Vonage Customer Service - Part 7

Called at 12.05pm CST. Got through to an agent within 1 minute.

Transferred to Tech Support at 12.10pm. Tech support recording says "your estimated hold time is 5 to 10 minutes".

Tech support answered at 12.35pm (25 minute hold time).

NO RESOLUTION.

The tech support person "does not have access" to the ticket system. I would have to hold for another 15 minutes. Talked with supervisor...does not have access to the system. I must either hold or give up.

I gave them the ultimatum that if they can't fix it, I'll cancel the account. Waiting for them to call me back.

Unbelievable.

Good phone service...lousy customer service.

Hugo, Citgo, and Joe Kennedy

Are you freaking kidding me? Joe Kennedy shilling for Hugo Chavez?

Joe Kennedy is offering 40% discounts on home heating oil from Citgo. He wants you to call him at 877-JOE-4-OIL. He's sold his soul to Chavez in order to win a few votes.

Let's see...what would we do to someone who offered, say, Iranian oil to Army veterans who had fought in Iraq against Qods force terrorists?

We'd CASTRATE him, then toss him in the the ninth circle of Hell.

I say, call 877-Blow-me-Joe. I can't freaking believe he's this much of an SOB.

New Fred Thompson Christmas Video

No words needed.

Liberal Media attacks Fred Thompson

I'm a Fred-head, or Fred-neck, if you prefer. Being from the south, I like his manners and his no-b.s. style of talking. I think he's a good man, and he was a good Senator. His experience in the minefields of Watergate put him in good stead with me -- I'm old enough to remember Watergate (our history teacher made us watch the Watergate hearings, and I'm glad now).

The Politico has a post up by Roger Simon that completely mis-represents what happened at a firehouse in Iowa. Fred was asked to put on a fire helmet by the Chief, and he stated "I've got a silly hat rule that I'm about to violate". Roger, uh, FORGOT to include that part in italics. Now read it again...would you get different meanings from these two statements:

1. "I've got a silly hat rule".
Means: I ain't putting that stupid hat on, because I might look like Mike Dukakis and lose this election if someone gets a picture of me in it.

2. "I've got a silly hat rule that I'm about to violate".
Means: I usually don't put on hats because of what happened to Dukakis, but I'd be proud to be seen wearing this hat, and the pictures can be damned. I respect and honor firemen!

Which one of the two quotes do you think Roger quoted, and which one do you think Fred said?

Yup, you'd be right on both counts.

And the left wonders why they can't get any respect?

Here's the full story.

H/T Confederate Yankee

PS Gratuitous Fred Plugs

The REAL Man of the Year

AMEN. God bless our troops.

PS. Send Dan Rather to Iraq as an embed.

Vonage Customer Service - Part 6

The Caller ID issue is still not resolved. As of last Thursday, they closed the trouble ticket and stated that it would take 48 hours for the system to update. We'll it's been a wee bit over 48 hours, so I'm gonna call and find out what the latest excuse it (creeping cynicism, I know).

Called at 11.40am CST. Expected wait time is over 25 minutes. Joy.

I started speaking with a rep at 12.07pm, after a 27 minute hold. Hey, at least their "estimate" of wait time is pretty accurate!

Pretty funny...they can't find the trouble ticket number that I gave them...that they gave ME at the time of the problem. Keystone Kops.

Found the trouble ticket..Now they say that it may take up to 72 hours, and it's only been about 65 hours, so I need to be patient. Oh-kay.

Another try tomorrow. I have a bad feeling about this.

Vonage Customer Service - Part 5

Called Vonage at 12.50pm CST today. The recording said "wait time over 15 minutes".

Picked up at 1.10 (20 minute wait).

Vonage says that they don't display caller name (oh, really?). They are supposed to only display "Vonage Holdings" plus the number.

They now say that they can blank out the name field entirely...so only the number will appear when I call someone. I'm ok with that.

Look, I've been in the telecom business for 25+ years, and their explanation sounds fishy to me. Their provisioning system had to use my name for billing records...they should be able to pick that up for caller id. The fact that they didn't design their system this way from the start says they didn't really plan well. Hey, waddaya want for 25 bucks a month...rubber biscuit?

It should be fixed within 48 hours.

I'll give them an "A" for resolving this, a "B" for the fact that it took 5+ calls, a "C" for dumb systems, and an "F" for the fact that it takes 48 hours to propagate through their systems (they are computers, and work at light-speed, dang it).

Call over at 1.20pm CST. (30 minutes elapsed time: 20 on hold, 10 to resolve)

Vonage Customer Service - Part 4

So here's the latest from Vonage. Uh-oh. They don't get it, do they?

They'll get a call tomorrow.

Dear XXXXXXXX,

Thank you for contacting Vonage, the #1 rated digital phone service.

We are in receipt of your request for technical assistance with your Vonage account.

Unfortunately, we are unable to complete the request at this time. In order to resolve this issue, please call Customer Care by calling us Toll Free at: 1-VONAGE-HELP (1-866-243-4357) or by visiting the help center of our website at http://www.vonage.com/help.php?lid=nav_help and providing the ticket number below to the agent.

Ticket # XXXXXXXXX

If you have any questions, your Vonage team is available to assist you 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Contact us whenever and however it suits you!

- On-Line Help Center at http://www.vonage.com/help.php
- Contact Us at http://www.vonage.com/help_contactus.php
- Or call Toll-Free at 1-VONAGE-HELP (1-866-243-4357)

Thanks again for choosing Vonage, a better phone service for less!

Sincerely,


Marie
Vonage

Vonage Customer Service - Part 3

Redialed Vonage at 2.03pm CST. Estimated wait time is 5-10 minutes. Sure.

Answered at 2.15pm. Explained the problem.

Put on hold at 2.18pm.

Now they are issuing a trouble ticket, and handing off to their "Advanced Technical Support Dept".

I am to receive an email within 24 hours that my issue is resolved. We'll see.

Call ended at 2.22pm EST.

Vonage Customer Service - Part 2

At EXACTLY the 15 minute mark in my call, the call was disconnected on their end. I got a new dial tone.

Well, one mistake is ok.

Will redial in a few minutes with new blog entry.

Vonage Customer Service - Part 1

I'm on hold for Vonage support right now. I called at 1.30pm CST. The caller ID name that shows up when I call out is not mine. So I'm calling to get it fixed.

The automated answering attendant (read "computer") just informed me that my wait time might exceed 15 minutes. Goodie. I can hardly wait.

Let's see how Vonage does.

NBC Changes Color, er, direction

From FoxNews:

But in a statement issued Saturday evening, NBC said:

"We have reviewed and changed our ad standards guidelines and made the decision that our policy will apply to content only and not to a referenced Web site. Based on these amended standards the Freedom's Watch ad will begin to run as early as Sunday."

NBC' head of standards and practices, Alan Wurtzel, notified Freedom's Watch's media consultant Saturday by e-mail, writing: "This will confirm that the Freedom's Watch spot is approved for air."

I have received an email from a friend who's high up at GE. Here's what really happened:

1. NBC pulled a bone-headed move and said "no" to running the ads.
2. Jeffrey Immelt called Wurtzel at NBC.
3. Complete text of conversation:
Immelt: Are you a moron? Do you know how much money GE gets from the US Gov't for defense items used in the war? How the hell do you think we stay in business and support a bunch of pinko-losers like you at 30 Rock? Run the damn ads and STFU!
Wurtzel: But...
Immelt: Click

The spirit of Jack Welch is alive and well.

PS. I'll bet Jack called Jeff.

NBC + GE = OH SH*T

How in the world can NBC turn down these Support the Troops commercials? I don't buy the URL-is-political-action bs.

Immelt is having meetings at corporate right about now...

Imagination? Not so much.

WWJD? What would Jack Welch do?

CBS Radio - Unfair and Unbalanced

This morning, on the 8am CST news broadcast, there was a quick blurb on the CIA destroying the tapes of the interrogations of suspected terrorists. We've all been following this story, so no big deal, right? Until the announcer said that the tapes were erased to cover up the torture method called "waterboarding". I have to call B.S. on this one. If the US Congress refuses to define waterboarding as torture, what the hell is CBS doing defining it as such? This was subtle, but I sure didn't miss it. This is the kind of crap that goes on to reinforce the liberal media's bias...and we're (mostly) not even aware of it.

That's why these folks are now called the Columbia BullShit Radio Network.

AIR RAID PEARL HARBOR - THIS IS NO DRILL

Take a moment to seek out a veteran and say, "thank you".

It's because of the sacrifices of our armed forces that we can blog, take our kids to school, bitch about our taxes, and remain the beacon of freedom for the world.

HOW BOUT THEM COWBOYS!

37-27, and it was a closer game than the score indicates. The Cowboys dominated in the first half. The Pack came back in the third quarter, but the Cowboys put it away in the fourth. Too bad that Farve was hurt; I would have liked to see his try at a comeback. Those 2 interference calls were close, and I hate to see a game decided because of a penalty or two.

All in all, it lived up to it's billing. GO COWBOYS!

The Eagle has Landed (again)

F15's grounded --- again ---.

Oops. Looks like we got us a bigger problem with all of the F15's, not just the C's and D's.

http://www.defensetech.org/archives/003877.html

Lemme see...Raptors...Eagles...Warthogs...nah. OSPREYS!!!!

H/T DefenseTech

USS Kitty Hawk

NOT ANOTHER DIME of mine goes to Chinese crap.

(You DID hear that the g-d Chinese denied the Kitty Hawk port entry into Hong Kong? Many, many families spent big money to travel to HK to see their loved ones.)

Again, f*** the Chinese b*******. My grandpa (LtCmdr USNR) is turning over in his grave.

USO ignoring Afghanistan?

On O'Reilly tonight, Bill interviewed Edward Powell, the President of the USO. O'Reilly just returned from Afghanistan, and Bill was upset that more big-names weren't in more shows there. O'Reilly asked Powell why there weren't more shows, and more big names. Powell tried his best, but he laid the blame squarely on DOD for not providing enough airlift and security for more shows.

I don't know...we are in the middle of very important actions there, and it's important to keep our manpower availability high. That said, my initial reaction is to call b.s. on Powell's excuse. A $150 million budget would lease a lot of 747's and a lot of Blackwater guards.

Let's see how it plays out...if I'm wrong, I'd like to hear about it. If I'm right...fire his ass.

A great reason to BOMB IRAN

Why the hell didn't I think of this? What a great way to get the wackos behind bars and out of our lives:

"Hands Off Iran" [Noah Pollak]

Writing in The Nation, Chris Hedges would like you to know that in these times, he is suffering a terrible ordeal of conscience — and that it is not just his ordeal, but indeed the entire nation's.

I will not pay my income tax if we go to war with Iran. I realize this is a desperate and perhaps futile gesture. But an attack on Iran—which appears increasingly likely before the coming presidential election—will unleash a regional conflict of catastrophic proportions. This war, and especially Iranian retaliatory strikes on American targets, will be used to silence domestic dissent and abolish what is left of our civil liberties. It will solidify the slow-motion coup d'etat that has been under way since the 9/11 attacks. It could mean the death of the Republic.
...
I will put the taxes I owe in an escrow account. I will go to court to challenge the legality of the war. Maybe a courageous judge will rule that the Constitution has been usurped and the government is guilty of what the postwar Nuremberg tribunal defined as a criminal war of aggression. Maybe not. I do not know. But I do know this: I have friends in Tehran, Gaza, Beirut, Baghdad, Jerusalem and Cairo. They will endure far greater suffering and deprivation. I want to be able, once the slaughter is over, to at least earn the right to ask for their forgiveness.

Who is Chris Hedges? Not only was he a New York Times reporter for 15 years, he was its Middle East bureau chief in the 1990's. Yikes.

H/T The Corner

4 No Trump

Morons...reminds me of the Dixie Twits. Why don't we invalidate their passports so they can stay in China where it's nice and cozy for them? And look at these losers...we couldn't have an uglier team representing the US.

“I earn my living from bridge, and a substantial part of that from being hired to compete in high-level competitions,” Debbie Rosenberg, a team member, said. “So being barred would directly affect much of my ability to earn a living.”

Shoulda thought of that sooner, dumbass.

If HRC is elected, the Republic will FALL

After a press conference in Waterloo, IA yesterday, HRC thought about what it would be like to be president.

I fear this possibility. Fortunately, our nation's flag gave us a grave warning here.

What I find incredible is that she did not try to save the flag from touching the ground, as we were all taught in grade school. She simply pointed and said, "Oh, look". Can't we impeach her out of the Senate?

VS


You know, it's time that the TIMES realizes that the commies have been defeated...and needed to be beaten. They are pining for the days of FDR and JFK. Well, I say, NFW!

Check out this article in the NY TIMES today.

A sample of the foolishness:

In less than seven years, Mr. Bush has managed to boil that list down to its least common denominator: the president should get his choices. At first, Mr. Bush was abetted by a slavish Republican majority that balked at only one major appointment — Harriet Miers for Supreme Court justice, and then only because of doubts that she was far enough to the right.

Well, no. They balked at Miers because she wasn't QUALIFIED for the job...not because she was not "far enough to the right".

We need to waterboard a few of the TIMES folks.

Condi for President

Sigh...everyone is wringing hands over the latest in Pakistan.

Why is this such a hard choice? Let Condi be President of Pakistan.

YES OR NO TO ILLEGAL DRIVER'S LICENSES?

Did you know that states must allow folks to register to vote when they get their driver's license? Hmmm? Well, what do you think is going to happen when illegal aliens are allowed to get a driver's license? Hint: THEY'LL REGISTER TO VOTE!

Why in the world do we want to open up voter registration to more fraud? Don't we have enough problems with dogs, cats, and dead folks registering to vote?

Answer the freaking question, witch.

HILLARY IS A TRAITOR

Put her ass in jail NOW. She just said this in the debate:

Hillary: "We have to try diplomacy. I see economic sanctions as part of diplomacy." Cites North Korea and Libya again. "He does not have authority, and we will not allow him to take offensive action against Iran."

I think Ahmadinejad just stood and applauded. (H/T Campaign Spot)

If this isn't "aid and comfort to the enemy", nothing is. I'm serious...put her ass against a wall and shoot her for treason. Ok, ok, after a fair trial.

Two for Today

These pictures are not unrelated.

LT Michael Murphy, USN

Say a prayer tonight...

LIEUTENANT MICHAEL P. MURPHY
UNITED STATES NAVY

FOR SERVICE AS SET FORTH IN THE FOLLOWING

CITATION:

FOR CONSPICUOUS GALLANTRY AND INTREPIDITY AT THE RISK OF HIS LIFE ABOVE AND BEYOND THE CALL OF DUTY AS THE LEADER OF A SPECIAL RECONNAISSANCE ELEMENT WITH NAVAL SPECIAL WARFARE TASK UNIT AFGHANISTAN ON 27 AND 28 JUNE 2005. WHILE LEADING A MISSION TO LOCATE A HIGH-LEVEL ANTI-COALITION MILITIA LEADER, LIEUTENANT MURPHY DEMONSTRATED EXTRAORDINARY HEROISM IN THE FACE OF GRAVE DANGER IN THE VICINITY OF ASADABAD, KONAR PROVINCE, AFGHANISTAN. ON 28 JUNE 2005, OPERATING IN AN EXTREMELY RUGGED ENEMY-CONTROLLED AREA, LIEUTENANT MURPHY’S TEAM WAS DISCOVERED BY ANTI-COALITION MILITIA SYMPATHIZERS, WHO REVEALED THEIR POSITION TO TALIBAN FIGHTERS. AS A RESULT, BETWEEN 30 AND 40 ENEMY FIGHTERS BESIEGED HIS FOUR-MEMBER TEAM. DEMONSTRATING EXCEPTIONAL RESOLVE, LIEUTENANT MURPHY VALIANTLY LED HIS MEN IN ENGAGING THE LARGE ENEMY FORCE. THE ENSUING FIERCE FIREFIGHT RESULTED IN NUMEROUS ENEMY CASUALTIES, AS WELL AS THE WOUNDING OF ALL FOUR MEMBERS OF THE TEAM. IGNORING HIS OWN WOUNDS AND DEMONSTRATING EXCEPTIONAL COMPOSURE, LIEUTENANT MURPHY CONTINUED TO LEAD AND ENCOURAGE HIS MEN. WHEN THE PRIMARY COMMUNICATOR FELL MORTALLY WOUNDED, LIEUTENANT MURPHY REPEATEDLY ATTEMPTED TO CALL FOR ASSISTANCE FOR HIS BELEAGUERED TEAMMATES. REALIZING THE IMPOSSIBILITY OF COMMUNICATING IN THE EXTREME TERRAIN, AND IN THE FACE OF ALMOST CERTAIN DEATH, HE FOUGHT HIS WAY INTO OPEN TERRAIN TO GAIN A BETTER POSITION TO TRANSMIT A CALL. THIS DELIBERATE, HEROIC ACT DEPRIVED HIM OF COVER, EXPOSING HIM TO DIRECT ENEMY FIRE. FINALLY ACHIEVING CONTACT WITH HIS HEADQUARTERS, LIEUTENANT MURPHY MAINTAINED HIS EXPOSED POSITION WHILE HE PROVIDED HIS LOCATION AND REQUESTED IMMEDIATE SUPPORT FOR HIS TEAM. IN HIS FINAL ACT OF BRAVERY, HE CONTINUED TO ENGAGE THE ENEMY UNTIL HE WAS MORTALLY WOUNDED, GALLANTLY GIVING HIS LIFE FOR HIS COUNTRY AND FOR THE CAUSE OF FREEDOM. BY HIS SELFLESS LEADERSHIP, COURAGEOUS ACTIONS, AND EXTRAORDINARY DEVOTION TO DUTY, LIEUTENANT MURPHY REFLECTED GREAT CREDIT UPON HIMSELF AND UPHELD THE HIGHEST TRADITIONS OF THE UNITED STATES NAVAL SERVICE.

SIGNED GEORGE W. BUSH

Buy COB's book!

Head on over to Crotchety Old Bastard's website and help him out. He's written a book about the traitor Lindsey Graham, and every dollar can help to toss that bum out!

That is all.

Help STOP HILLARY!

Head on over to National Review Online and help!!!

President Bush as Saddam

Are you freaking kidding me? This is as bad as the Moveon.dumbass ad.

When will the American people say, "Enough is enough"? Let's hope that message is delivered loudly and clearly on election day. What do you want to bet the Demonuts won't condemn this ad, either?

USMC Rules for Gunfighting

Can't argue with any of these...(no disrespect to the Navy).

USMC Rules for Gunfighting

1. Bring a gun. Preferably, bring at least two guns. Bring all of your friends who have guns.

2. Anything worth shooting is worth shooting twice. Ammo is cheap. Your life is expensive.

3. Only hits count. The only thing worse than a miss is a slow miss.

4. If your shooting stance is good, you're probably not moving fast enough nor using cover correctly.

5. Move away from your attacker. Distance is your friend. (Lateral and diagonal movement are preferred.)

6. If you can choose what to bring to a gunfight, bring a long gun and a friend with a long gun.

7. In ten years nobody will remember the details of caliber, stance, or tactics. They will only remember who lived.

8. If you are not shooting, you should be communicating, reloading, and running.

9. Accuracy is relative: most combat shooting standards will be more dependent on "pucker factor" than the inherent accuracy of the gun.

9.5 Use a gun that works EVERY TIME.

10. Someday someone may kill you with your own gun, but they should have to beat you to death with it because it is empty.

11. Always cheat; always win. The only unfair fight is the one you lose.

12. Have a plan.

13. Have a back-up plan, because the first one won't work.

14. Use cover or concealment as much as possible.

15. Flank your adversary when possible. Protect yours.

16. Don't drop your guard.

17. Always tactical load and threat scan 360 degrees.

18. Watch their hands. Hands kill. (In God we trust. Everyone else, keep your hands where I can see them).

19. Decide to be aggressive ENOUGH, quickly ENOUGH.

20. The faster you finish the fight, the less shot you will get.

21. Be polite. Be professional. But, have a plan to kill everyone you meet.

22. Be courteous to everyone, friendly to no one.

23. Your number one Option for Personal Security is a lifelong commitment to avoidance, deterrence, and de-escalation.

24. Do not attend a gunfight with a handgun, the caliber of which does not start with a ".4"

Navy Rules to Gunfighting

1. Go to Sea

2. Send the Marines

3. Drink Coffee

H/T OPFOR and GeoffMetcalf.com

General Lies and Power

From RedState...great parody of the morons at Moveon.dumbasses.

H/T RedState

Speak for yourself, Imbecile

Here's Harry Reid, as quoted today by the AP:

WASHINGTON — Senate Democratic leaders on Wednesday rejected the call by the top U.S. general in Iraq for a reduction of up to 30,000 U.S. troops in Iraq by next summer, saying it does not go far enough.

"This is unacceptable to me, it's unacceptable to the American people," said Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev.

Speak for yourself, you moron. It is perfectly acceptable to me...and I AM the American people.

Imbecile.

Clinton funding Hsu's defense?

I have had two conspiracy ideas in as many days, so I've used up my lifetime quota.

First, is the Chinese government trying to influence the Presidential election? Since so many investigators are pouring over Hsu's finances, and are (so far) unable to explain the source of Hsu's money, there's a fair amount of speculation that the Chinese government is funding him and has now tossed him to the wolves.

Second conspiracy thought: Hillary first announced that she was donating $23,000 of Hsu's contributions to charity. Now comes the headline:

Clinton to Return $850,000 in Donations Raised By Norman Hsu

Notice that Hillary isn't donating the money to charity...she's returning it. Is this a not-so-subtle way for her to fund Hsu's bail money? Why did she not donate this large sum to charity? Hmmm?

Ok, Hsu's not likely to even be offered bail after forfeiting the $2 million when he skipped town. But why are the Clintons sending this money back instead of donating it? Is this the start of the Hsu Defense Fund?

I'm not big on conspiracy theories (I grew up near the Grassy Knoll, and it ain't a sniper's platform). But...this one smells like the Clinton's are being too clever by half. And if you don't think Billy Boy is neck deep in this one, I've got a bridge for you...

Luciano Pavarotti R.I.P.

Here's a surprise: he's my all-time favorite for listening to while driving. There's NO ONE who can hit those high C's with the energy and that distinctive voice.

I first saw Pavarotti in Italy in 1978 while in college there. I also was lucky enough to get tickets to his concert at the Republican Convention in Dallas in 1984. (Aside: What could be more perfect than free drinks, a bunch of Republicans, and Pavarotti?)

I was hooked on him by Louis Bittrich, my English prof (and great friend) and his wife Nancy. Thanks, Doc, for introducing me to a treasure. Nessun Dorma!

UPDATE:

Here's another version of Nessun Dorma that's great.

And another...looks like from Rome.

Penn-demonium

AP
If we're going to whack Hugo, we might as well do it now. Drop a 2,000 lb JDAM. We can get a two-fer.

Let's just not allow Penn back into the country. Yea, that's the ticket!

NOBama 08

And I thought this was an anti Univ of Alabama sticker...

Pardon Me for not Paying Taxes

I LOVE this idea.

Most interesting idea:

Derb—-You said: 'Imagine, for example, President Ron II trying to push his bill to abolish the IRS through Congress. Congress! — whose members eat, drink, breathe and live for the wrinkles they can add to the tax code on behalf of their favored interest groups!' That's a good point, but please consider this: if elected President, Ron Paul can bring the income tax grinding to a halt by very publicly giving full pardons to anyone convicted of violating the IRS code. He could even deliver television speeches encouraging Americans to stop filing returns. Faced with a public rebellion, and with the "teeth" pulled from the IRS by the pardons, Congress would have little choice but to bow to Paul's will. See? I can dream too!

H/T The Corner

When Marines Eat Their Own

W. Thomas Smith, a Marine, says this about Murtha...

Murtha, who retired from the Marine Corps Reserve as a colonel, is a disgrace to his uniform and should never again refer to himself as a "Marine," former or otherwise. He is an ex-Marine, and is not fit to look a real Marine in the eye. And I know many senior Marines who — though perhaps not as vocal as I am about it — have expressed similar sentiments.

Don't piss off a real Marine. Murtha is whale dung...the lowest thing on the Earth.

H/T The Tank

Robert Heinlein and Society

H/T The Corner at National Review Online

Heinlein was a great libertarian. Here's a great, short piece on belief in man.

Our Noble, Essential Decency

by Robert A. Heinlein

I am not going to talk about religious beliefs but about matters so obvious that it has gone out of style to mention them. I believe in my neighbors. I know their faults, and I know that their virtues far outweigh their faults.

Take Father Michael down our road a piece. I'm not of his creed, but I know that his goodness and charity and loving kindness shine in his daily actions. I believe in Father Mike. If I'm in trouble, I'll go to him. My next-door neighbor's a veterinary doctor. Doc will get out of bed after a hard day to help a stray cat—no fee, no prospect of a fee. I believe in Doc.

I believe in my townspeople. You can knock on any door in our town, say, "I'm hungry," and you'll be fed. Our town is no exception. I've found the same ready charity everywhere. For the one who says, "The heck with you, I've got mine," there are a hundred, a thousand, who will say, "Sure, pal, sit down." I know that despite all warnings against hitchhikers, I can step to the highway, thumb for a ride, and in a few minutes a car or a truck will stop and someone will say, "Climb in, Mack. How far you going?"

I believe in my fellow citizens. Our headlines are splashed with crime. Yet for every criminal, there are ten thousand honest, decent, kindly men. If it were not so. no child would live to grow up. Business could not go on from day to day. Decency is not news. It is buried in the obituaries, but it is a force stronger than crime.

I believe in the patient gallantry of nurses, in the tedious sacrifices of teachers. I believe in the unseen and unending fight against desperate odds that goes on quietly in almost every home in the land. I believe in the honest craft of workmen. Take a look around you. There never were enough bosses to check up on all that work. From Independence Hall to the Grand Coulee Dam, these things were built level and square by craftsmen who were honest in their bones.

I believe that almost all politicians are honest. For every bribed alderman, there are hundreds of politicians—low paid or not paid at all—doing their level best without thanks or glory to make our system work. If this were not true, we would never have gotten past the thirteen colonies.

I believe in Roger Young. You and I are free today because of endless unnamed heroes from Valley Forge to the Yalu River. I believe in—I am proud to belong to—the United States. Despite shortcomings—from lynchings, to bad faith in high places—our nation has had the most decent and kindly internal practices and foreign policies to be found anywhere in history.

And finally, I believe in my whole race—yellow, white, black, red, brown—in the honesty, courage, intelligence, durability, and goodness of the overwhelming majority of my brothers and sisters everywhere on this planet. I am proud to be a human being. I believe that we have come this far by the skin of our teeth—that we always make it just by the skin of our teeth—but that we will always make it, survive, endure.

I believe that this hairless embryo with the aching oversized braincase and the opposable thumb—this animal barely up from the apes—will endure, will endure longer than his home planet, will spread out to the other planets—to the stars and beyond—carrying with him his honesty, his insatiable curiosity, his unlimited courage, and his noble essential decency. This I believe with all my heart.

OUCH...You're SO strong!

Check out the wimp handshake from Teddy. That's a real Texan handshake from the President. Teddy's got a broken drinking hand after this one.

H/T National Review...photo by Ron Edmonds/AP

Is this a Presidential Picture?

I shudder when I think that this picture could be hanging in all government buildings, all Federal courthouses, etc.

Just -- YUCK.

H/T The Corner

McCain Loses Presidency

As if he ever had a chance, this dope lost it when he voted "aye" for cloture on the Amnesty Bill today.

I hope he wrangled an invitation to Hyannis, because he won't be sleeping in the White House. Note to John: Don't drive with Teddy.

H/T National Review

The Immigration Bill in PLAIN ENGLISH

If you are not afraid, VERY AFRAID, of what can happen if this terrible bill passes, please read this great article by John Shadegg, Congressman from Arizona. Shadegg has obviously READ the bill (can Voinovich say that?) and clearly states the consequences if it passes.

Can you say "dirty bomb"?

Build The Fence, Deport Illegals who are Arrested, and Fine Employers who Hire Illegals. It really is that simple.

BTF DIA FEHI Good bumper sticker material.

H/T COB and The Corner

I Fear that It Is So

Re: Re: Lugar [Andy McCarthy]

I don't mean to be harsh regarding Senator Lugar. He is hardly a singular voice here. Unlike the foreign policy establishment, however, I have spent many years dealing with real live jihadists. Fact: They really do think they can and will win. They don't need a lot of hope to carry on — people willing to kill themselves in order to kill you are already pretty motivated. But they derive great hope from what they (rightly) see as our surrenders and our ambivalence — compared to their own great certainty and confidence.

I am not a fan of how the war has been directed, and I believe expending our time and effort on the democracy project rather than on defeating our enemies in Iraq and elsewhere will go down as one of history's great blunders. But with all that said, I note with the heartache of one who has seen it all too many times before: We will rue the day we leave Iraq without routing radical Islam. What we have not killed, we have made stronger.

H/T The Corner on National Review Online

This day in History -- 20 years ago today

"Mr. Gorbachev, TEAR DOWN THIS WALL".

One of the all-time greatest speeches, June 12, 1987. Watch and listen here.

I was in Berlin in the spring of 1990, just after the wall came down. The Berliners were all grateful to Reagan for leading the way.

WORST...SOPRANOS...EVER

Nuff said.

Sudafed and Methamphetamine

In Wisconsin, the state statutes state (get it?):

961.23(6)
(6) No person other than a physician, dentist, veterinarian, or pharmacist may purchase more than 7.5 grams of pseudoephedrine contained in a pseudoephedrine product within a 30-day period without the authorization of a physician, dentist, or veterinarian.

There is apparently a large Meth industry in Wisconsin, due to all of the state parks and forests throughout the western and northern parts of the state. In doing a little research I have found that one method of making Meth is to somehow cook products that contain ephedrine and come out with Meth. (See here for a link to the US Dept of Justice website on how it's made -- generally.) In its infinite wisdom, the state of Wisconsin now prohibits the purchase of small amounts of pseudoephedrine (see above). Ok, I get it...let's not sell large lots of Meth raw materials in order to restrict the flow of Meth being made in the state.

It turns out that 2 packs of Sudafed 12-hour tablets is about 8 grams. How do I know this? I tried to buy 2, and was restricted to 1. I went into the pharmacy where I know the pharmacist and most of the assistants. I'm not a Meth user, maker, or seller, and would gladly snap the neck of anyone making it or (worse) selling it to our kids.

I'm one of those people that always buys 2 when 1 would do. Hey, I snore, so to keep the Mrs. happy, I'll take a Sudafed now and then, especially now that the flowers are blooming. It's convenient having 2 packs -- one in the medicine cabinet, and one in my travel kit. But no -- can't do it. What a pain. And I'm not gonna go around the law and get the Mrs. to buy some, too. I could go to the doc and get a prescription for it...but it's called an over-the-counter-med for a reason. And why should I pay for a doctor's visit just to get some anti-stuffy meds? Dammit, why do a few morons make it so hard to just live a normal life?

And why does the state impose an inconvenience on me when it should be giving the local cops and sheriffs enough money to catch the bad guys?

Rosie the Irrelevant

Great post over at The Corner on National Review Online by Victor Davis Hanson. I think this is one of the best lines of the year:

That's why the "View" is so valuable, because it is our window on the moronic affluent American mindset, the perfect result of abject ignorance colliding with unchecked affluence. (Italics mine.)

Amen, brother.

And another thing...

Lower the drinking age back to 18. If you're old enough to vote and old enough to fight and (perhaps) die for your country, you are old enough to drink beer.

Period.

Help a Cop out

This headline from the AP caught my attention:

JANESVILLE, Wis. — A driver who was stopped for speeding and tested over the legal limit for blood-alcohol content, but was not arrested, was killed less than three hours later Monday when his car hit a tree, according to police.

Catch the full story on Fox News here.

I want to encourage you to join me and contribute to the legal defense fund for the poor cop that let this guy go. The driver, besides being a candidate for this year's Darwin Awards, wasn't even wearing his safety belt. I've been a vocal and tireless (and not-very-effective) opponent of mandatory seat-belt laws for adults. I truly believe that we all have the right to be dumb...and need to take a little personal responsibility in our lives, get the damn government out of the business of being a nanny, and pay the consequences for our actions.

Now I don't want to hear from the MADD folks on this. Yes, this guy COULD HAVE killed someone else. But he didn't -- he has taken the ULTIMATE responsibility for being one with nature (and that tree) now.

I don't give a damn about this guy's personal life, nor about what his problems were, nor why he was pounding some beers before he got in the car. Unless we're going to pass laws requiring sobriety tests at the exits to all bars and homes (not likely), we'll get this now and then. Our laws (and the punishments) are designed as deterrents to bad behavior. As long as we don't hurt someone else in the process, we need to think carefully where we're going to draw the line on legislating against bad behavior.

I know, I know, I AGREE that we should have DWI laws (where did the term 'DUI' come from, anyway?), and I think they should be enforced. But this cop stopped the guy, made him take the breath test, had a friend come pick him up, and sent them on their way. It sure as hell is not the cop's fault that the guy ended up behind the wheel later. Sure, he could have sobered up in the drunk tank. BUT...he'd just hit the bottle again the next day and wrap himself around that tree (or maybe around your bumper).

You know that this cop will lose his job over this...and all because he treated this guy as we'd like him to treat us if we were in this scenario. Reminds me of my Dad when I first "tasted" beer. He wouldn't give me aspirin the next day...said that I needed to understand what the price of beer was (besides the $1.99 per six-pack). Smart man, yes, he was.

Send money to this cop.

Personal responsibility...that's what it's all about.

Thank God he's an EX-President

This week, former President Jimmy Carter was asked about Tony Blair's legacy. Said the Pea-brained Nut from Georgia:

"I think that the almost undeviating support by Great Britain for the ill-advised policies of President Bush in Iraq have been a major tragedy for the world."

Now, it's one thing to criticize Blair (he should not), but it's quite another for the Peanut Man to take a shot at President Bush. An unwritten policy of gentlemanliness has always been followed by former Presidents: You don't criticize the President who's in office. As a Southerner, I'm embarrassed that Carter would show the lack of manners and class to violate this courtesy. Recall that neither Nixon nor Ford ever said anything bad about Carter while he was in office. They just didn't comment. A little professional courtesy would be nice, and, dammit, just plain good manners are lacking in this hick. I'm sure his mama, Miz Lillian, would slap him silly.

H/T COB

Immigration Reform (NOT) and Amnesty

Here's a great post from National Review Online. This should remind you why Ted Kennedy is a moron and can't be trusted behind the wheel of a car, let alone writing laws.

Ted Kennedy on Immigration [Mark Krikorian]

1965: "The bill will not flood our cities with immigrants. It will not upset the ethnic mix of our society. It will not relax the standards of admission. It will not cause American workers to lose their jobs."

1986: "This amnesty will give citizenship to only 1.1 to 1.3 million illegal aliens. We will secure the borders henceforth. We will never again bring forward another amnesty bill like this."

2007: "Now it is time for action. 2007 is the year we must fix our broken system."

H/T NRO 5/18/2007

Harry Reid, once again, worthless

Please visit COB's blog. This is very important and personal for him, as his son is currently serving in Baghdad with the 82nd Airborne.

And I propose a mass boycott of all of Nevada until the voters of Nevada get rid of this POS Harry Reid.

From COB:

http://crotchetyoldbastard.com/blog/2007/04/thank_you_senator_reid.html.

I humbly ask that you all give this the widest spread possible across your blogs or those that you frequent.

Senator Reid has gone beyond just pandering and political amatuerism; he is now endangering my son. I am sure that most of you can imagine how I feel. Imagine if one of your sons were in a dangerous place and a politician's acts and statements did no less than greatly increase his danger?

Again, I ask your indulgence but I think thousands of messages just might make a difference. It likely won't change Reid's position but I will copy the message to every Senator and, if nothing else, might steel the resolve of those who still believe in the US military.

Thanks for your help,

COB6

Texas Independence Day

Today in history, March 2, 1836, Texans gathered in Washington-on-the-Brazos signed the Texas Declaration of Independence from Mexico. The Alamo in San Antonio was under siege, and the Declaration was written - literally - overnight, between March 1 and 2. Texas became an independent nation until joining the Union in 1845.

Celebrate Texas Independence Day -- Kiss a Texan (preferably of the opposite sex).

Bush to TSA: One Strike and Yer Out!

It's good to see that President Bush has pledged to veto legislation that would allow TSA screeners to enter into collective bargaining. The role of the TSA is so crucial to our safety in the air that it should not have the right to attempt to impose work rules that would hinder the effectiveness (and safety) of the role screeners play in keeping us safe. Recall the Air Traffic Controllers that were fired by President Reagan for striking...this is a great sign that the President will continue to place the safety of the flying public ahead of the right to negotiate mission creep (aka work rules) for this group of employees. Bravo.

(Aside -- I'll get letters from my family on this. My wife's grandfather was a founder of the union at Ford, and was beaten up by Ford goons on many occasions. So that side of the family is still pretty liberal.)

Also, it's great news that a group of Senators has written to the President with a pledge to support his promised veto of this legislation. Here's a copy of the letter from the Senators to the President.

Let's keep the Friendly Skies as the Safe Skies.

H/T National Review Online

Munich Murtha

Here's Jack Murtha, surrounded by the Democrats in Congress, just after passage of the "Run Away" resolution.

But seriously, read Victor Davis Hanson today on NRO:

Do anti-war critics prefer to invade Pakistan? [Victor Davis Hanson]

I was watching the Scarborough cable news show this evening, where the talking heads went on and on about the impending Taliban spring offensive as the inevitable wage of our "taking our eye off the ball" by getting bogged down in Iraq-a country that didn't attack us and was not involved in 9/11 related terrorism.

Putting aside Saddam's violations of UN and armistice accords, and his long record of subsidies and sanctuary for various terrorists, or the 23 writs authorizing the war passed by the Congress, and ignoring the fact that over six decades ago, a much poorer United States fought simultaneously Germany, Italy, and Japan, and then in midst of rebuilding western Europe and Japan contained at the same time both communist China and the Soviet Union, there was no mention of WHY the Taliban was supposedly setting up camps with relative impunity in Waziristan and the other badlands of Pakistan.

Neither the host nor the animated guests offered any solution to how the United States is to engage in hot pursuit into or bombs over a nuclear Islamic country run by a dictator whose illegitimate rule hinges on concessions to Islamists. So until they offer a concrete plan on how to go into Pakistan to get al Qaeda, and why the resulting risks would be worth it, all their bombast about war mongering in Iraq preventing a solution to al Qaeda remains just that.

02/19 10:10 PM

H/T National Review Online

Good (and bad) Date in History -- 1/4/72

Just read Scott's post about his birthday, and I almost spit the beer out the nose when I read at the bottom "and the date is now forever marred by"...

Amen, brother. I would laugh if I wasn't so pissed off.

Read it for yourself here.

Oh, yeah, and Happy Birthday (again).

McCain for Prez --- NOT

I received one of those innocuous "surveys" from the McCain Exploratory Campaign, er, PAC today. I usually toss these in the round file unopened (anything with less than First Class postage goes in the round file at my house). But I thought, what the hey, I'll open it and see what the wacko questions would be. Mostly softballs, like "Do you think we should reduce waste in the Social Security System?". Um, er, ah, let's see...that's a tough one. No, no, yes...a bit. Pages and pages of this palaver. So, against my better judgement, I decided to answer the softballs and ask a few of my own, such as:

1. Since 2001, the Federal Budget has increased 52% ($1.9 trillion to $2.9 trillion). What have you done, Senator, to keep the budget in check?

2. In response to questions about the UN (gawd!), I said "Kick the UN out of NYC and stop our funding until the other nations step up and supply troops for Iraq and Afghanistan" After all, they voted for the meaningless resolutions.

3. "When are you going to repeal McCain-Feingold?" It's only the biggest unconstitutional limit on free speech since the invention of the muzzle. And you, Senator McCain, signed a bill with a Senator that wants us to pull out of Iraq TODAY! And I live in Wisconsin where the popcorn-fart Feingold is from. (You've never heard the phrase 'drier than a popcorn fart'? Must be a Texas thing.)

You know...my own softball questions back atcha.

And, as a loyal Republican, I even sent him a check...for exactly 2 cents. Hey, it's my 2 cents worth. I'll post a copy of the cancelled check if they have the guts to cash it.

Duncan Hunter for Prez! (H/T COB)

NBC's William Arkin -- Dumb and dumber

After the controversy he set off with his use of mercenary to describe US troops, Arkin then tried to weasel out and get by with what might be considered an apology by Hillary or Kerry or Murtha or Harry Reid:

I was dead wrong in using the word mercenary to describe the American soldier today.

These men and women are not fighting for money with little regard for the nation. The situation might be much worse than that: Evidently, far too many in uniform believe that they are the one true nation. They hide behind the constitution and the flag and then spew an anti-Democrat, anti-liberal, anti-journalism, anti-dissent, and anti-citizen message that reflects a certain contempt for the American people.

The above is from a new column written as an apologia. So, he apologises for calling soldiers "mercenary". Then he says the "situation might be much worse..." Gads...they "hide behind the constitution and the flag". Nope. They swear allegiance to BOTH, and stand IN FRONT OF THEM...PROTECTING THEM.

You bet it might be much worse, moron. All of those mercenaries might rise up (as only stupid, undisciplined, and desperate fighters can) and run you off of the road in your...wait, was that a Suburban?

Fox News caught this Greenpeace tree-hugger...loading a full-sized SUV on the way to or from a road trip! "Hey, man, leave me alone while I get outta here in my Suburban...wait, where's the gas station? $2.19 a gallon! That's a crime, man, I should be paying $5 a gallon like our brothers in Eurabia do."

This is your brain...this is your brain on STUPIDITY.

As I've said before, we really NEED morons like this in the world. It sure makes the rest of us plain-ole dumb rednecks look much smarter, don't it?

I'm Remodeling My House

Here's the start of a post from Uncle Jimbo over at Blackfive:

Accommodating Muslim intolerance

Posted By Uncle Jimbo

So now the prisons in the UK are going to turn all their toilets so Muslim criminals can crap in a directionally proper religious manner.

I have called my brother (who's a builder) and asked him to turn all of my toilets so that my ass-end will be pointing toward Mecca.

Monty Python and the Holy Grail comes to mind..."I fart in your general direction..."

Read the rest of Jimbo here.

Timely...and Timeless quote from Thomas Jefferson

“[A] Congress with power to do whatever would be for the good of the United States... as they would be the sole judges of the good or evil, it would be also a power to do whatever evil they please.” —Thomas Jefferson

From Patriot Post...www.patriotpost.us

Amen.

Blinking Pelosi

Got this one from my pal at crotchetyoldbastard.com

COLTS are in the SUPER BOWL

I'm a fan of Indy (as long as they're not playing the Cowboys). Peyton did a great job tonight. In honor of the win...

Chuck Hagel, American Traitor (screed 4)

I believe that we can have a loyal opposition. The problem is, when you're the opposition, you have an obligation to add suggested solutions to your opposition. For instance, let's stipulate that the American public school system is doing a poor job of teaching kids to read by the time they get out of high school. (Aside: If you don't agree to THAT premise, you can't READ). I think the schools are a problem, and I propose competition via vouchers. If you oppose school vouchers, you should state why, and state what your alternative solution is. And that solution should not be "keep the status quo". We've already stipulated that the status quo is a problem.

So...we have a problem in Iraq. In my humble opinion, the problem is NOT that we are not winning. The problem is we've politicised the war...and the soldiers aren't running it (I'm old enough to recall this same conversation about Vietnam...are you?).

The President of the United States has vast quantities of information available to him that you and I are not allowed to see...nor should we be. From my bald head to my toenails, I think Bush believed there were WMD's in Iraq...and, ahem, by the way, so did many Democrats. And there is a LOT more scary stuff out there that I don't know about, and I won't ever know about. But I damn sure want to be protected from it.

I have zero military experience...no jokes about it...it's zero. Who in the world am I to weigh in on whether or not our military strategy is right or wrong? I might say, "Stop, the costs are too high". But even this is not really fair to POTUS. As long as I agree with the premise of "we're in Iraq to root out WMD's, protect us from terrorists using it as a staging area, and stabilize it so that we can be a friend", then POTUS gets to keep doing what he thinks is right.

I say, let the President prosecute the war his way (He's the CINC, after all. Read your Constitution, if you are one the the few, we lucky few, who could read out of high school). I am not in a position to say if he's doing it correctly or incorrectly. If I hear enough bitching from the Colonels and the Majors and the Captains, plus the senior NCO's, who are the tip of the spear, then I'll worry that we've got it wrong.

With all that said, Chuck Hagel strikes me as a traitor. I don't throw that word out there lightly. He wants to cause the US to lose the war in Iraq. If you want us to lose, or to pull out before we're done (that's not a high-school joke), you're for the OTHER SIDE. It's not a normal war (Lee vs Grant). It's bad dudes in the hood acting out, and the rules of engagement need to be "when threatened, shoot first, ask questions later". Plus, let's let the Dems run with one of their favorite themes...gun control. If you're on the street in Iraq with a gun, and you're not a cop or a US or Allied soldier, you get one warning shot, then you're toast. Plus, I don't see a lot of white-tail deer in Iraq, so let's take away their guns for 5 years, and let them earn back the right to own them. (Don't for a minute think I'm for gun control in the US. We have the rule of law in my hood. We don't need to control guns in the hands of law-abiding citizens...we need Concealed Carry...but I digress).

When Hagel wants the US to lose in Iraq, or to pull troops out before we have subdued the bad guys and set up an environment that won't harbor terrorists, he needs to explain a good alternative to setting up that safe environment. If he can't, then strap a chute on Hagel's back and drop him into a Sunni hood in Baghdad. God will sort em out.

Hagel should say, "I don't agree with how the President is prosecuting the war, and his plan does not have my concurrence, but, by God, American soldiers are in harm's way, the CINC sent em, and I'll support 'em". Then Hagel should proceed to tell us how he proposes to win the war...and that war is about keeping the "24", the Clancy, and the David Hagberg scenarios from becoming real.

Chuck "Bonehead" Hagel

Alright, at the risk of 3 screeds in a row, here's a quote from Senator Chuck Hagel (R, NE):

The plan is ``the most dangerous foreign policy blunder in this country since Vietnam,'' Senator Chuck Hagel, a Republican of Nebraska, told Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice at a hearing of the committee today. (H/T: Bloomberg)

Let's see...Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton come to mind as buffoons who committed foreign policy blunders greater than our new plan in Iraq.

Hagel needs to be taken out behind the woodshed by Bush (a la Reagan) and told to toe the damn line. Did Pelosi hit Hagel over the head with the gavel while she was all giddy and waving it around?

Here's a suggestion for Hagel: Head on over to Cabela's and shake hands there, asking these regular folks what they think about our efforts in Iraq. The hell with polls on the left and right coasts; Cabela's will give Chucky a much better picture of what his constituents REALLY think.

I really need to get off these rants...my blood pressure is getting too high.

Harry "Surrender" Reid

You just can't make this stuff up. This POS actually said:

Harry Reid on President Bush:

"I would hope the man realizes that more than 75 percent of his administration has been a total flop," said Reid. "There's 25 percent left. I hope he would [ask], 'What can we do together?' I repeat: It's as if he wants to fail." (H/T: National Review Online)

I am at a loss for words to describe my contempt for this "man". Wasn't there just an article about a woman removing a guys testicles with her bare hands? Nah, couldn't have been Harry...he never had testes in the first place.

The role of the Majority Leader is to reach across the aisle and work out compromises...not toss grenades to see how much (figurative) damage he can do by insulting the President. Even the Marine guards saluted Clinton as he entered and exited MarineOne...they didn't like it, but he was CINC. Poor Harry...he needs a week at boot camp to learn RESPECT.

I repeat: put a parachute on him and drop him into Anbar province with a fountain pen. Hell, drop him into one of the test ranges in Nevada...

Again, for the record (and for the Secret Service), I do NOT wish harm to come to Harry. I am insulted by him and wish to insult him in return.

Dick Durbin, Traitor and Scumbag

Pardon my language, but this jack-off should be voted out of office. Is it any wonder that he wants to pull our troops out of Iraq when this moron votes time after time to deny the citizens of Illinois the right to carry concealed weapons? If a turban-head tries to pull off a crime in Illinois, the most a citizen can legally do is throw spit-balls. Wonderful.

Durbin is a dirtbag that should be dropped into Bagdad with no body armor, no weapon (besides his twisted words), and an "America - Love it or Leave It" shirt on. We can then say goodbye to this waste of air.

I actually feel better now...not as good as if I could bitch-slap him (which I won't do, because assault is against the law). So, I wave my private parts at Dick-head Durbin.

I Want the Bumper Sticker

Check out this post from Crotchety Old Bastard. Gotta love this guy.

http://crotchetyoldbastard.com/blog/2007/01/new_national_emblem.html

More Stupidity in the NYTimes

No real comment needed.

The Times Lies About Enemy Combatant Law [Andy McCarthy]

The Times is flat dishonest in its campaign against subjecting enemy combatants to military proceedings, which the Grey Lady passes off as a page-one news article. Correspondent Tim Golden writes:

Under a law passed by Congress and signed by President Bush in October, this double-wide trailer may be as close to a courtroom as most Guantánamo prisoners ever get. The law prohibits them from challenging their detention or treatment by writs of habeas corpus in the federal courts. Instead, they may only petition a single federal appeals court to examine whether the review boards followed the military’s own procedures in reviewing their status as “enemy combatants.” [Emphasis added.]

It's hard to quantify how inaccurate (and, one is compelled to conclude, disingenuous) this is.

First, the law that governs these detainees is not the Military Commissions Act that President Bush signed in October. As that act makes clear, the review of Combatant Status Review Tribunals is actually governed by a law the president signed a year earlier, the Detainee Treatment Act of 2005 — specifically, Section 1005 of that law.

Second, by definition, a federal appeals court is not only a federal court; it is also a higher federal court than the single district court to which U.S. citizens must petition for a writ of habeas corpus. Leaving aside, moreover, that it is unprecedented in the history of the United States for enemy prisoners to have access to our courts during wartime to challenge their status as enemy prisoners, the al Qaeda detainees at issue here have actually been given access to the United States Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, which, aside from being superior to all district courts, is often regarded as second only to the Supreme Court in our judicial hierarchy.

Third, it is simply not true that the D.C. Circuit is limited to examining whether the military's combatant status review tribunals "followed the military's own procedures in reviewing their status as 'enemy combatants.'" To the contrary, in addition to determining whether the military followed its own procedures, Section 1005(e)(2) expressly calls on the court to consider "to the extent the Constitution and laws of the United States are applicable, whether the use of such standards and procedures to make the determination is consistent with the Constitution and laws of the United States." (Emphasis added.)

To be clear, I believe the alleged combatants — aliens with no U.S. immigration status held by the military outside the jurisdiction of the federal courts during wartime — have no rights under the Constitution, and have rights under federal statutes only to the limited, if any, extent Congress has expressly made those statutes applicable outside our borders. Whether I am right or wrong about that, however, the detainees are still fully entitled to claim that the military's standards and procedures are inconsistent with federal law. They are not, as the Times asserts, limited to challenging whether the military's standards and procedures have been followed.

Fourth, the essence of habeas corpus is the right to claim that one's detention flouts fundamental rights under the Constitution and laws of the United States. While the detainees access to the D.C. Circuit is not called "habeas corpus," the Detainee Treatment Act precisely allows them to claim that their detention is in violation of their fundamental rights under U.S. law. Thus, although aliens held outside the U.S. are not constitutionally entitled to habeas review in the federal courts, Congress has substantially given it to them anyway.

Other than that, the Times really did a bang up job on this one.

Hat-tip: The Corner - National Review Online