News and Commentary Archive for January, 2005

January 4, 2005: We're back!  The guestbook entries are being updated and e-mails will be answered over the next week, or two.  Orders over the holidays will go out this weekend when the webmaster and a couple volunteers have time to "stuff the envelopes".  The price of campaign buttons, unfortunately, will be increased due to the difficulty (and cost) of sending them undamaged through the mail.

January 7, 2005: The Asheville Citizen Times had an op-ed piece Condoleezza Rice Looks a lot More Like Presidential Material in 2008 than Hillary Clinton. We couldn't have said it better ourselves! Click here to read the article.

January 12, 2005: Americans for Dr. Rice is created! Filings with the FEC and IRS have been made. Soon we will be able to receive political contributions. See details in our newsletter to be e-mailed to our members this week.

January 15, 2005: Get Ready for the Senate Attack Dogs.  The upcoming Senate confirmation hearing for Secretary of State is going to be the next opportunity for the left to continue attacks on Dr. Rice.  Just as the Democrats on the Judiciary Committee tried to "tarnish" Judge Alberto Gonzalez' so that the Bush Administration "wouldn't dare" send him back as a Supreme Court nominee, you can be sure that the Democrats on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee will not miss this opportunity to reduce Dr. Rice's appeal as a potential candidate for any office in the future.  After Senator Kennedy's nearly treasonous critique of the Iraq war this week, we should not be surprised.  (How could he be unaware that his words are more destructive to our war effort than 100 roadside bombs?) It seems that all pledges of "bipartisanship" that the Democrats gave after the election have long since been forgotten.  Regrettably, when these diatribes are re-broadcast overseas, their propaganda value for our enemies is immeasurable.  The liberals are so blinded by partisan politics and the lust to regain power by any means that they don't recognize the damage they are doing.  Fortunately, the American people have demonstrated their ability to see through these types of attacks and "consider the source".   (One would think that they would figure out that these tactics have led to their losing the White House, Congress, and the Senate in the last decade!)

January 15, 2005: Senators Feinstein and Boxer of California split on Dr. Rice's nomination?  An Associated Press article by Erica Werner reports that Senator Boxer will lead the anti-Rice rhetoric during her confirmation hearings for Secretary of State.  Oddly enough, Dr. Rice will be introduced to the Foreign Relations Committee by the other California Senator, Dianne Feinstein.  Perhaps Senator Boxer is fearful of rumors that Dr. Rice will be a potential opponent for her Senate seat?  (The one issue about which we agree with Senator Boxer is that Dr. Rice should not run for her Senate seat!  Perhaps Arnold should "terminate" her Senate career since the Constitutional Amendment drive to allow him to run for President won't happen anytime soon -- perhaps never!)  The Honorable Senator Boxer has gone so far to call Dr. Rice a liar in the carefully worded Washington-speak: "I personally believe that your loyalty to the mission you were given overwhelmed your respect for the truth."  To show her level of paranoia, she is circulating a petition worded as follows:

 "I join with you, Sen. Boxer, in your effort to hold Condoleezza Rice accountable for her misleading statements leading up to the Iraq war and beyond before voting on her appointment."
 
 Be careful Barbara, or you might meet the same fate as Tommy Daschle, your former colleague, now in early retirement!  On second thought, you just go ahead, it will be amusing to watch how you dig the grave for your own political career with that sharp tongue of yours.

January 17, 2005: A timely birthday and holiday message about Dr. Martin Luther King appeared in a Wall Street Journal article written by Iranian author, Roya Hakakian.

January 18, 2005: Dr. Rice was spectacular during her confirmation hearing for Secretary of State.  The feeble attempts to attack her by Senator Boxer were pathetic.  In the battle of wits with Dr. Rice, Senator Boxer was "unarmed."

January 21, 2005:  After the Inauguration ceremonies ended, we were reviewing the recordings and transcripts of Dr. Rice's confirmation hearings.  In an impressive show of bipartisanship, Senator Feinstein's introduction, while stopping short of expressing personal agreement and admiration (Senator Feinstein is a Democrat, after all, and can't stray too far from the party line!), was remarkably positive and complimentary.  While we disagree on many issues with Sen. Feinstein, this is worthy of public recognition.  Senator Feinstein has been criticized from the Right and the Left for her frequently "centrist" positions.  You can e-mail Senator Feinstein to express your appreciation of her treatment of Dr. Rice here.  Or, you could send a supportive fax, (202) 228-3954.  You can read the transcript of her introduction here.  Bravo Senator Feinstein! (Above: Sen. Feinstein in Fallujah supporting the troops!  Dec. 4, 2004.)

January 21, 2005: We are shocked -- shocked to find out that Senators Kennedy and Kerry are voting against Dr. Rice!  (Are you old enough to remember Claude Rains in Casablanca?)  The Associated Press reported Jan. 19, 2005, that the "Dynamic Duo" from Massachusetts will  vote against Dr. Rice's confirmation for Secretary of State.  Senator Kerry was quoted, "Regrettably, I did not see in Dr. Rice's testimony any acknowledgment of the need to change course or of a new vision for America's role in the world.''  (The American people didn't see a need to "change course" or to have a "new vision" -- that's why you lost the election, Senator!)  And Senator Kennedy again used this opportunity to support the terrorist war effort -- giving a statement through a staff member.  "(She) had a major role in developing the irresponsible and reckless Iraq policy, and its been a catastrophic failure, a continuing quagmire. She shouldn't be promoted to Secretary of State.''
We don't think Saddam Hussein, sitting in his jail cell, nor UBL, freezing in a cave afraid to light a fire that could attract the US Special Forces, nor even Abu Musab al-Zaraqawi, living as a fugitive after he abandoned thousands of his comrades to die in Fallujah, would call it a "catastrophic failure."

January 21, 2005:  Dick Morris, in a Jan. 5, 2005, column for the The Hill, "Hillary Clinton Can't Win -- and Pigs Can Fly writes, "Condi could be the only figure who stands between Hillary and the White House."  This is an important article for all supporters of Dr. Rice -- and those "sitting on the fence" -- to read.

January 23, 2005: German officials reported the arrest of an Iraqi and a Palestinian for planning suicide attacks inside Germany and the planned theft of uranium from a Luxemburg facility.  See the AP report here.  Maybe Senator Boxer should rethink her criticism of  Dr. Rice for her "mushroom cloud" comment?  Further, isn't it interesting that for all of the Franco-German "boot-licking" of radical Islamic states and their open opposition of the Iraq war that the terrorists are still targeting them?

January 26, 2005: Website News.  Due to increasing website traffic and the transition to a "527" political group, we have switched web servers.  There may be some website functions and features that are temporarily disabled as we make the necessary changes.  Unfortunately, this came at the time of Dr. Rice's confirmation, but we will be posting our response some of the more egregious statements made by some Democratic senators.  Many of you have contacted us regarding the long loading times for our pages on slower dial-up connections.  We have switched webservers and are reducing the number of graphics in each page.

January 28, 2005: More website and Americans for Dr. Rice news!

• Our new webserver appears to be up and working.  We never anticipated that the Democrats (at least 13 of them) would stoop so low as to delay Dr. Rice's confirmation until this week on top of our webserver switch.

• We apologize for not having more to say during the hearings and confirmation for Dr. Rice since we were tied up with the technical problems of the new website, but we plan on making up for it by posting an extensive "fisking" (What is "fisking"?  Click here.)  of the accusations made against Dr. Rice.  The actions of some Senators, and their misguided supporters endangered American foreign policy and, more importantly, our Armed Forces in Iraq.  (We have tried to get angry at the occasional "hate mail" writer that e-mail's us, but we realize that they are just acting on erroneous information that they sincerely believe to be correct.  We hope that our upcoming posts will help them to "see the light.")  Look for our new posts later this weekend.

• Your orders continue to pour in for bumper stickers and campaign buttons.  This weekend your orders will go out when a couple of volunteers get together to "stuff envelopes".  (If you live in the Miami area, let us know, we could always use another "stuffer"!)  Please e-mail us with how you are distributing your bumper stickers and buttons and the responses you are getting.  You have ordered so many bumper stickers and campaign buttons that we are re-ordering -- AGAIN !!!.  Any comments on the new campaign button?

• Condi Supporters in Lithuania?  Americans for Dr. Rice was featured in a program by Lithuania National Radio's Giedrė Čiužaitė.  Unfortunately, our Lithuanian language skills are non-existent, but don't be surprised to see a "Condi for President" bumper sticker in downtown Vilnius (the capital) if you're visiting Lithuania.

• This weekend is the Iraqi election.  The success, or failure, of these elections are very important to the future of the Iraqi nation, US national security, and the armed forces that are having to stabilize Iraq during this difficult time.  Dr. Rice, as an architect of the administration's Iraq policy, has a lot riding politically on this election too.  Our thoughts and prayers go out to the Iraqis who are braving death threats to vote and to American forces stationed in Iraq.

• Correspondence and Americans for Rice membership questionnaire.   As usual, we are behind in answering correspondence.  So to all of you who have written, donated, etc.  We haven't forgotten you!  We are victims of our own success!  Also, the questionnaire mentioned in our last newsletter had to be delayed until this weekend due to legal concerns and finalization of our 527 status.

• Are you an activist?  The day-to-day work of the Americans for Dr. Rice organization is becoming more than a handful of dedicated volunteers in the Miami area can handle.  We are going to have to have national, or perhaps regional, meetings to setup an official organizational structure and begin to delegate responsibilities to state and local groups.  If job or family considerations limit your "activism" you can always donate to enable others.  We need your input on this -- SOON!!!  E-mail us!

January 29, 2005:  While completing our "Condi Papers" fisking of the false charges made by Senator Boxer, et al, we ran across this banner from a rather unique website.  It's worth the click to visit, but be warned it is not exactly "family friendly".  (Requires Macromedia Flash to view.)