There are rumors flying about the exact nature of the relationship between Hillary and Huma Abedin, “Hillary’s Mystery Woman” according to the liberal New York Observer (Wikipedia), in an April 1, 2007, article by Spencer Morgan. (We have speculated among ourselves as to the significance of the publication date.) Such rumors, while probably on the same level as the National Enquirer cover and article that featured Dr. Rice recently (see our post, “In the closet?”); are not as troubling as the unknown implications of the influence exercised by a top advisor to a prominent Senator, with half a chance of becoming President — according to Newt Gingrich, who recently downgraded Hillary’s chances of winning in 2008 from 80% to 50% on yesterday’s Sunday morning political talk shows.

While we (well, most of us) couldn’t care less about what Hillary does in the boudoir (with or without Bill); there are apparently some of Hillary’s wealthy New York Jewish supporters who have been given pause by the position of influence that Ms. Abedin has attained on the Senator’s staff.  She’s a Washington, DC resident, and frequent transient New Yorker (especially since her association with Hillary Clinton) who arrived from her native Kalamazoo by way of Saudi Arabia.  Pro-Israeli Clinton supporters concerns about Huma have been heightened, since as the Observer pointed out, her counsel is sought out about issues concerning the Middle East and her title among the campaign staff is “Traveling Chief of Staff.”

Interestingly, the Hillary campaign just “fired” two volunteers who had forwarded what have been described as “dirty trick” e-mails that spoke of Barak Obama’s Islamic ties.  (AP - Raleigh News Observer) Unconfirmed sources suggest that part of the decision-making involved in booting these campaign workers was that Hillary didn’t want her “Huma connection” and other Islamic assoications being brought under the scrutiny of the intense press coverage leading up to Iowa caucuses.

With the Annapolis Middle East Summit, many column inches across the nation were devoted to Secretary of State Rice’s “legacy.” While the conference was historic in that it simply occurred, the real diplomatic activity that might help define Condi’s tenure as SoS may be taking place on a little reported issue with regards to US Foreign policy, but very central to the Middle East, the War on Terror, Climate Change (a.k.a. “Global Warming”) and our economy. That issue is energy.

Secretary Rice has had the tough job of continuing to reject the flawed Kyoto Protocol in the face of widespread international support. Kyoto, although championed by Al Gore, was never actively promoted for ratification for years by the Clinton administration – even he realized that the one-sided impact of the treaty would be a severe competitive disadvantage for the US economy. (See, Politically Incorrect Guide to Global Warming and The Elephant and the Dragon)

President George W. Bush opposes mandatory caps on greenhouse emissions, preferring voluntary goals. He believes the Kyoto Protocol on greenhouse gases unfairly exempted rapidly developing countries and that ratifying it would have hurt the economy of the United States… Environmental News Network, article, “World Energy Revolution Needed for Climate,” Sept. 25, 2007

However, by combining the near global hysteria over global warming* to our own strategic energy interests that scream for alternatives to fossil fuels and a Democratically controlled Congress with few accomplishments to show voters in 2008, Dr. Rice has quietly (thanks to minimal press coverage), albeit slowly, started to enlist international and domestic support for a “global revolution” in energy. Her chief lieutenants for energy issues are Undersecretary for Energy, Economic and Agricultural Affairs Rueben Jeffrey (bio) who was sworn in just this past June. However, given Jeffery’s rather broad portfolio and relatively recent addition; it has been Gregory Manuel (State Dept., “Condoleezza Rice’s Energy Guy,” article EnergyBiz, PDF format), Condi’s Special Advisor to the Secretary and International Energy Coordinator since 2006 that has been her “go-to guy” for energy. Interestingly, both Jeffery and Manuel have post-graduate degrees from Stanford. According to an unnamed source, “If there is going to be a ‘fourth quarter energy legacy’ coming out of State, it’ll be the Secretary’s drive and direction and these two guys’ heavy lifting that gets it done.”

*Actually, “climate change” is the new “PC” term. It’s not a wise move to commit to whether the temperatures are going up or down, or whether the reason they are changing is air-conditioned soccer mom SUV’s, livestock flatulence, or the lack of human sacrifices to the sun god until the all the evidence is in, say in 10,000 years, or so. Or perhaps, it doesn’t really matter since our planet’s biosphere goes on a “blind date” with an asteroid every few millennia.

Smelling the possibility of some political advantage leading up to the 2008 election, Democrats practically tripped over themselves getting up to the microphones to express their “outrage” over the revelation that the CIA had erased tapes of the interrogations of top terrorists. (Chicago Tribune, Toronto Star) In one of the few (known) intelligence successes of the post 9-11 era, these interrogations produced information that was “actionable,” accurate and resulted in the disruption of terrorist activities.

The CIA’s stated rationale for erasing the tapes was to protect the identity of the agents involved in the interrogation. This certainly seems reasonable given the fact the e-mail written by the agency’s director, Michael Hayden, to explain the erasure to CIA personnel was in the hands of the Associated Press within hours of distribution at Langley. (The Register) However, he neglected to mention that agents would need not only protection from al-Qaeda, but also several American Senators, Congressman, and left-wing activists.

Mainstream media (MSM) apologists for the extreme left fringe (Code Pink, MoveOn.org, Air America, etc.) are, knowingly or unknowingly, subverting the nation by becoming the accomplices of their more radical ideological brothers and sisters. How? They are the “bridge” that connects them to the rest of the “body politic.” But is this really possible to do without specific intent, or knowledge? Could such a large “conspiracy” really exist except in the disturbed minds of conspiracy theory nuts?

It is doubtful that there is some secret liberal “star chamber” (other than the “war room” of the Hillary for President campaign) that is working behind the scenes to plot our national destiny. One only needs to look at the multitude of missteps taken by the recent Democratic “leadership” of Harry “the war is lost” Reid, Nancy “self-appointed ambassador to Syria” Pelosi, John “Impeachment” Conyers, Charles “tax-hike” Rangel, Hillary “Ask me a question” Clinton, and others to realize that if there is any liberal leadership cabal that they aren’t the “sharpest tools in the political shed.” However, this does not mean that the collective effect of the shrill, even rabid, Left is not effective at shaping national politics when facilitated by constant, and favorable, media access.

The Clinton strategy of “triangulation” illustrates how a noisy “lunatic fringe” on the Left works as a political strategy to shift national politics toward an overall liberal agenda. It can make what was politically unthinkable, possible. While the radical Left has generally been too delusional to carry out large scale organized, effective political activity within, or in conjunction with, the Democratic Party that does not mean that their impact has not been felt as they tilt the national political debate to the Left. In legal terms, to be guilty of conspiracy it is not necessary for the left hand to know what the right hand is doing. (Or in this case, the far left hand doesn’t know what the left hand is doing.) This is why none of the current crop of Democratic candidates are willing to alienate themselves from the radical Left. They need them to make their own liberal agendas seem moderate.

The right-left political spectrum (represented by the inferior line of the triangle) is bridged by the political media (represented by the two superior, angled lines of the triangle) which if, “fair and balanced,” does not result in a skewing of political discourse.  However, if the political media caters to radical ideologies due to personal, collective, or organizational biases; the entire political environment is shifted towards the radical end of the spectrum.  The strategy of furthering a “progressive” (that’s code for “radical and liberal”) agenda within the Democratic Party is outlined in Paul Waldman’s Being Right is Not Enough.  Of course, the book’s subtitle, “What Progressives Must Learn from Conservative Success,” points out that it’s all the Republicans’ fault that such tactics are necessary in the first place.  (Amazon, Audible audio book)

It saddens many of us to see attacks on Secretary of State Rice’s Middle East peace efforts. That is her job — in case anyone has forgotten. By definition, the SoS is supposed to provide diplomatic options to the Chief Executive and then facilitate, foster, even nurture the domestic and foreign support that is typically essential to the success of foreign policy.  (blog posts at Powerline & Daled Amos)

The 24-hour news cycle has aired any number of pundits that, until recently, were mostly Democratic Party shills that do not want to see the Bush Administration accomplish anything during their last two years in office — lest it be used to demonstrate the superiority of Republican Party ideology. In essence, they’d rather have potentially resolvable conflicts (and other issues across the political spectrum) be left as “works in progress” for Wonder Woman Hillary’s administration to come in and “save the day.” This will then become the grist for the mill that will feed into Hillary’s “constant campaign” strategy ushering in 8-years (or more) of Democratic “dark ages.”

Diplomacy involves finesse. It’s typically not just a “this is our position, take it or leave it.” proposition. (Although, there are times that this tactic would be appropriate.) As successful business leaders (and poker players) will tell you, your outcomes are better if you wisely employ negotiation strategies. This is something that is being lost on conservatives who have started to attack Condi. The criticism from both Left and Right about ongoing Middle East peace efforts implies that Condi is blinded by the desire to reach a deal — any deal — just so that she, as a key player in the Bush Administration, leaves a “legacy” for the history books. Does anybody seriously believe; other than Cindy Sheehan, Michael Moore, Code Pink, etc.; that Dr. Rice would “give away the farm” just to strike a deal that put her ego over our national interest?

Also, diplomacy is as important for what it does not accomplish — although it doesn’t make for great headlines or photo-ops. When a diplomatic solution is not reached, this is often a necessary first-step in enlisting the help of allies and neutralizing potential adversaries in non-diplomatic solutions. Remember England’s help in Iraq, for example?

Our Secretary of State deserves our support as she pursues the peaceful resolution of conflict around the globe. And keep in mind that “successful” negotiations frequently are successful for when they do not reach an agreement. The appearance of critics from within her own party and among our allies only weakens her negotiating position as she tries to do her job. 

CNN’s Lou Dobbs is something of a unique cable news journalist.  Personally, I find him to be rather pompous and self-important with his “War on the Middle Class” theme.  Also, he has an irritating anti-GOP bias that is, fortunately, readily transparent.  However, he does have some valid points and criticisms to make of both the Left and Right from time to time.  But yesterday, I had to hit the rewind button on my TIVO several times to make sure that I heard him correctly.

During an extended segment on Lou Dobbs Tonight October 26th episode, an almost agitated Lou discussed the defeat of ”Dream Act” legislation that was little more than a smoke screen for an illegal immigrant amnesty. He dutifully noted that both Hillary and Obama (a co-sponsor of the bill, no less) were both supporters of the legislation.  Continuing, he then went on to express his, and more than 70% of New Yorker’s, outrage over Democratic Governor Eliot Spitzer’s plan to issue driver licenses to illegal immigrants.  Plus, in an invitation to massive voter fraud, Spitzer has ordered state employees to register ”voters” on an essentially “no questions asked” policy which can conveniently be accomplished in the Great State of New York while obtaining a driver license.  It’s not hard to connect the dots here.

But the most notable of Lou’s comments came in response to a viewer who wrote in to say that she had changed her voter registration to “independent” and that she felt that Governor Spitzer, and both Senator Schumer and Senator Clinton should be “voted out” of office.  To which Lou replied that he “couldn’t agree more.”  Remember, this was on his prime time CNN news program!  Watch the video and see for yourself.

Yesterday was a “bad news day” for Iranian President Ahmadinejad as news of the 30,000 lbs “bunker buster” bomb became common knowledge with the funding requests to produce and deploy a weapon that has been under development for years. (Well, seriously under development since Clinton left office, when the term “penetration” resumed its primarily military, rather than sexual, significance when discussed in the Oval Office.) In a defense “supplemental” budget item, the B2 bomber would be retrofitted to deliver this weapon. Having a credible conventional weapons capability that could destroy underground nuclear facilities could be the “big stick” that Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice needs to jump start serious negotiations.  (Fox video Special Report)

The Iranians are not a state I think that will change its behavior….just through talking to them.
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, Oct. 24, 2007

Naturally, the Democrats, and Ron Paul (R?-TX), are already complaining about this weapon and threatening to “defund” it. Why? Because, they are the Party of Defeat! Anything that could potentially contribute to a US victory in the War on Terror is an anathema to virtually every major Democratic Party leader, with the possible exception of Joe Lieberman, who was forced to run as an independent when challenged by a left-wing fringe candidate from within his own party.

This new weapon system would provide “strategic and tactical flexibility” for political and military leaders according to sources familiar with the capabilities of this “unconventional-conventional weapon.” There will be no need to “go nuclear” in order to terminate, or seriously degrade, Iran’s nuclear ambitions once this weapon system is deployed. It may even help our spineless European “allies” rapidly evolve into vertebrates with regards to their dealings with the religious dictatorship in Tehran. After all, an armed strike against Iran’s apocolyptic facilities would almost certainly degrade Iran’s ability to export oil. “Junkies” can become quite compliant when their “supply” is threatened.

While a single weapon system may not represent a military solution to the Iranian theocratic dictatorship’s intransigence in negotiations to end its nuclear weapons capability, it could certainly be the “catalyst” that results in a “paradigm shift” in our dealing with the current Iranian regime.

Oh, by the way, this is also a weapon that is rumored to be increasing UBL’s “pucker factor.” It’s hard to enjoy paradise with 72 virgins while you are entombed for eternity in a collapsed cave.

(Editor’s note and correction: At the time this post was written, this incident was little more than a CSPAN video.  Reporting on this incident has taken on a life of its own in media outlets around the world.  Therefore, it has now been “widely reported.”)

Condi’s confrontation with a “Code Pink” protester yesterday during a congressional witch hunt  hearing was not widely reported.  CSPAN was there, and the video shows that the woman got her “blood soaked” hands  within inches of Secretary Rice’s face before being hauled off by security personnel while screaming “war criminal” over her shoulder.  (CSPAN video, Frank James in Baltimore Sun column “The Swamp” )

The attacker’s Code Pink sisters were attired in their usual frumpy pink sweat shirts – looking like they were hung over from an all-night Ellen DeGeneres marathon sponsored by NOW – while the woman that menaced Secretary Rice was dressed in dark pants and dark blouse.  This clever disguise confused the  Keystone Cops Capitol Police who apparently concentrated their attentions on the “uniformed” wackos, giving the ”camouflaged” Code Pinker an opening to get up close to Condi.  If all it takes is a change of clothes, minimal use of a hair brush, and a bath in the last 48 hours* to foil security on Capitol Hill — no wonder Condi isn’t too keen on responding to Congressional subpoenas!  (Where’s Blackwater when you need them?)

Is “menaced,” or “assault,” too strong a word?  The Sacramento CBS outlet, Channel 13, titled their report, “Condoleezza Rice Attacked At Capitol Hill Hearing.”  Blood is a biohazardous material that can carry any of a variety of infectious diseases.  What if the attacker’s hands had been covered in some caustic or hazardous chemical agent?  Even if it were only “simulated” blood, like a phony explosive device or toy gun, when used in this fashion during the commission of a crime it is certainly a form of terroristic threatening designed to provoke a fearful reaction in the victim.  Of course, Dr. Rice, was nonplussed by the incident and can be heard exchanging pleasantries with the non-delusional individuals around her as the “Pink Ladies” were carried out of the hearing room loudly protesting that they were being injured.  (A resistance tactic they picked up from their friends in Al-Qaeda?)

Where are the calls for Congressional investigation over this security breech?  It isn’t hard to imagine that some Democratic congressional staffers didn’t have some inkling that this attack was getting ready to happen or even shared an “after action” green tea and veggie wrap with the protesters during lunch.  Wouldn’t that make them complicit in a conspiracy?  Are restraining orders, at least, being sought against those involved to prevent them from returning to Capitol Hill for an encore performance?

Is the lunatic fringe of the Left finally being rejected across majority of the non-psychotropic drug taking political spectrum?  After Bill Maher’s recent outburst at 9-11 conspiracy protesters in his audience, calling on his security personnel to “kick ass,” we have to wonder if there may be some hope for some small measure of political sanity in our nation.  Wait a minute!  Was Bill advocating torture?  Call the ACLU!  On the other hand, it may be an isolated incident of Maher’s becoming “older and wiser” or just an unanticipated side effect of testosterone replacement therapy.

*Code Pink supporters are not known for their attention to hygiene.  Maybe soap causes global warming?

Between the Democratic media consultants and their mainstream media brothers and sisters, the “politics of personal destruction” are alive and well. So, in an act of mercy, Secretary of State Rice accepted the resignation of Richard Griffin, the State Department’s Director of the Diplomatic Security Service, thus ending his career of 36 years in government service. Mr. Griffin, once Congressman Henry Waxman put him in the cross hairs of his congressional “inquiry,” may not have initially appreciated that accepting his resignation was indeed merciful. However, once targeted, he contracted (according to an unconfirmed source) the equivalent of a “political Ebola virus” — a highly virulent, and an almost always fatal and highly contagious condition — that leaves those surrounding the afflicted with little choice but to isolate themselves from the source of the “disease,” or perish. (Read John Broder’s article in the International Herald Tribune)

The Diplomatic Security Service is an unsung hero in the War on Terror. A war that the Left, for example Senator John Edwards, insists is little more than a bumper sticker slogan. This small agency has been instrumental to many victories in this global conflict. Unfortunately, since most of their successes remain classified, their political cushion of past accomplishments is severely limited. With the current anti-Bush, anti-military, anti-American hysteria that holds sway in the main stream media; military and political leaders are only as good as their last mistake. In Mr. Griffin’s case, the last “mistake” was failure to keep private security contracting out of the headlines, most notably what is becoming commonly known as the “Blackwater scandal.”

We are not trying to make excuses for the inexcusable, but we cannot encourage government officials to “think outside the box” or make command decisions while being given inadequate resources and incomplete intelligence and then punish them when there are poor outcomes. This is the “fog of war.” There are fine lines between accountability, loyalty to subordinates and “witch hunts.” Given the caustic congressional “oversight” environment, Condi had little choice but to accept Griffin’s resignation and move on. After all, she has a long “to-do list.” Hopefully, she will short-circuit Waxman’s self-righteous, self-important oversight crusade and remove his self-serving pandering to the lunatic Leftist fringe from the mainstream media “radar screen.”

If we are to achieve victory in the War on Terror and regain sanity in our domestic policies, our mass media outlets must stop acting like PR shills for the radical Left. Are there any suggestions about how this can be accomplished?

“The thing speaks for itself,” or res ipsa loquitur (Wikpedia link).  The following product needs no explanation.  It’s a metaphor that we expect our male readers will immediately feel, uh — viscerally, and instantly understand why the 2008 election is so important.  Feel the squeeze and watch the video!

*Blog Editor: We have no financial interest in this product, nor those selling it:  HillaryTheNutcracker.com, Overnight Express, Amazon

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice disappointed a lot of Russians who thought that they might get the chance to see her don ice skates before she left after her recent visit. Wisely, she demurred. Had her “on ice” performance been anything less than perfection, the most embarrassing moment would have been turned into “Condi’s ice follies” and been plastered on front pages around the globe. (”One diplomatic encounter - and hold the ice,” Independent Online, South Africa) Likewise, she is downplaying her chances of success in the Middle East as she heads toward the region for this week’s shuttle diplomacy. (CTV, Canada)

However, in light of recent events in Syria — an Israeli air strike on a military installation that apparently was a site being used to further Syria’s nuclear ambitions — it is astonishing that Condi’s trip is even taking place. More astonishing is the deafening silence from all sides after the fact.  (NYT, “Israel Struck Syrian Nuclear Project, Analysts Say”)

The silence indicates; that other than the likes of Iran’s Ahmadinejad, Al Qaeda, Saudi Arabia’s hard line Wahabis, the Muslim Brotherhood, etc.; there might be a small ray of sanity illuminating the Middle East.

• Syria’s quiet because it doesn’t want to publicly acknowledge that their air defenses are obviously ineffective.
• Israel’s quiet for security reasons surrounding this highly classified mission.
• Many other Arab states, after perfunctory anti-Israeli rhetoric, just wish that the issue would go away and not serve as a cause celeb for further radicalization of their citizens.
• The “Euro-wimps” are muted because they don’t want their own Islamic radicals to take to the streets.
• The Russians don’t want to draw attention to the fact that their military hardware is second-rate.
• The United States wants to remain honest brokers for a Middle East peace — so no crowing about the Israelis and their US military hardware (rumored to have been tweaked by the Israelis) has been permitted. Even the liberal US mainstream media has been relatively silent. They don’t want to admit that military action can accomplish anything.
• And most importantly, the collective silence indicates that there is at least a tacit understanding that a nuclear conflict in the Middle East would have no winners — at least for those who don’t see themselves as an instrument of prophecy, like Ahmadinejad, for whom nuclear annihilation is a foreign policy goal.

For those of us that grew up with fallout shelters, the birth of the Emergency Broadcast System, nuclear attack drills at our schools, and MAD (Mutually Assured Destruction) as facts of life; we knew that there might be hope for the future when we saw Presidents Reagan and Gorbachev in Iceland shaking hands and pop radio started playing Sting’s hit song Russians, whose refrain is: I hope the Russians love their children too. (Click here to listen to audio excerpt.) Let’s hope for some similar reassuring developments about the Middle East in the near future — the fruits of Condi’s efforts, and in spite of “amateur hour” diplomatic meddling and political grandstanding, like Nancy Pelosi’s summer visit to Damascus. Perhaps, at this moment in history, there are enough inhabitants of the Middle East that love their children to overcome those that don’t in the pursuit of peace.

Yes, fellow Condistas, it’s true. Yesterday in Harlem, as widely reported, Condi again downplayed, without outright rejecting, in a General Tecumseh Sherman sort of way, the idea of a presidency in her future.

At a joint appearance with Representative Charles Rangel at Public School No. 154, the Harriet Tubman Learning Center, the subject of President Condoleezza Rice was initially broached by the Democrat! (From Reuters’ article by Arshad Mohammed, “Rice questioned about her sleep, fears and dreams” )

Rangel…teasingly suggested Rice aim for the White House.

“The Republican ranks for president are still open,” he told students. “We might be able to make some news this morning.”

“Charlie, don’t start,” Rice said.

Jennifer Medina of the NY Times “City Desk” in her article, “An Odd Couple Tours a Harlem School,” quoted the following exchange between Condi and the Congressman. (see below*)

Will you run for president?” one student asked.

Ms. Rice responded with a bit of an embarrassed laugh and a direct answer: “I don’t think I’m the kind of person who would run for president.”

Mr. Rangel grabbed the microphone and exclaimed, “You missed your chance to make big news today!”

We’ll parse these words soon in an upcoming blog post — at the risk of sounding like a Clinton under oath!

*He’s Chairman of the powerful House Ways and Means Committee — and a fellow with whom Dr. Rice might like to be on friendly terms in the future. After all, she very well could face the prospect of a Democratic House in another Republican administration. (Hers, or someone else’s!) Could this be her way of setting the stage for bipartisanship — just in case she’s coaxed onto the Republican ticket? Of course Charles isn’t an uninterested party here, either. There’s been speculation that he hasn’t always appreciated the Clinton Machine (a.k.a.”The Arkansas Carpetbaggers”) setting up shop in his state as their tactics have become more heavy handed. Having a few Republican votes available to him in the future might allow him to resist Hillary’s efforts to dominate Empire State politics and give him a stronger negotiating position in legislative wrangling — making him and his committee more than just a rubber stamp for Hillary’s policy wonks. And make no mistake, Representative Rangel wants to be “a player” and not a puppet.

Old dogs don’t learn new tricks.  The Democrats, in accordance with their “death by a thousand investigations” strategy since the 2006 election, are calling the liberal dinosaur, Congressman Henry Waxman, back to active duty.  (Waxman has a history of attacking Condi.  See our blog post from earlier this year, Democratic Witch Hunt Targets Condi.)

Within a few hours of each other, all the “usual suspects” in the mainstream media: the New York Times, Associated Press, Washington Post, Los Angels Times, CBS, Politico.com - and Iran’s Press TV - were touting the day’s left-wing fringe talking points about investigations of Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice by the oh-so Honorable Henry Waxman, now that he is the Chairman of the Oversight and Government Reform Committee.  In a letter to Condi, he’s complaining that the State Department, and specifically Dr. Rice, is “wrong to interfere with the committee’s inquiry” into corruption inside the Iraqi government and the recent Blackwater brouhaha.  Lucky for us this letter was conveniently provided to the press in a fine example of Congressional discretion and a clear demonstration of how Congress can diligently guard classified subjects currently under investigation.

What’s the supposed basis of his theatrical outrage?  State Department officials asked Congress; along with their myriad of staffers, all of whom are famous for rigid compliance in their handling of sensitive and, dare we say classified, information; to treat the information that they would provide as a “state secret.”

Let’s get real.  These are ongoing investigations by the Diplomatic Security Service (DSS) and other military and civilian agencies.  And in a country where any of the potential witnesses can get “whacked” faster than a “snitch” in a Sopranos rerun; keeping secrets can mean the difference between a successful investigation and another “intelligence failure.”  Henry is trying to parlay this into some type, any type, of scandal and more television “face time” as he pompously presides of his so-called “oversight” hearings.

C’mon Congressman, there’s a war to fight — and in case you forgot — WIN !    Can’t your political grandstanding take a backseat to national security just once?  Please?

Please note: As far as we are aware, there’s no underlying racial implication to the expression, “The Black Swan.” Rather, it is the title of Nissam Nicholas Taleb’s book, The Black Swan: The Impact of the Highly Improbable, released in April, 2007. With a penchant for citing philosophers and writers that (with luck) most of us haven’t heard about since freshman Philosophy 101 and Western Civilization 101, the book describes how we all handle, or mishandle in many cases, situations that involve the highly improbable, or what the writer terms “black swans.”

Taleb is a Wall Street refugee who is reinventing himself as an author and philosopher.  How well has he done that?  That’s up to the individual reader, and we suspect, how closely one feels that his treatise confirms, or refutes, their own ideas.

So, how does this impact Condi? In a variety of ways, but the most direct application is 9-11, which he uses as an example of a “black swan” phenomenon.   (NYT Op-ed, from Fooled by Randomness blog)  If Taleb’s theory gains widespread acceptance, there are negative political implications for those, mostly Democrats, who are trying to assign blame for the attack in order to gain political advantage. A key part of their strategy for 2008 will be to try and attach President Bush’s lower approval ratings, fueled by the non-stop 9-11 and War on Terror-related liberal media attacks that pass for journalism these days, to any prominent Republican – Condi included. She is especially vulnerable to being targeted due to her high profile in the current administration and reputation for a “Teflon” coating that keeps her approval ratings considerably above those of many of her colleagues.

However, Condi herself is a “black swan.” Her personal history of growing up in segregated Alabama, seeking higher education, teaching, administering, and a life of public service is itself a highly improbable career trajectory. But when coupled with her ability to ascend to the Presidency one day, her status as a “black swan” is a certainty.

Nassim Nicholas Taleb’s book is available at Amazon, Barnes&Noble, and in downloadable audio at Audible.com

The Democratically-controlled House succeeded in doing what Speaker Pelosi said it would.  In “voting to end the war” (It would seem by any means necessary, even surrender, or worse, “starving” our troops in the field for critical funding.), she is trying to accomplish what, up until now, al-Qaeda, Saddam Hussein, Osama Bin Laden, and all the Islamic terrorists combined have been unable to do —  force a retreat (euphemistically called “redeployment”) by US forces in the War on Terror.  And all she had to do was bang her Speaker’s gavel to have almost all of the Democratic congressmen (and congresswomen) line up like pigs at the feeding trough as she poured out a mere $642 million dollars of taxpayer cash in order to get them to forget about our troops.  These are pigs that even an Ayatollah could love.

In spite of the mainstream media in full spin mode, the American public will see this for what it is — a betrayal of our military men and women, their families, and ultimately the entire country.  This vote and the pork barrel spending required to make it happen are going to “fatten up” these Congressional “piggies” for electoral slaughter in 2008.  So, in recognition of your legislative “victory,” Nancy, here’s a “Mission Accomplished” banner just for you!

If you want to use this image on your website, or blog, feel free to do so.  (Although, we would appreciate a link back to us.)  Just be sure to copy and save the image to your own server in order to protect our website’s bandwidth.

In an effort to keep the recently rekindled Palestinian-Israeli peace process on track, Secretary of State Rice — along with coordinated efforts by others in the International “quartet” (Russia, EU, USA, and the UN) – is cautiously offering support to the Palestinian Authority (PA) after the formation of a coalition government between Fatah and Hamas factions.  The fear is that international aide could be diverted to terrorist activities. On the other hand, the PA cannot be a credible entity with whom negotiations can continue if it cannot even maintain the most basic infrastructure and security.  A total collapse of the PA, a distinct possibility without a resumption of international assistance, would be an open invitation to meddling by Iran, Hezbollah, and other radical organizations.  However, Dr. Rice trimmed approximately 40% from the original funding proposal.  (International Herald Tribune)

“I have reformulated the plan,” Rice said. “It will request less money, precisely because some of the money I would have requested, I could not fully account for.” She said the new plan would take pains to make certain the money did not go to Hamas.

There is starting to be speculation that Dr. Rice is ultimately aiming for a summit prior to 2008, similar to the one that occured in the waning years of the Clinton administration.  This would culminate in the long sought after “two-state solution.”  It has been widely reported that Arafat rejected the final deal offered at Camp David in 2000.  But now with Arafat gone, and a more unified international community that has shown its willingness to cut off aide until good faith efforts are made towards peace, there is hope that this time the outcome will be different.

In 2001, (former-President) Clinton told guests at a party at the Manhattan apartment of former UN ambassador Richard Holbrooke that Arafat called to bid him farewell three days before he left office. “You are a great man,” Arafat said. “The hell I am,” Clinton said.  He responded, “I’m a colossal failure, and you made me one.”  (source)

Any progress that Secretary Rice achieves in the Middle East, where so many others have failed in the past, would most certainly become politicized if it became apparent that her efforts might bear fruit — especially with the Pelosi-Reid gang on Capitol Hill guilty of obstruction of government as they are trying to engineer the administration’s quasi-impeachment with death by a thousand investigations.  This is why Condi 2008 efforts must take a back seat to what she is trying to accomplish as Secretary of State — at this time.  As the Democrats have so clearly revealed in Iraq policy, they are willing to put their political ambitions above the interests of our nation.  If Dr. Rice becomes a candidate prematurely, all of her efforts will become targets of the Left’s attack machines — almost guaranteeing failure now that they have both the House and Senate under their control. 

Ecclesiastes 3:1: To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under heaven.  (Also known as the source for the lyrics from 1965 #1 hit by The Byrds; Turn, Turn, Turn; link) 

Congressman Henry Waxman (D-CA), in the name of “oversight,” and in an effort to get as much network “face time” as possible, is working overtime to sully Secretary of State Rice’s reputation by threatening to call Condi before his Committee to “investigate” the Plame-CIA leak case (Soon to be a Hollywood screenplay — no kidding!).  This is precisely where the “alternative media” (such as the blogosphere) can play a key role in debunking the accusations, charges and “evidence” that are sure to fly with reckless abandon in the coming weeks.  Careful research and meticulous fact checking can turn the tables on these efforts — remember Dan Rather?  In the meantime, get ready to watch Chairman Henry to do his best Barbara Boxer impersonation.

Related Links: Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, Administration Oversight, “Waxman renews Niger Queries;” Mike Allen at Politico.com; Iraq Slogger, “Smackdown, Waxman Puts the Pressure on Condi Rice“

     In the latest Zogby poll,  Condoleezza Rice finished foutrth behind the McCain Romney, and Giuliani.   This is great considering she hasn’t declared.  The big news, though,  is in the same poll,  she finishes third among self-identified “conservative Republicans”, behind  Romney and Gingrich.

     Why is the conservative Republican poll important?   The conservatives are still looking for a candidate they can rally behind.  A liberal GOP candidate will not energize the conservative vote, even if he runs against Hillary Clinton. Condoleezza Rice would be an excellent choice for conservatives.  She has both pro-life and pro-Second Amendment views.  She is also the only one who can continue leading the “War on terror”,  no training required.

   I think she can also serve to unite the RINOs and conservatives of the GOP.     The RINOs will enjoy making history and heading off Hillary or Obama.  Condi doesn’t have the “lightning rod” factor like other conservative candidates.   it would be more difficult for Dems to paint a caricature of Condi as a racist-sexist-homophobe conservative. The conservatives will enjoy having an experienced , principled Republican to continue protecting our country.

   Condi is a win-win for all of the GOP.

As this is being written, Fox News Sunday, for March 11, 2007, has not aired.  However, the leaks coming out of the Fox Newsroom that he’s “leaving the door open” to a possible presidential bid would make the New York Times proud.

Despite Hollywood’s traditional leftward tilt, an actor, turned politician and presidential candidate, has been a successful strategy for Republicans in the past.  Could Thompson be the Republican that stars in the remake of Bedtime for Bonzo Hillary?

 The eagerness with which the possibility of a Thompson candidacy has been greeted by Republicans — especially the more conservative ones — is an indication that the current selection of so-called “frontrunners” and “second-tier” candidates is not very satisfying to party rank and file.  The party and the primary process are basically treating us like a six year old at the dinner table: “Sure, you can have whatever you like for desert.  You can pick from brocoli, asparagus, or brussel sprouts.”   Only, unlike a six-year old, we’re expected to pick up the check and then wash the dishes without complaining.  Moreover, we’re expected to jump up and down, cheer, applaud, rally, march, throw confetti, blow up balloons, etc. all on on cue for the photo oportunities that these candidates are going to be staging all over the country in a primary system that is rigged to prevent any “unapproved” dark horse candidates (that we might actually want to support, like Condi!) from having a chance at the nomination because of the “front-loaded” February 5th Mega Tuesday election schedule.

It’s time for the “grassroots” to insist on a seat at the “grown up’s” table.  If we don’t, we’ll be eating brussel sprouts for desert for a long time to come with no one to blame but ourselves.

      Last week,  Sen. Boxer  grilled Secretary Rice regarding the war in Iraq.  During Condoleezza began discussing the progress.  Sen. Boxer , in her infinite wisdom, asked Secretary Rice “Who pays the price?”.   She went on to ramble about Rice not having children and being unwed.   Since Rice didn’t have children, somehow she was not qualified to discuss the war.

   When I heard her say this,  I had to do a double take.  Isn’t this Sen. Boxer, the liberal Democrat from California?  Isn’t she a liberal icon for feminism, the idea that women can choose not to have children and choose not to marry???

    I’m not the only one who thought this.  Secretary Rice responded in a very dignified manner:

“In retrospect, gee, I thought single women had come further than that, that the only question is, ‘Are you making good decisions because you have kids?’ ” Rice said on Fox News.”

       Sen. Boxer really showed her true colors.  She hits below the belt, undermining her own feminist values in order to take a cheap shot at the Republicans.  

   Will her liberal supporters call her on this?  Not likely. 

What lesson can Condistas glean from this?  Look at Condi’s response.  It was the response of a true statesman (stateswoman).  She took the high road during the hearing , and she gave a great response to the media.  Women who wonder about what Rice thinks about women’s equality no longer need to wonder.  Rice is the pinnacle of the American dream  and a model for young women all over the world.