to judgment and to let the Code of Military Justice work.
On CBS' Face the Nation, Mitch McConnell argued that the Senate races will be determined individually in each State, while Chuck Schumer argued that the Dems are running against President Bush and his approval ratings.
On CNN's Late Edition, the United Nations' Jan Egeland surprised the world by not blaming the United State for the misery of Saturday's earthquake in Indonesia, as he did with the 2004 tsunami. Later, Iraqi deputy prime minister Barham Salih told host Wolf Blitzer than the Kurdish Peshmerga would become the Kurdish national guard under the Iraqi constitution. Blitzer accused him of showing favoritism to the Peshmerga over the Badr Brigade and Moqtada al Sadr's outfit.
The complete show-by-show review is beneath the fold.

(33 comments, 33 new, 3106 words in story) Read Story & Discuss May 28th, 2006: 11:37:18

now, about his "1 man 5 shows" graphic....

Honorable Mention Awards for Sunday, May 28th, 2006

These are in alphabetical order and are intended to draw attention to posts I found particularly valuable this week for those who like to skim through the thread and might have missed these gems.

Bernard

#663, "... It's a well-known fact that only the Federal Government of the USA has the time, money and hubris to calculate exactly what it doesn't know... To the third decimal point."

betsyross1776

#381, "... the great Americans are the volunteers on the streets during elections, not the radio elite country club types. One thing this party does have is the people who wear out the sneakers on the st. , not the ones who hitch a ride on air force one..."

cardinal4

#380, "I subscribe to the general theory that Kristol is the way he is these days because he wasnt offered a job with the Bush admin."
#407, "Guest workers w/o citizenship seems the best solution... AFTER the border is secure.."

Cedric

#302, "Gardeners whose children will climb the ladder of success all the way up to pool cleaners!" (OK, I disagree, but I certainly understand... and appreciate... the cynicism)

Chuck54

#548, "Snugs I know I repeat myself but you post the greatest pics. Thanks for posting... We may be oceans apart but this administration, our soldiers, and our FReeper Nation could not have a better FRiend." (posted in response to Snugs' post #447, and I heartily agree!)

Dog

#121, "I just found this post over on Red State....someone tell me they also heard this......anyone... Did Murtha just accuse the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of MURDER...Jack Murtha's Fifteen Minutes [Mark Kilmer]...On ABC's This Week, Jack Murtha raised the possibility that General Pete Pace ordered "the massacre at Haditha." (Murtha holds that some Marines were killed by an IED and the surviving Martines went nuts, shooting civilians.) Posted at 05/28/2006 08:14:59 AM EST - #"

fieldmarshaldj

#632, "... (Biden on FTN) has to be seen on tv. I was ignoring his typical canned sound-bytes until I realized, "Holy crap, he's READING his answers from cue cards !" I've seen enough amateur-hour local commercials to note the tell-tale signs of someone reading from cue cards standing next to the camera. At first, I thought it was just a few questions until I noticed virtually every single response he was reading "lines." Either he had one of his staffers quickly advancing to relevant answers or it was a CBS toady. Not once did Schieffer step in and say, "Senator, are you READING your answers ?" Anyone with half-a-brain could tell what he was up to just by his eye movements. I'd call "conspiracy" with CBS if it wasn't a likely standard practice for what they allow their 'Rat buddies to engage in... "

freema

#321, "... The insurgency is fortified every time Murtha opens his mouth. Murtha doesn't give a rat's ass about the effect of HIS ACTIONS on all our troops who are on the ground... That asshat isn't, hasn't, and won't do a thing for our troops... I want my son fortified."

Laverne

#99, "At least Frist recognized and admitted that the AG and FBI were right in what they did, and that Bush urging calm by putting a 45 day hold on the issue worked to calm down the idiots (Frist included, although he didn't really admit that). As far as immigration, I sensed that Frist is really feeling the heat about the Senate bill...he also admitted he doesn't support all of it. Therefore, he must be one of those Senators that Sessions was talking about when he (Sessions) said: 'republican senators are telling me it is OK, the house will rescue us'!"

lawdude

#303, "Murtha: SPEAK LIES TO THE WEAK!"

Miss Marple

#487, "Don't get me started on Jimmy Carter and his energy policies! My husband and are victims of the democrat policies on energy...first they pumped a lot of money into incentives for coal, and then got concerned that mining companies were getting rich, so they took the incentives away, causing the company my husband worked for to go into bankruptcy. Coupled with the Clean Air Act, the Indiana coalfields are shadows of what they once were. All of that coal is lying underground and not being mined, and not one Arab owns any of it!... Jimmy Carter is a jerk and a fool."

Mo1

#575, "Here is the video of Murtha from this morning ... Murtha Raises Possibility of Gen. Peter Pace’s Involvement In Haditha (VIDEO)"

ncjetsfan

#15, If you add up the number of politicians appearing on this mornings talk shows who have some role in the immigration debate you get eight. Of the eight, seven are pro-amnesty and only one, Sensenbrenner, represents the 80-90% of us who are opposed to this travesty... So typical.

Peach

#160, "OMG. On Memorial Day weekend we have to hear this kind of crap. It's Vietnam lies redux ala John Kerry. It worked so well then, the leftists are trying it again. Our poor troops." (referring to post #121 by Dog, where Murtha is reported to have accused General Peter Pace of ordering the "massacre" at Haditha on ABC This Week)

PerConPat

#459, "... America's genius has been its ability to come up with the leadership and the will to bring about constructive change at the critical moment. But materialism and a false sense of security have been rocking a large portion of our society to sleep for decades. Alas, even 911 and the corrosive illegal immigration situation do not yet appear to have the legs necessary to kick us out of our collective slumber..."

rcocean

#336, "Good Grief is Hagel *always* this stupid?.. Loved Hagel argument that the senate is *really* in favor of enforcement because "250 pages" of the "700 page" bill is about enforcement... Guess it doesn't matter whats actually written in the bill,.. Yep, we don't need a fence, or enforcement of the laws, or funding of the border patrol, we just need pages."
#316, "To have paid $400 Billion into SS the illegals would have had earn $5,333,333 *million* dollars in wages.... There are 12 million illegals of who at least 3 million are kids. That leaves 9 million workers.... Therefore, in order to make $5,333,333 million in wages *each* illegal worker would have had to have earned $592,000 in wages !... Absurd. Timmy is just making stuff up to support illegal immigration."

rodguy911

#326, "Never forget Murtha will one day be brought up on corruption charges for his allotting of defense contracts and a relative of Nancy Pelsoi could go down in the same scandal... So he(Murtha) has to keep in the news about something else all the time. The further non-related from corruption in allotting defense contracts the better for him... Being against the war is as good as anything. If we go after him on anything else now it will look like we are just out to get him. He needs that buffer, bad. All rats learn how to play the(stay out of jail) game from their teachers the Clintons."
#348, "Amen, king of the triangulating Rinos,McHagel as Laura Ingraham calls them, are the worst. No on can play four sides of an issue as good as these two except for maybe the clintons."
#471, "... Last week we learned,courtesy of channel 5 in South Texas, that at least two ied's and the parts to make 30 more had been confiscated by the border patrol taken from MS 13 border crossers working in conjunction with middle east type terrorists... "

sgtyork

#361, "'If there was a machine to do it economically it would already be made.'... That's not true. As long as the cheapest alternative is human labor, the inventors and developers will work on something else. This was impressed on me when I was in Korea and saw gate guards for railroad crossings and three-man shovels... Its not that machines are uneconomical or infeasible, the human labor cost is being depressed. Think of it as dumping. Higher labor costs and the market's move to alternatives is being prevented by the Mexican government dumping its low cost - low value workers on the US. And perhaps some of the distortion this causes isn't good for the economy. If a produce grower can't get labor at the cost the market is willing to pay, perhaps that particular prorduce isn't really valued by the market... There is experience in Florida agriculture where increased mechanization has started."
#654, "...Are you saying that our economic growth is only due to the presence of 10 percent of the former Mexican population here within our borders? It has nothing to do with tax cuts or productivity increases?... I've read that we have enough restaurant seating for every man woman and child in the country to sit down and be served at the same time. Is this the way it really needs to be or does cheap 'illegal' labor distort the market?... I am not sure I understand your point about Europe. They have tried to solve their problems with legal/illegal immigration too. It just doesn't work. My understanding is their economies drag because of a bloated entitlement/welfare environment and an inflexible workforce."

shalom aleichem

#577, "I heard the interview and felt at the time it was Rush really searching for why is the WH doing these things? He treated Tony like a close friend, almost brother sitting at the kitchen table, or in the fishing boat, asking for the low down. Of course 30 million eavesvdroppers where listening in. Rush is usually deferential to the likes of Cheney, Rumsfeld and other VIPs he gets to chat with on the EIB Network, but this was very personal and Rush had a lot on his mind he hoped to clarify. Tony seemed a bit taken aback, but did not flinch, although he had to fall back to the talking points, and reminded Rush he had to keep in mind that he speaks for the POTUS."
#685, "They practice the American Idol method of voting around Pittsburgh: as often as you can. Down goes Murtha, down goes Murtha...(but hope Thereza does not start financing the race)."

TomGuy

#74, ... If this bill passes, illegal invaders will have more rights than born American citizens have... One example: Illegals only have to pay 3 or 5 years of back taxes. Let a citizen try that... Illegals also get in-state tuition. Most states require out-of-state US citizens to pay out-of-state tuition rates which are significantly higher than in-state tuition rates.
#117, "Russert: Don't illegals contribute over $400B into the SS fund... Wonder where Tim is getting his data?.. Is that annual or lifetime?.. $400B against a 'bureaucratic' estimate of 11M illegals is $33,363.64 per illegal. Even over a life, that's a heck of allot of 'pay-in' for picking lettuce... Methinks Russerts data is faulty."
#198, "If the are illegal and have been working illegally how does one prove when and for what they have work in order for tax to be collected...
According to the provisions in this new Senate bill, all they have to do is sign an affidavit stating 'I've been here x number of years, and I owe $y amount in back taxes.'... [There are no provisions for verification, nor any provisions for punishment for lying on the application.]"
#562, "How about this?? ... We have camps for obese kids that need to lose weight...we have camps for kids who misbehave..and their parents can't deal with them... Let's put the obese kids working the fields and the landscaping...and put the troublemakers learning a craft by starting out at the bottom in construction??? ... Then the entry level pay is justified...no one has to support a family, and our obesity problem goes away..and hopefully, these troubled kids would learn a skill and learn to work well with others??? ... Problem solved...now we just need a fence. Hmmmmmm, I wonder who could build that??? Convicts!! LOL"

Txsleuth

#524, "Again, notice how Jeff Sessions was not asked to be on any of these shows.... Or Kyl or Cornyn."
#557, "I think one reason we don't hear anything about the Dream Act is because it is also one of Orrin Hatch's little babies... So....when you have a powerful dem and a powerful GOP in love with the same BAD legislation, the rest probably just look the other way...unfortunately."

YaYa123

#424, "...The opening words out of George Steph's mouth today was not an apology for taking part in Brian Ross's bogus report, calling an investigation into Hastert "seismic, if true". Instead Steph made a snide comment about President Bush and Blair apologizing for mistakes. I couldn't help but wonder if Steph had any qualms about even mentioning the word "apology" today. Guess not." (lot's more in this post, but this is the money quote)

He isn't even in your league, Phsstpok...

We really need to send him YOUR pre-view!!! He might learn something..

I also saw the video yesterday after reading his post-game comments...and did notice that Murtha accused Pace of contributing to cover-up, not the "crime"...

But, I have to tell you...he makes mistakes IMHO, that he shouldn't...so I am so glad to have YOUR pre-view thread...and our Sunday thread.

Top 10 for Sunday, May 28th, 2006

First, two of special awards, in addition to the one already awarded for post #5 by MiD

streetpreacher, for post # 232 on the Hastert tells President Bush FBI raid was unconstitutional thread: "It seems that by voting Republican, we merely get to determine how slowly we descend into hell." - it's a great line and it appropriately became part of this thread thanks to samantha's work
snugs, for post #447, "... U.S. soldiers carry flags of the U.S. and Afghanistan during a Memorial Day ceremony at the Bagram airbase north of Kabul May 28, 2006..." (special merit acknowledgement for posted photos)

Number 10 anita - very good observations on multiple topics, not just these excerpts, plus the always appreciated media nuggets

#18, "Nice summary, Morgan. I would just add this... Media declared the Prez lame duck and he can't push his agenda with his "sinking" polls. Dems and even some repubs want to believe that. MSM expressed doubts about Hayden's confirmation....Lame Duck indeed." (excellent companion to Morgan's post, great examples of how the MSM is trying to create "facts," not report them)
#19, ..."When Ken Lay was convicted, they said it is a big warning to all businesses... When Moussaoui was convicted, they were raising all sorts of doubts, like how could he be responsible for the 9/11 attack?.. Unbelievable."
#67, "... now here 's this sunday's Media Nuggets..." (I love these each week)

Number 9 Bahbah - excellent insights, numerous facts that added to and helped explain the issues being discussed, and one of the great put downs of Jimmah the C ever posted!

#28, "Just a little walk down the Enron memory lane... A..B..C..D..E..F..G..BUT...the President under whom all this happened WASN'T George W. Bush. SURPRISE It was Bill Clinton!!"
#199, "I saw the post earlier that said Durbin was going to be on the conference committee. He is a supporter of the "Dream Act" which is the provision in the immigration bill that gives in-state tuition to illegals. This is one of the worst things in the bill and I don't hear anyone talking about it."
#396, "... There is Jimmah and then there is a box of rocks. I will take the box of rocks..." (endorsed by RodGuy911 as "quote of the week" in post number 409; I have to agree!)
#660, "... In order to be focused and steady and clear, you have to actually believe in something. I think that is why Norwood and Sensenbrenner have done so well. They are sticking with the truth and do not engage in smoke and mirrors or spin. The same goes for Senators Sessions, Kyl, Cornyn, Vitter and Grassley, none of whom are being invited to speak on this topic." (regarding Senator Frist's performance on Fox News Sunday and TxSleuth's comment about it in #658, "yikes!")

Number 8 Alas Babylon! - first hand information that directly contradicts the MSM spin on a significant topic of the day- this is why I spend time on FR and this thread in particular

#104, "First, let me assure that Gen Hayden was NOT brought onto the national intelligence scene by Bill Clinton. What a crock! Gen Hayden has been, dig this, an intelligence officer since the Vietnam war!!!! It's kinda hard for a dope-smoking-but-not-inhaling, fleeing-the-country-to-avoid-the-draft-and-his-national-gaurd-obligations nobody to bring anyone into the national security arena!.. BTW, I worked for Gen Hayden at one point. A very intelligent man with vision. While he got his star under the earliest days of the Clinton admin, he really got this rank (BGen) due to an appointment/assignment to an O-8 billet by President George HW Bush."
#630, "I was just a SMSgt working in Air Intelligence Agency, Europe (my part was communications and computer support), I wasn't a 'great' man, but worked beside a lot of them (and some GREAT gals, too!).... Gen Hayden was NCEUR in Stuttgart, and we supported his mission... if Hayden has served in a combat-related intel role since 1972, how can Greg Kelly and Fox News say he was "brought" on by Clinton to the national intelligence agenda in 1993? A right awful and innaccurate smear..."
#636, "... The democrats are fixin' to lose on this more than the republicans. Believe it or not, a lot of the democratic base is furious with their party for this immigration bill. Unions and Blacks, for example, are hardest hit by excessive immigration. The illegals and even legal third-world workforce are taking the lower paid American workers out at the knees. I never, ever thought I'd agree with a DU'er, but check out THEIR immigration threads. They are, of course, blaming the big coporations and business class, but they see that their dem politicos are mostly in bed with the these classes. It is interesting, to say the least... "

Number 7 maica - excellent analysis on several topics, facts that extend and illuminate the questions at hand and a great analogy of what it is a pundit is and does

#76, Re Elite Conservatives versus New Media Conservatives:.. Twelve years after the Contract with America brought Republicans into the Majority in the House of Representatives, we are witnessing a power struggle within our huge (unrecognized by MSM) party. This is actually a sign of health and strength, although painful to experience. As Rush said so eloquently on Friday, the country club Republicans have never liked the Christian conservative Republicans. In the past our coalition was necessary because we were the minority, working to unseat the Dem majority. Now that we are the uncontested majority, the struggle for power is going on inside the party... I have saved my (fundraising) letter from Christie Whitman "It's My Party , Too" to remind me of this division. McCain was part of her group.
#158, "One strange aspect of the William Jefferson story is that his legal troubles were known before Nancy Pelosi et al started their campaign slogan "Culture of Corruption". How tone deaf or insulated from the real world are the dems?"
#195, "The Jefferson case is one that everyone can 'understand." He was videotaped taking a bribe. The numbered bills were found in his freezer, And he commandeered National Guard troops to go to his home in New Orleans during the critical rescue phase of post-Katrina... His name could be used as a synonym for corruption, and the dem-enabling media will not be able to suppress this story."
#622, "... Here is just a little food for thought in any conversation about the 'rich' not paying their fair share. Many American workers, and I am in favor of the EITC in preference to welfare, GET money from the government every year. The dems have successfully massaged the language of taxes to convince these people that the rich GET a HUGE check from the government every year... That is why we also have to train ourselves never to say 'get back' when referring to taxes, but 'pay less.'"
#637, "During his hearing in Congress, one of the senators stated that Hayden was new to human intelligence so how did he expect to head up the CIA. Hayden corrected him by reviewing his career appointments, back at least as far as Guam, IIRC. If Greg Kelly is repeating inaccurate info, then he is using the same talking points as the misinformed senator was using."
#662, "... Pundits use poll numbers like artists use paints. They pick and choose the "news" they want to use."

Number 6 gov_bean_ counter - not a lot of posts, but this one was choice

#531, "Every week I made an attempt to take a issue to its next step if not to its logical conclusion. Sometimes I nail it, other times all I get is a sore thumb... Immigration is the hot topic of the day, and rightly so. Here are two other things I found to be of particular interest as we look down the road a little ways.... 1. In spite of all the bluster of the raid on Jefferson's office, at the end of the day leadership of both sides of the house had to admit the FBI acted with in its authority. This has tremendous repercussions as the CIA leak investigations begin to focus on Congresscritters. Stay tuned... 2. A California appeals court in reversing a lower court ruling gave legal status to bloggers as journalists worthy of First Amendment protections. Regardless of the eventual outcome of the case, this this recognition will not go over well with the MSM. (You know that Dan Rather thing about filters and fact checkers.)..."

Numbers 4 and 5, Tie - I am listing MNJohnnie and kabar together at a combined 4th/5th place for their debate on immigration - at times it was in danger of veering off into a shouting match but, with good will and reason, along with contributions from others, it became a very interesting series of posts that lays out the arguments

MNJohnnie

#332, "... Sorry to say the Politics from President Bush have been all messed up. Requiring "Comprehsnesive Immigration Reform" is the same sort of "give me all or nothing" mindset that gets legilsative inititves kills in Congress... If he had started on issue 1 say 4 years ago right after 9-11 then was moving to 2 now, he might of had a shot at doing 3 before he leaves office. Now I fear NOTHING will get done except until we get a serious Senate Leader to replace Frist..." (Note: issue 1 is "enforce the border" and issue 2 is "Get a grip on just how many illegals ARE here")

#364, "... 1st Rule of Economics everyone should be made to learn. There is NO free lunch. EVERYthing comes with costs as well as benefits. As soon as anyone starts telling you their idea is all gain and no pain, or what we are doing now is all pain and no gain, you know they are lying to you."

#511, "... The system works, those hired to do the business of Govt for us currently are not up to the job. We need to be more careful in who we hire for Congress, our State Legislaturers etc."

#549, "... People need to take a deep breath. This is one of the fundamental problems. Hype and exaggeration are now the common coin of conversation. Every new "Crises" is hyped and scream as being the End of the world as we know it! This is part of the reason people simply tune problem out. They are so SICK of hearing everything is going to be the end of the world tomorrow unless we take this radical extremists massive expansion of Govt solution... Illegal Immigration is a problem. It is NOT a crises. It has been a problem for decades. It is this mindset that "It's a crises" that is making the Govt go for this stupid "Comprehensive" Immigration solution instead of fixing it item by item...."

#599, "I think this whole thing has simply spun out of control. This is the Politics as sport mindset run out of control. We are a Jockakrecy. Everything is sport. Now politics isn't about getting things done, it about MY side wining the "Big game". People pick their issues and cheer on, or sneer at, anyone who is with or against them... I see it on the Rush thread. People will post I Hate Rush rants there because he did not say what they wanted to hear on issue I or P or whatever. Then he WILL say stuff and they will post some glowing gush about how "Rush gets it now" It the 'For me to win, you must lose mindset'... I simply wonder how long we can survive this way. A functioning Constitutional Republic works on consensus, NOT domination. The 100%ers do NOT get to dictate to everyone their own emotional whimsy.... " (Nominated for special consideration by RodGuy911)

kabar

#275, "It is worth noting that of the three major Sunday talk shows, only MTP had someone on [Sensenbrenner] who does not support the Senate bill. The MSM will try to push the Senate bill down our throat."
#299, "How about enforcing the laws we already have on the books? Securing our borders should not be held hostage to comprehensive immigration reform. The Reps should push for border security as a matter of national security post 9/11. Let the chips fall where they may... FBI's Mueller: Hezbollah Busted in Mexican Smuggling Operation"
#344, "I agree with your approach. We should not be stampeded into a take or leave it choice. Immigration reform has enormous implications for our economy, society, and culture. It should not be done without careful study and examination of the consequences of various options. In the meantime, we need to enforce our existing laws and secure our borders."
#356, "... If a labor intensive solution is cheaper than a machine, you don't need the machine. I know that from some personal experience in India... The illegals are not competing on a level playing field. If your competitor can get a cheaper supply of labor than you can playing according to the rules, you either do what they are doing or go out of business. This is what is happening here in Northern Virginia."
#370, "... It is going to take years to secure our borders and to establish the bureaucratic machinery to enforce our immigration laws, today's and what may come out of Congress. The idea that suddenly the 12 to 20 million illegal immigrants will be forced out of their jobs and leave the country is just hyperbole. We will have plenty of time to adjust. It won't cause a Recession as much as some of the scaremongers would like you to believe."
#520, "... The idea that America can't exist without the explotation of poor, undeducated illegal immigrants is a lie foisted on us by the Chamber of Commerce..."
#362, "For the politicians, it all boils down to pandering to the largest and fastest growing minority, the Hispanic vote and placating business interests to keep their contributions flowing into their campaigns. Lindsay Graham said as much."
#588, "... So this was designed to encourage Americans to work. It was a plan to make work more attractive for people on welfare. Do you remember all that talk: Well, you can make more money on welfare than you make working. So a brilliant Congress, a number of years ago, came up with this idea that we would just give people extra money if they would work. It will be less than welfare, so why not do it? OK. That is what we did. But it was not designed to reward illegal aliens for coming into the country illegally, for heaven's sake. But that is what this bill does. As soon as they get that regularized status, they get it... " (quote from Senator Jeff Sessions statement on the Senate floor regarding the immigration bill and amendments he wanted to offer)

Number 3 Fishtalk - spectacular posts on very contentious topics that absolutely added to my understanding of the issues in the current Iraq "scandal," as well as very well thought out potential solutions to the immigration problem

#136, "First, as far back as September of last year Haditha has been a problem. It's a Sunni stronghold and rumor has it that at one time mighty Al-Zarqawi himself was holed up there... There is a marine outpost near Haditha and hidden bombs are often found around the outpost so let's state right now that Haditha is no friend to the American military... Finally, after months of trying piece by piece to clear Haditha of insurgents, a joint operation by the marines and the Iraqi army took place. It's very, very important to please note that the residents of Haditha were warned repeatedly, REPEATEDLY, to clear out, that a convoy of marines and Iraqis was coming in..." (excellent framing of the Haditha incident - recommended by RodGuy911 for a special award)
#440, "... So how WOULD a business handle this immigration problem??... " (This whole post is world class and worth reading in its entirity, but too lengthy to do justice in excerpts)

Number 2 samantha - handicapped by dial up access samantha never the less managed to hit several out of the park, including some extremely valuable facts and well reasoned additions to several topics, along with yet another great Jimmah the C smackdown - I am particularly thankful for the leg work expended to find streepreacher's great post from another thread

#254, "...the New Media is making a huge difference and we are not yet out of our infancy. Wait until the MSM/DNC has to deal with our Toddler Stage and the terrible two's..."
#445, "Bill Kristol is worried about who will babysit his kids, do his lawn,clean his pool,build his addition to his house,fix his roof. He does not live like the average American outside of the Beltway, and does not have a clue. We are all compassionate,just not stuck on stupid.... "
#525, "# 316, I like the way you figure better than Buffalo Butt Timmy. He may have flunked Math,but passed the NY Bar Exam."
#534, "#321, Sadly you are right about Murtha. If you know anyone that has mental health problems especially dementia, he exhibits a lot of the symptoms. I am no Doctor,but know many people that have problems like his for a myriad of reasons,but you do not put the pathetic creature out there when our Military are out there in harm's way. You never let someone so clearly not in his right mind do this if you care at all for that person.Get him some help before he does all of us great harm. He is shilling for Al Qaeda and the Terrorists."
#558, "... We have too many things that concern America that are being ignored because of this issue. It must be solved so that we can move on to issues that instead of being solved are being left on the drawing board. My biggest hope is that the entire Summer will be spent with the formerly Sleeping Giants literally beating the Hell out of the Congress Critters with Faxes,Email,Phone calls,carrier pigeons,Sky writers,Goodyear blimp messageboard,etc. We can win the battle, we just cannot go wobbly."
#561, "#374, I would agree with jimmah that they can be released to his custody, but they must remain in his living room in his home in Plains Ga. If they are caught out of his home, they will be given to the townspeople to do what they want with them. Is that fair enough Jimmah?"
#607, "... They feel that they are above the Law, and they think they are celebrities and should be treated differently. It happens to most all People of any renown, they start to believe their own Press releases, and Publicity soundbites. Athletes are even worse than Congress IMHO, but they do not have the Educational Background and they get hit in the head a lot more than congress critters. standards have changed and that is the paramount problem. what good is the ethics committee when the Dems do not even have to have the same rules as Pubbies, and it is a Mexican(sorry about that) standoff on the committee because of Partisan bickering. Who in the Hell is in charge of this mess anymore. If I were a Teacher and grading Congress it would be a C at best for most of them. I would grade their ethics at a big fat F for Dems and a C- for Pubbies."
#639, "... I found what I was looking for and that quote was from stretpreacher from the Thread about Dennis Hastert crying over the Search of Freezer Man Jefferson, Democrat Louisiana. It is Post # 232 and is a response from txrangerette... " (reference to comment by streetpreacher: "It seems that by voting Republican, we merely get to determine how slowly we descend into hell." - great line)
#653, "I can just see the 12 Million gardeners lined up cutting the hedges at Diane Feinstein's palatial estate one leaf at a time LOL!"
#679, "No, because he is President of all the People and has to deal with the unholy vomitus/vomitai in Congress in a more Professional/Presidential way than us Mortals out here away from the Beltway. He has been fooled into thinking he could trust Democrats, he knows he cannot,but he must still deal with them. He has been burned by many know it all Republicans also, that he cannot trust but must work with them. I am glad I am not President because I could not put up with the crappola he has to deal with."

Number 1 Morgan in Denver - Unlike most weeks, picking number one was almost automatic for me this time, starting with a magnificent essay in post number 5 (which I still say should have it's own thread), MiD was on fire this week.

#5, "Bush Lied!... President Bush has not lied. Not once, and it’s driving Democrats nuts since they DO lie and lying is a standard within their party. They have a hard time explaining that everyone does it is in itself a Democrat party lie and an excuse for their own bad behavior..." (I really like this post, but I wasn't going to include this one for awards on the talk show thread because I didn't see how it was part of this thread. I was going to suggest that it should have had it's own thread (and still think it should), then Morgan posted this: #12, "I got tired of the complaints from people who claim they don't believe the MSM for news then turn around and use it to evaluate everything Bush is doing or has done." and it all made sense)
#21, "...Contrary to what the media is saying (the sky is falling, the sky is falling), I believe Republicans will gain seats in both the House and Senate. As people learn what Democrats stand for, and what they don't stand for, it's going to be another win for our side."
#25, "Ken Lay, who was doing sleep-overs in the White House. He was using the US Commerce Department to get contracts and keep competitors away. He gamed the Justice Department into leaving him alone while he and others lied about profits and investments. All done under Bill Clinton's watch and caught by the new Bush Justice Department... Yeah, that's the guy...... "
#147, "...IF 24% of farming is illegal, 76% is legal... If 14% of construction is illegal, 86% is legal... I thought these were jobs Americans would not do!"
#345, "I don't think the NY Times is always wrong, just always wrong when it comes to conservatives versus liberals and politics. They will also print something (usually minor) to somehow prove they are unbiased and fair. I guess I should admit, I avoid anything in the NY Times unless I'm pointed to it here on FR. There just isn't much in the NY Times worth reading and it takes too much time to find it if it's there."
#480, "This is what upsets me about Hastert. The first tenent of the Contract With America was that congress should abide by the same laws the rest of us have to follow. I guess it's easy to forget that....."
#602, "I agree with Rumsfeld when he said "I have a lot of confidence in the American people." He may be referring to Iraq and the WOT, but I would extend that to other issues as well. This problem with illegal immigration will be resolved. Not to everyones satisfaction today, but it will be resolved. If more needs doing over time, that will also happen. We have to remind ourselves, the US government was designed to be INefficient. It's going to take time... I am not sorry to say, I too have a lot of faith in what we're doing and that people will respond to logical leadership, which Republicans are providing (for the most part)."
#621, "A Constitutional Republic works by electing representatives, not direct representation. We have to choose who represents us and it’s up to us to choose someone who most closely represents our views. Justice Rehnquist commented that we were not a republic just to stop tyranny of the majority but to also stop a tyranny of the 'minority."... Maybe all of this is why I am SO optimistic and happy. I KNOW we are moving in the right direction. I KNOW we have the best leadership in both the congress and the presidency. I KNOW we are moving the US Supreme Court towards following the original intent of the constitution. I KNOW we are better prepared for whatever happens in the years to come."

And Rush was forced out for racist remarks?

Looks like the left has infiltrated the sports media as thoroughly as they have all other media.

Thanks for the ping. I was unaware of these threads covering all the Sunday shows.

You could not be more wrong. Murtha is stinking up the place with lies and propaganda and has thus far been given a pass because that is how it has been planned by the Liberal leadership of Nancy Pelosi. They put him out there to spew this crap because he is under investigation and he knew he had to do this to help them, and they would protect his sorry rear end by condemning every Republican that criticized him for his fraud and kickbacks as just attacking him because of his Anti-War stance.

My point is that if Murtha has broken the law, he should be charged, period! I don't give a shite if the left wingers throw all kinds of fits.

There's proof that can be presented that Murtha was under an ethics investigation BEFORE he became so anti-war.

I get sick of the quivering non-actions of the GOP. They don't know the first thing about fighting back and shutting these sorry @ssholes up. Instead, they're letting Murtha get away with spewing his bile against our military and hurting their morale because he hasn't been forcefully condemned by every Republican, including this administration. The GOP needs talking points to bash Murtha every chance they get!

They were on the offensive way ahead of the game, and they blew right by you.. Don't you read anything about Murtha? Can you add two and two and actually get four? I'm not going to do your homework for you. Before you call someone else lame do some research on your own Buddy!!!!!!!!!!! Reminds me of having to explain a Joke to someone two or three times and they still do not get it.

WOW! You need to get hold of that temper of yours! If you'll go back and read my post, I said, "that's lame", not "you're lame"! Sorry if you don't agree that I think its lame that the GOP and the Bush administration will let this POS, Murtha get away with his anti-military antics any longer. Fry his @ss if he's broken the law!

a 120 mm anything, is one big ash gun.

I love the cannister rounds they've developed for the M1 tanks in Iraq. Turns the 120mm smoothbore in that behemoth into one hell of a street sweeper shotgun!

your tagline is similar to the argument I put forward when anyone wants to debate abortion. I'm against abortion as birth control (other circumstances have different moral questions - I can understand, even if I don't support, abortion as euthenasia in the case of hopeless birth defects (hopeless=won't live after birth)). I simply set up a simple "if I'm wrong" vs "if you're wrong" question. The pro-abortion folks don't like my reasoning and usually leave in a huff.

On another note, was I the only one to gather a tear of tremendous pride and respect for Staff Sgt, Alfred Lanier, Honor Guardsman at the Tomb of the Unknowns, featured on Fox News Sunday?

WOW.

was I the only one to gather a tear of tremendous pride and respect for Staff Sgt, Alfred Lanier, Honor Guardsman at the Tomb of the Unknowns, featured on Fox News Sunday?

No, Jezebelle> I was so overwhelmed by Sgt. Lanier that I couldn't even post anything about it. I will never forget the face of that exceptional young man.

On another note, was I the only one to gather a tear of tremendous pride and respect for Staff Sgt, Alfred Lanier, Honor Guardsman at the Tomb of the Unknowns, featured on Fox News Sunday?

WOW.

I was impressed with Staff Sergeant Lanier. However, I have a jaundiced view of the "Old Guard." One of my frieds and co-workers was in that unit and I have a lot of insight into them through him. They are viewed (unfairly) by combat units as "guys who can march well," which is true but doesn't do justice to them. There are a fair number of REMF types who have found their way into the Old Guard. There are also a good many "major players" who are given that billet as a thank you for lots and lots of very unpleseant (read that as dangerous) but necessary duty. It's a way to finish out their 20 when they've already seen the elephant.

My friend is in between. He didn't see combat and did "march well," but he understood 100% what the job was and who it was about. Not many, but still too many, of the "warriors in the gardens of stone" think its about them. Staff Sgt Lanier doesn't appear to be one of those and I'm pleased they featured him this weekend. I wish they'd do it without waiting for Memorial day, however.

"I love the cannister rounds they've developed for the M1 tanks in Iraq. Turns the 120mm smoothbore in that behemoth into one hell of a street sweeper shotgun!"

Don't get me wrong, my nephew is serving right now in Iraq, I want them to have all the fire power available.

Don't get me wrong, my nephew is serving right now in Iraq, I want them to have all the fire power available.

Never doubted it for a moment. I'll add him to my prayers for all of our kids over there. Tell him to stay sharp.

"I'll add him to my prayers for all of our kids over there. Tell him to stay sharp."

I thank you for that Sir, I pray for him often, and told him to cover his 6.