THE TYGRRRR EXPRESS

Ok, enough fun and games. It is time to get to work.

Am I the only person who thinks that there were just too many inaugural balls?

This is not a knock on our new President. I bet he probably felt there were too many balls. In fact, the overload was similar to college football except that one month ago it was bowls, not balls.

Last night we had the Tostitos La Raza Fiesta Ball, The RU486 Now Ball, The Persian Environmentalist Global Shawarming Ball, and I think the Poulon Weed Eater and Tinactin Toe Fungus Balls.

I genuinely did want to hear what he had to say whenever he spoke. Yet does anybody really need to interview Kanye West or Puff Diddy Daddy Howdy Doody (or whatever he calls himself this week) for their opinions?

Whether democrats or republicans, we decry partisanship, but love a good party.

Well now the balloons have been popped and the floors have been cleaned. Hopefully the environmentalists did not leave their signs of “hope,” “change,” and “Yes, we can,” on the lawn to ruin the D.C. grass.

Before getting serious, a quick fun note. Young actor and husband of Demi Moore, Ashton Kutcher, wrote a column entitled “I pledge to serve President Obama.”

Andrew Breitbart of “Big Hollywood,” had a brilliant satire entitled, “I pledge to ridicule celebrities (who refuse to recognize that we are at war with people that want to kill them too).”

http://bighollywood.breitbart.com/breitbart/2009/01/19/where-were-you-celebrities-after-911/

Ok, enough fun. It is time to roll up our sleeves and get to work. I could care less about the Inaugural speech. I felt it was bland, but only because he set the bar so high in 2004 that he may have set unrealistic expectations. Nevertheless, I am going to judge this man not by what he says, but by what he does.

I do not see this as the greatest day in human existence, nor do I see it as armageddon. According to my calendar, it is Wednesday. On Wednesday, I work. Our politicians need to do the same, and fast.

The stock market dropped 300 points on Inauguration Day, which means at this rate the stock market will be at 0 very soon. No, I am not predicting that.

The only thing I want in my new President is for him to get the job done. Three different columns address this in various ways.

One of the most decent and thoughtful liberals I have ever seen on television (and met in person) is Juan WIlliams. I disagree with him much of the time, but he is a genuine and sincere person that cares about fixing problems. He makes it clear that for Barack Obama to truly be judged fairly, he has to face criticism when he is wrong. People that are too scared to criticize a black man are patronizing. Juan Williams is right when he says, “Judge Obama on Performance Alone.”

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123249791178500439.html

“If his presidency is to represent the full power of the idea that black Americans are just like everyone else — fully human and fully capable of intellect, courage and patriotism — then Barack Obama has to be subject to the same rough and tumble of political criticism experienced by his predecessors. To treat the first black president as if he is a fragile flower is certain to hobble him. It is also to waste a tremendous opportunity for improving race relations by doing away with stereotypes and seeing the potential in all Americans.

Yet there is fear, especially among black people, that criticism of him or any of his failures might be twisted into evidence that people of color cannot effectively lead. That amounts to wasting time and energy reacting to hateful stereotypes. It also leads to treating all criticism of Mr. Obama, whether legitimate, wrong-headed or even mean-spirited, as racist.

This is patronizing. Worse, it carries an implicit presumption of inferiority. Every American president must be held to the highest standard. No president of any color should be given a free pass for screw-ups, lies or failure to keep a promise.”

Juan Williams is a good man. He will condemn the truly racists in our society that will reflexively oppose President Obama out of a bigotry that will hopefully breathe its last breath in my lifetime. Yet he will also criticize those that will not criticize President Obama for any reason at any time, as if that is the appropriate remedy for past injustices.

Juan Williams gets it. He understands that it is time to get to work.

Christopher Dickey of Newsweek does not get it in terms of Israel, but despite using tired anti-Israel language, he does offer some insight into how President Obama’s election can be a message to Arabs in the Middle East.

http://www.newsweek.com/id/180635/page/1

Barack Obama was an acceptable alternative to the race baiting black “leadership” in the form of race hustlers Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. is revered, while the Black Panthers are reviled. The ARabs in the Middle East have never tried non-violence.

As I said, Mr. Dickey is dead wrong in trying to morally equate Israel and the Palestinians. However, he is right when he says that if the Palestinians, and Arabs in general, would ever try non-violence, they would reach heights that Dr. King and President Obama reached.

Arabs in the Middle East need to stop their culture of failure and blame. They need to get to work.

Yet the biggest challenge for President Obama will not come in the form of a suicidal death cult in the Middle East. It will be the suicidal death cult in his own party. Liberals are masters at hara-kiri.

Make no mistake about it. President Obama has an icy cool veneer, but many liberals, beneath the hope and promise, are scared to death they will screw it up. I have repeatedly said that I do not worry when democrats win elections because they can’t govern. Liberals would rather gouge their eyes out than have me be proven right about this again.

The question before them is whether they will choose governance or vengeance. President Obama has no bloodlust. He truly wants to move forward and actually govern. Yet too many in his party want to take President George W. Bush and keep trying to destroy him. They want to punch him, violate his daughters, run over his dog, and strap him and Vice President Cheney to a medieval torture rack (Yes, they would favor torture in that situation).

They can’t let go. They don’t know how to not hate.

J R Dunn at American Thinker has an outstanding post about the depths of the hatred towards President George W. Bush.

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2009/01/bush_and_the_bushhaters.html

“There is one thing certain to go through Barack Obama’s mind during the inauguration: at one point or another, while glancing at George W. Bush, he will consider the treatment that Bush got as president and hope to God he suffers nothing even vaguely similar.

It can be stated without fear of serious argument that no previous president has been treated as brutally, viciously, and unfairly as George W. Bush.

Bush 43 endured a deliberate and planned assault on everything he stood for, everything he was involved in, everything he tried to accomplish.”

When liberals say that “we should all come together,” what they really mean is that conservatives should “shut up and agree with them.” When asked how coming together can be combined with vitriol towards the outgoing President, the answer is that hatred of Bush is an exception because “he actually deserves it.”

By what criteria? Because they say so?

I do not blame Barack Obama for the fact that too many of his supporters are out and out lunatics. I will blame him if he caters to this mob. So far he has not. Yet Mr. Dunn knows what he is talking about when he warns of what will occuir based on what already has.

“His detractors were willing to risk the country’s safety, its economic health, and the very balance of the democratic system of government in order to get at him. They were out to bring him down at all costs, or at the very least destroy his personal and presidential reputation. At this they have been half successful, at a high price for the country and its government.”

The left was never willing to get to work. They needed vengeance like normal humans need oxygen.

“What were the reasons for this hatred and the campaign that grew out of it? We can ask that question as often as we like, but we’ll get no rational answer. All that we can be sure of is that Bush’s actual policies and personality had little to do with it. Al Gore’s egomaniacal attempt to defy this country’s constitutional rules of succession merely acted as a trigger, giving the left a pretext to open up the attack. The same can be said about lingering bitterness over Bill Clinton’s impeachment.”

The cancerous elements that formed Moveon.org never did truly move on. In the case of the Jayson Blair Times, hatred for President Bush was so deep and so vile that the paper was willing to get innocent Americans killed over it. After all, jihad does involve collateral damage.

“But even this pales in light of the actions of the New York Times, which on its downhill road to becoming a weekly shopper giveaway for the Upper West Side, seriously jeopardized national security in the process of satisfying its anti-Bush compulsion. Telecommunications intercepts, interrogation techniques, transport of terrorist captives, tracking of terrorist finances… scarcely a single security program aimed at Jihadi activity went unrevealed by the Times and — not to limit the blame — was then broadcast worldwide by the legacy media. At one point, Times reporters published a detailed analysis of government methods of searching out rogue atomic weapons, a story that was no doubt read with interest at points north of Lahore, and one that we may all end up paying for years down the line. The fact that Bush was able to curtail any further attacks while the media as a whole was working to undermine his efforts is little less than miraculous.”

I will again say that I do not blame our new President. Just because some political psychotics agree with him does not mean he agrees with them.

Yet can democrats put aside their hatred and actually govern? Will they work on solutions to current problems? Or will they conduct endless investigations of industries such as “big oil,” and then wonder why the stock market fears them?

Will they try to pursue war crimes charges against everybody in the Bush Aministration?

Barack Obama seems reasonable, but it will not be easy to pacify the centrists and the wingnuts.

I will continue to take a wait and see atittude with our new President. He deserves the benefit of the doubt.

The wingnuts deserve nothing, and will hopefully get nothing. Until they wipe the blood from their fangs, there is nothing to discuss with them.

As for the rest of us civilized human beings, we do not have time to indulge the tantrums of the left.

We have serious work to do. Let’s roll up our sleeves and get to work.

eric

Dear President Obama,

Today is your day.

As of 12pm EST, You took over the leadership of the free world. America has its 44th President.

While I disagree with you on many issues, today is your day sir.

You represent my nation, and I want you to lead well. I want you to succeed.

I have some requests for you. I want to emphasize that they are requests, not demands. Nevertheless, I implore you to heed my words.

Level with the American people. Always. Tell us the truth, whether we want to hear it or not. Look us in the eye, tell us what you are doing, why you are doing it unless national security dictates otherwise, and then do it. Don’t back down. You made your decisions for a reason.

I will disagree with many of your decisions, but it will never be personal with me. I will want the very best of health, peace and happiness for you, your wife, and your two children. When I see people taking cheap shots against you, I will condemn it. I will do this even if these people are on my side of the political fence. In fact, I will do it especially if they are on my side.

All I ask in return is that you recognize me as a member of the noble, loyal opposition. I do not hate you. I disagree with you. We have different belief systems. Yet if you look me in the eye, and tell me that you will be enacting policies that are diametrically opposed to my beliefs, and those decisions are based on deeply held convictions and sound reasoning, you will have my respect.

I did not vote for you sir, but I owe you the benefit of the doubt.

I owe you the benefit of the doubt.

I truly believe that you love this country, and that you want what is best for us. You want to keep us safe.

From a personal standpoint, I genuinely believe that you are sincere when you say that you want to bring people together.

For you to successfully do this, you will have to butt heads and defeat a faction of your own party that is more interested in vengeance than governance.

After you won the election I promised you that the 10 weeks between the election and the inauguration would determine how I personally viewed you. If you treated President George W. Bush with respect and dignity, I would show you that same courtesy.

You have been a complete gentleman since the election, and I genuinely appreciate that. You may not realize this, but when you described President George W. Bush recently as a “good person,” that meant a lot to me.

I believe that you have an understanding of the power of your new office and title. Once you sit in that chair, you will have to make choices, with each one angering a certain segment of American society. Chances are I may be one of the first people to be upset. Yet it will never be personal.

I hope you truly never end up seeing me as evil, mean, dumb, heartless, or other adjectives that have been applied to people just for being right of center. You seem like a man of decency that will see me the way I see you…as a fellow member of the American family.

In the coming days, weeks, and months, we will go back and forth about taxes, trade, guns, Israel, and a host of other issues.

That can wait. Today is your day.

Yesterday we honored Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Today a major piece of his vision will be fulfilled.

A few days ago I held an elevator door open for an elderly black couple. She had one hand on her cane and the other clutched on to her husband’s arm. They had limited eyesight, but the love in their eyes was easy to see. They said that they had been married for 62 years. As much as Martin Luther King Jr. Day matters to them, I cannot begin to imagine how proud they must be of you.

As a young, white conservative, I do not have to have lived through certain experiences to understand their meaning to others. One day America will have a Jewish President, and I will be crying my eyes out. So when I see black America weeping tears of joy, I will more than understand.

One day the idea of a black man as President will be boring. Perhaps your children will grow up and have no idea that such an event even matters. That would be even more amazing than your inauguration.

In politics, January 20th is the big day. In sports it is February 1st.

In less than two weeks, the Super Bowl will be played. The Pittsburgh Steelers will play the Arizona Cardinals. I mention this because the first Steelers team to win the Super Bowl was the 1974 team. The “Steel Curtain” consisted of Dwight White, L C Greenwood, Ernie Holmes, and Mean Joe Greene. They were the first front four that was all black, something that would not garner any notice today. Many people do not remember this, but Terry Bradshaw did not start the season. The starting quarterback was Joe Gilliam. He was the first black quarterback in the modern era. His success was limited, but 13 years later, Doug Williams became the first black quarterback to win a Super Bowl. In 1989, Art Shell became the first black man to be an NFL head coach in the modern era. In 2006, both Super Bowl teams had black head coaches.

My point sir is that things take time. Americans are evolutionary, not revolutionary. I know you campaigned on change, but Americans by nature tend to want slow movements. If you move too slowly, some will get restless. If you move too quickly, others will get nervous. Your promise of change may face limitations in a system set up by our Founding Fathers, who viewed “getting nothing done,” and “gridlock,” as “the system working.”

I do not envy your job sir. You have a very tough road ahead. However, you have a rare combination of talent, brains, and an ability to connect with people. With good luck thrown in, anything is possible. Of course, a few private prayers during the toughest times to the God you believe in could help as well.

The challenges will be many, but those challenges can be overcome.

After all, this is America.

Good luck President Obama.

Godspeed sir.

eric

President George W. Bush is getting set to ride off into the sunset.

As his harshest critics contemplate suicide due to lacking a reason to now live, and his staunchest supporters like myself fight back tears that he is leaving, both sides must know one thing.

It will all be ok.

His detractors are not worth acknowledging. They can talk amongst themselves.

His supporters need to be at peace for one reason alone.

President Bush is at peace himself.

I shall offer my own tribute to him on his final day in office. In the meantime, below are some beautiful tributes to the good and decent man that led the free world for the past eight years.

Sir Charles of Krauthammer notices that the incoming President will be providing a significant amount of continuity we can believe in, a validation of the current policies.

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2009/01/obamas_revises_the_bush_years.html

Peter Wehner wrote in USA Today that the main obligation of a President is to keep us safe. Many people ascribe this to luck. Luck did not keep us safe. President George W. Bush did.

http://blogs.usatoday.com/oped/2009/01/bush-kept-us-sa.html

Rich Galen is an insider. He has seen the President up close. He knows what this man is about. He understands that George W. Bush is a man of honor and character.

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2009/01/we_have_not_tired_we_have_not.html

Mark Davis in the Dallas Morning News has a simple message for George W. Bush. It is the same message I have been saying to the man that has kept us safe in the wake of the worst attack on American soil.

“Thank you Mr. President.”

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2009/01/thank_you_mr_president.html

Peter Brookes of the Heritage Foundation reminds everybody in the New York Post that the Bush years consisted of an overwhelming number of successes on the world stage. The media can refuse to cover them, but the successes were numerous, and substantial.

http://www.nypost.com/seven/01112009/postopinion/opedcolumnists/bushs_better_world_149578.htm?page=0

The finest minds on Earth are found at the Wall Street Journal. The best and brightest understand what is important. It is no surprise that these brilliant thinkers understand that without a safe nation, Wall STreet does not function.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123206685391388221.html

On Friday in New York, a miracle occurred when a plane crash in the Hudson River resulted in heroism, bravery, and the very best triumph of the human spirit. On Sunday, sports will carry the day as teams will fight for the right to go to the Super Bowl. On Monday, the late Dr. Martin Luther King will be honored. On Tuesday, President Bush will quietly walk away, and America will have a new President.

What will be even more important will be Wednesday. Life will go on.

Yet on this Saturday, I am struck by how miraculous it is that going on is even possible. As President Bush reminded us, we went back to normal after 9/11. He never did.

He made the hard choices so that we could relax.

He sacrificed his popularity so that we could be free to express concerns.

He helped spread freedom and liberty, which resulted in many people using that freedom and liberty to castigate him.

We did what was easy. We carped, and complained, and demanded quick solutions.

He did what was hard. He did what was right.

His toughest critics will never give him his due. They never wanted him to have a moment of peace. When all was said and done, their hatred was not enough to overcome his decency.

From people in Africa fighting to defeat the scourge of Aids to women in Iraq and Afghanistan fighting for their freedom to be treated as equals, George W. Bush has led these fights.

Disagreements about policy can, will, and should be debated vigorously.

What is not in dispute among anybody who is remotely credible is that this man that has led us for the last eight years acted and did what he truly believed was right.

He has been a great President, but more importantly he remains the same good man that I have been honored to see lead my nation that I love.

Monday will be a day for my formal tribute. For now others have spoken.

The one man who will not say anything is the man walking away. President George W. Bush does not need to say anything further.

He has let his deeds do the talking, and those deeds are noble.

eric

President George W. Bush is in the final 100 hours of his Presidency.

I wish his speech had lasted that long.

Here is the entire text.

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2009/01/president_bushs_farewell_addre.html

Below are some of the highest of the high notes.

“As the years passed, most Americans were able to return to life much as it had been before 9/11. I never did.”

“Afghanistan has gone from a nation where the Taliban harbored Al Queda and stoned women in the streets to a young democracy that is fighting terror and encouraging girls to go to school.”

“Iraq has gone from a brutal dictatorship and a sworn enemy of America to an Arab democracy at the heart of the Middle East and a friend of the United States.”

“There has been plenty of debate about these decisions, but there can be little debate about the results. America has gone another 7 years without another terrorist attack on our soil.”

“Under one (belief system), a small band of fanatics demands total obedience to an oppressive ideology, condemns women to subservience, and marks unbelievers for murder. The other system is based on the conviction that freedom is the universal gift of almighty God, and that liberty and justice light the path to peace. Advancing this belief is the only practical way to protect our citizens.”

“Around the world, America is spreading human freedom, human liberty, and human dignity.”

“I have always acted with the best interests of our country in mind. I have followed my conscience, and done what I thought was right. You may not have agreed with the decisions I made, but I hope you would be willing to agree that I made the tough decisions.”

“The gravest threat to our people is another terrorist attack. We did not seek this conflict, but we have been given solemn responsibilities, and we must meet them. We must never let down our guard.”

“We must reject isolationism, and its companion protectionism.”

“If America does not lead the cause of freedom, that cause will not be led.”

“Good and evil exist in this world, and between the two there can be no compromise. Murdering the innocent to advance an ideology is wrong every time, everywhere. Freeing people from oppression and despair is eternally right.”

“I have confidence in AMerica, because I know the character of its people.”

“With the courage of our people, and confidence in our ideals, this great nation will never tire, never falter, and never fail.”

“I will always be honored to carry a title that means more to me than any other…Citizen of the United States of America.”

For those that need to understand what really matters.

Bill O’Reilly offered his sentiment.

“Decent people, and all the polls show this, like President Bush as a person. They feel that he is a good man.”

I disagree with Bill O’Reilly. George W. Bush was never a good man. He began as an inconsequential but likable man. He has become a great man. He leaves, and should always be remembered, as a Great President.

Sean Hannity offered a similar sentiment regarding the Iraq War.

“He sacrificed his public approval rating and stood on his principles because he believed it was the right thing to do.”

Also, one of our European Allies, in England, offered sentiments as warm as they were justified.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/comment/personal-view/4241865/History-will-show-that-George-W-Bush-was-right.html

I have never made any bones about it. I love the guy.

To me he will always be the man who stood with that firefighter on September 14th, 2001. I still sob uncontrollably when I see him pick up that bull horn.

“I hear you, the rest of the world hears you, and pretty soon the people who knocked down these buildings are going to hear from all of us!”

When Lee Greenwood sings “God Bless the USA,” I picture those three firefighters hoisting that American flag high in the air.

The 2008 election was tough for me, but not because of the outcome. I realized that no matter who won, George W. Bush would no longer be leading this nation. Both of his potential successors were good, decent men, but neither one was him.

Then again, he grew into the job. He faced horrors that no President should ever have to face. Yet through it all, he kept his poise, his class, and his dignity.

He may have fractured his syntax, but he held America together.

I believe in almighty God, and I believe that he chose George W. Bush to be this man at this time.

Yet it was up to President Bush to rise to the challenge. He entered with goodness, and leaves with quietness matched by his greatness.

In 100 hours, he will be a private citizen again. He is comfortable with this. He is at peace.

That is what I hope and pray he receives in abundance.

May God bless him, Vice President Dick Cheney, First Lady Laura Bush and Second Lady Lynn Cheney.

The ultimate goal is to make the world a better place. George W. Bush has helped do this.

Real heroes do not spend every minute of their lives announcing that they are heroes. They let their deeds speak volumes.

George W. Bush has spread freedom and liberty around the globe. In doing this, he was…and is…right.

The next chapter will begin in 100 hours.

As for now, I can only clap loudly and enthusiastically for the man I affectionately call “The Dub.”

Luv ya Dubya.

Farewell Mr. President.

I appreciate your gracious thanks, but you need to know one thing.

It was my honor sir.

eric

The Tygrrrr Express is on Lockdown from 8PM EST on January 15th through January 21st of 2009.

I am suspending all democratic rights and instituting a dictatorship on this blog.

Just call me VladiTygrrrr. I do not care.

All comments…and I mean ALL comments…criticizing President George W. Bush will be deleted.

Those who object can leave, and return when the ban is lifted.

This good man George W. Bush has been beaten into the ground, and I am giving him 5 days of peace and solace.

His detractors can read Arab Terrorist Sympathizer Helen Thomas and leave comments of support with her if they need to satiate their bloodlust.

I am tired of everybody saying that we must “come together,” while castigating this man who is leaving office. There is no further need to brutalize this man.

It stops now.

On January 20th, I will extend the same one day courtesy to Barack Obama. His first day should be pleasant. Any criticisms of him will be deleted.

Given that I spend weekends dealing with football and other topics, this ban is actually 2 days, not 5 days.

If people have bile that they need to spread, this is the post to do it. Any subsequent posts before the 21st of January will result in mass screeds from both sides being deleted as I see fit.

Men should be allowed to enter and leave a job in peace.

7 years and 360 days is enough time to try and destroy a man. My President is getting his 5 days of peace.

President Bush, you have a speech to give. I have secured the perimeters of the Tygrrrr Express.

You may speak freely without verbal violence.

Commence Lockdown.

eric

The United States should not wait for Israel to act. If President Bush is not willing to do it, then his successor should immediately authorize targeting strikes inside Damascus with the explicit purpose of killing Syrian President Bashar Assad.

Before getting to the only thing that matters, winning the War on Terror, a couple quick housekeeping notes are in order. On Tuesday I was a guest of Frank and Shane on Political Vindication. I was on for the final 45 minutes of the 2 hour program discussing the recent Pro-Israel and anti-humanity (or as they called it Pro-Palestinian) rallies.

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/stations/HeadingRight/politicalvindication/2009/01/14/Political-Vindication-Radio

On Wednesday I was at the taping of Dr. Phil. It will be broadcast Monday. I will not be linking to it because it was a disappointing experience and waste of time. I have nothing against Dr. Phil. His appearances on Letterman are hilarious. On this taping of his own show he was funny and engaging, and he and I “fist-bumped.” Yet I did not know what the program was about. I thought there was a chance for audience questions. There was not. I was just an audience member.

I could care less about Hollywood. I was led to believe they wanted a group of republicans to get their opinions. They wanted a group of republicans to just sit there to fill up seats so the television audience would not see empty chairs.

I have no interest in doing anything like this unless it promotes me. I have a book coming out, and Dr. Phil talking to other people does me no good. Ari Fleischer was there, and while I have met him several times, this time I did not get to speak to him or make any good contacts.

Now about those murdering savages that are killing innocent Jews for sport while the world watches and does nothing to stop it.

While every news article or opinion column including mine should be taken with more than a few granules of sodium, an interesting report from Tel AViv is offering an astounding opportunity, if true.

Some say that the Palestinian people are under the death grip of Hamas. I reject this, because it implies that the Palestinian people are innocent victims and not terrorist enablers. Yet for the moment, let’s allow for this to be treated as factual enough. A new branch is growing from this tree of preposterousness. Hamas is under the death grip of Syria.

While again this must be rejected as offering excuses for evil behavior, let’s extend another branch, provided it is not an olive one. Who is Syria under the death grip of?

The world’s dumbest opthamologist, Bashar Assad.

Many say that Palestinians want peace but Hamas will not let them have it. Well now a report is stating that Hamas wants peace, but Syria will not allow it.

Now nobody is alleging that Hamas wants peace because it is the right thing to do. The issue is that for all of their fireball rhetoric of eternal praise and 72 virgins, some Hamas people do not want to die. They send others to be homicide bombers, but not themselves. Apparently they are needed for “coordinating.” Anyway, Hamas fighters are being b*tchslapped by brilliant Israeli Defense Forces. This has created a schism between those that want to pursue Jihad to the end, and those that want to merely live.

Coincidentally, those wanting a fight to the end are nowhere near the fighting. The Hamas leaders in Gaza seem to have a close up front view of an oncoming blue and white enema, and they do not want to receive it. It is very easy for me to tell NFL football players to “man up” and play in blizzard conditions while I am wrapped in a blanket in Los Angeles watching on television.

Syrians may not know a football from a falafel ball, but they are fabulous armchair quarterbacks.

The article is entitled “Israel says Hamas is damaged, not destroyed.”

“The intelligence officials said there were some signs that the military assault had undermined Hamas’s political cohesion, and that Hamas’s leaders in hiding inside Gaza were more eager for a cease-fire than group leaders in exile. They described this assessment as based on hard intelligence, presumably telephone intercepts.”

Shockingly enough, overwhelming force accomplished what not even United Nations resolutions could. I am not saying that the U.N. is completely worthless, but if anybody else said it I would agree with that understatement.

“A senior Egyptian official in Cairo said separately on Tuesday that representatives of Hamas had disagreed openly when participating in continuing Egyptian efforts to broker a cease-fire.”

This is literally how they can be broken in half. They are not that committed. Apparently they are only interested in a fight to the death if it is others that are dying.

“Inside Gaza, the military wing of Hamas has been hit “to a certain extent” with ‘a few hundred’ Hamas fighters killed during the ground offensive that began midway through the war, the intelligence officials said. They spoke on condition of anonymity in return for discussing internal assessments of the conflict. Hamas is still able to launch 20 to 30 rockets a day, including 5 to 10 missiles of ranges longer than 20 kilometers, or about 12 miles, down by a third from the start of the war, the officials said.”

Just to make sure I understand the words I just wrote, a 95% possibility at best, after 18 days Hamas capabilities have been reduced. Perhaps further reductions can be achieved with continuing the Israeli self defense exercises.

Some say that zero rockets coming at Israel would be unrealistic. I suggest these same people have rockets fired on their own homes and let me know if more than zero is only a negligible number.

Until there is 100% cessation of rockets being fired, and a complete dismantling of all rockets aimed at Israel for future strikes, there is nothing to negotiate.

Yes, this war is killing children. For those that want this to stop, the rockets aimed at Israel must stop first.

Wars end when one side realizes they cannot win. Perhaps this is way too premature, but Hamas fighters might be approaching that point. Yet they are in the line of fire. Their bosses in Syria are not. There is no urgency for Syria rto stop sending sacrificial goat lovers.

“Greater damage has been done to Hamas’s capacity to run Gaza, with a large number of government buildings destroyed over the course of the operation, they said.”

Yes, this is what happens when the mouse that roars gets crushed.

“In Egypt, efforts to broker a cease-fire were complicated by bickering inside Hamas, the Egyptian official said. The official said that Hamas representatives in Gaza were eager for a cease-fire, but were being blocked because political decisions were being made by the group’s leadership in Damascus, Syria.”

I am not saying that Hamas are just pawns. They are true believers, but only up to a certain point. They would kill all Jews if they could, but apparently they cannot. They are tired of losing. They realize that they are the Detroit Lions of the Arab world, when they would rather be like the Arabs that actually live in Detroit, where relative freedom and liberty can be found.

“Hamas is in a very difficult position,” the Egyptian official said. “On the ground, their militants are not doing as good a job, not matching their rhetoric. But politically, they have been totally taken over by their sponsors.

“’The guys inside are holding their ground, but they don’t want to continue the confrontation,’ the official said. Egypt talks to Hamas but is not eager to see the radical Islamic group succeed in running a small statelet next door.”

Terror does not exist in a vacuum. Some have a problem with obliterating all Palestinians. Fine. Yet some will not even be ok with killing all Hamas people. Less fine. Syria pays them. Some will not support blowing up all of Syria. Ok, again, fine.

Yet terror must stop. The buck stops somewhere. It reaches the desk of Bashar Assad.

International Law prohibits the assassination of foreign leaders. WHile I believe this law should be repealed, it is on the books as of now.

However, there is a loophole. Assad ordered the murder of former Lebanese Prime Minister Hariri. Lebanon was on a path to democracy. Once Assad violated international law, he lost all protection. He is now therefore fair game. Also, given that Syria would kill an American or Israeli President in a heartbeat, I am perfectly ok with a preemptive strike. Most people that have a problem with preemptive action refuse to admit that their alternative solution only delays getting themselves killed anyway, perhaps by days of not weeks.

“On Tuesday, Hamas fired 11 rockets and six mortar shells into Israel, the Israeli Army said.”

That is 11 rockets and six mortar shells too many. There must be 100% cessation. Tis is not only realistic, it should be demanded by anybody that sees this conflict sanely.

“The leader of Israel’s opposition Likud Party, Benjamin Nentanyahu, said Tuesday that ultimately Hamas would have to be removed from Gaza and if the government chose to do so in this war, he would support it.

‘At the end of the day there will be no escape from toppling Hamas rule,’ he said at a meeting with the Foreign Press Association, adding that ‘Israel can not tolerate an Iranian base right next to its cities.'”

Perhaps all of this is tactical. If Hamas surrenders, the incompetent bunglers that make up Israel’s Labor Party can actually claim victory just long enough to prevent Benjamin Netanyahu from returning to power. Then again, if Hamas can lose to a Labor Government, they really are pathetic.

Nevertheless, Olmert wants to save his legacy from his 2006 disaster. Tzipi Livni and Ehud Barak are battling to see who can screw things up in 2009 for the Israeli Military. They are already arguing about “degrees” and “conditions.”

Ariel Sharon was able to try and make peace because he was the bulldozer. He wanted to go to Damascus in 1982, and Menachem Begin said no. Ariel Sharon was right.

Bibi Netanyahu has learned from his past mistakes. He knows who the enemy is, and where he is located.

The clock is ticking Mr. Assad. President George W. Bush may not be lookng over your shoulder anymore, but you are far from safe. Mr. Netanyahu lives closer than you, and he will finish what you started.

Just ask Sheik Yassin. Just ask his successor Rantisi.

Oh wait, we can’t. They are dead. Rumor has it since they were killed, they have not sponsored one single terrorist attack. Now that is deterrence.

Bashar Assad is a terrorist. The road to Damascus must be led by special forces willing to eliminate Bashar Assad once and for all.

eric

The Israel rally I recently attended brought me a flood of pictures and links.

Before getting to the business of the day, that being more Iranian and Palestinian lunacy towards the civilized West, I offered my thoughts on the “Political Vindication” radio program. The program is 2 hours in length, but I join the program after 75 minutes for the final 45 minutes. I again thank Shane and Frank for allowing me to play a small role in helping the world see that most anti-Israel enemies are genocidal lunatics.

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/stations/HeadingRight/politicalvindication/2009/01/14/Political-Vindication-Radio

Red Tulips from “Culture For All” confirms what many people that are not liberal elitist snobs understand. John Stewart is a grade A jack@ss.

http://www.thedailyshow.com/full-episodes/index.jhtml?episodeId=213378

http://www.cultureforall.blogspot.com

Newsmax is reporting that Israel may be ready to strike Iran in the next few days.

http://www.newsmax.com/headlines/israel_iran_attack_plan/2009/01/12/170485.html

Joe the Plumber is in Sderot, Israel. He is more qualified to be a journalist than the disgraces currently working at most media institutions.

http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1231424929024&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull

That tip came from the Backyard Conservative.

http://www.backyardconservative.blogspot.com

Yid With Lid has an excellent piece at the American Thinker showing why Benjamin Netanyahu, as usual, is right. He must be reelected as Prime Minister.

http://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2009/01/the_forgotten_villain_of_the_g.html

Atlas Shrugs condemns the anti-Israel vitriol.

http://atlasshrugs2000.typepad.com/atlas_shrugs/2009/01/jihad-on-the-jews-something-rotten-in-the-state-of-norway.html

Palestinians in Los Angeles want to use Jews for fossil fuel. What a darling group of genocidal lunatics they are. Like cherubs, only more bloodthirsty.

http://islaminaction08.blogspot.com/2009/01/lapro-hamas-rally-use-jews-as-fossil.html

The IDF is broadcasting on You-Tube.

http://www.youtube.com/user/idfnadesk

More pictures of the rallies are attached.

http://web.me.com/jeanne211/Site_2/Pro_Israeli_Rally.html

Ralph Peters, as always, gets it.

http://www.nypost.com/seven/01132009/postopinion/opedcolumnists/blood_sacrifice_149872.htm

Yet the critical columns today come from the Velvet Hammer.

The first one deals with Palestinians attacking children at a Christian concert. This did not happen in the Middle East. It happened in Charlotte, North Carolina.

The second one involved Iranian protesters in Tehran burning pictures of the President in effigy. This would be routine if it was George W. Bush. Yet the universally beloved Barack Obama was burned.

http://conservablogs.com/velvethammer/2009/01/12/charlotte-north-carolina-palestinian-protesters-attack-children-at-christian-concert/

http://conservablogs.com/velvethammer/2009/01/13/obama-set-on-fire-and-ran-over-in-iran/

These incidents must be made public to everybody in the civilized world. They should be used as crystal clear evidence that only the truly blind on the far left would ignore.

No amount of “dialogue” will solve this cancer. No amount of “restoring our position in the world” will fix this. No amount of interfaith dinners will help.

Radical Islam has been terrorizing people for 1400 years. Since the 7th century, cutting off heads became a method of airing grievances.

This nonsense about “poor, suffering Palestinians” doesn’t cut it in North Carolina. These Palestinians have a homeland. Yet they are just as psychotically abusive as their murderous brethren in the Gaza Strip.

“When the youth group tried to enter the event, they were surrounded by a group of ‘Palestinian’ protesters against Israel. The protesters surrounded the American children, screamed profanity and called them horrible names such as ‘baby murderers,’ while waving signs of what was portrayed as ‘mangled’ children from ‘Palestine.'”

These Christian children had nothing to do with the Arab-Israeli conflict. They were innocent victims, not the poor, suffering Palestinians. So why does this happen? Why do Palestinian basket cases insist on trying to spread the Caliphate to North Carolina?

Because they are basket cases. It is self evident. A = A. They are nuts.

Liberal hypertolerance only enables them. Such hypertolerance did wonders for Europe, which is now Europistan. This either stops now, or the backlash may be so severe that the sequel to the Crusades will occur, and then some Muslims that get murdered will be truly innocent victims.

Jews and Christians have had it. Jews keep quiet out of fear and our being small in numbers. Christians will not back down, nor should they.

The mother of one of the victimized Chrsitian girls was at the end of her rope.

“Let’s get this straight. The ‘Palestinian’ protesters were ‘well within their rights’ to detain, deter, harass, threaten and block a child’s access to a peaceful act of worship in their religion? I imagine my complaint would have been addressed quite differently if the situation was reverse and it were Islamic children who were effected.”

No amount pf grievances justifies the behavior of the savages known as Palestinians. If they want to be treated as human beings, they need to act like them. We all have grievances. Not everybody turns to violence. They do.

“It is true that the children of ‘Palestine’ are victims but it is not because of other countries like Israel and America that tries to protect its own children and their right to exist. It is also not because of other religions who don’t agree with Islamic beliefs. It is because the very adults who are supposed to protect these children insist on making them targets in lieu of a treasure. These children are tragically forced into a dark world where their ‘innocent’ caretakers allow their schools to be used as launching grounds for terrorist rocket attacks and use Mickey Mouse-like characters to tell them at an early age how to kill Jews.”

http://conservablogs.com/velvethammer/2007/05/08/hamas-mickey-mouse-clone-teaches-hate-death-terror-updated-3/

So what separates Radical Islamic Fundamentalism from Judaism and Christianity?

“It is not the policy of Christianity or Judaism to indoctrinate or involve their children in hate-filled political doctrine and attacks. However those rallying the ‘Palestinian’ battle-cry appear determined to reduce our children to political pawns as well. As the mainstream media gushes forth with prideful reports regarding the ‘peaceful’ protests on behalf of ‘Palestinians’ and police departments turn their heads, it appears that they are succeeding in their mission. This Wednesday night, I will be forced to explain the heartless political antics of the protest group to my own group of saddened and confused kids.”

There are no peaceful Palestinian rallies. There are whitewashed rallies. The Palestinian kids that harassed the Christian children are well on their way to being future terrorists. Maybe they will not use bombs. Yet does anybody think their communities object to their thuggish behavior?

Yet it is one thing for local governments to do perfect imitations of ostriches. It is another for the federal government to cover their heads in sand, when not having it trapped up their hides.

The election of Barack Obama was supposed to restore America’s moral standing in the world. George W. Bush was bad, we were told. We were not liked.

We elected a man whose middle name is Hussein. He offered nuanced platitudes about Israel. No longer were we going to be reflexively and blindly pro-Israel. He offered to close down Guantanamo Bay. The entire world was now going to finally like us.

No, they were going to burn Barack Obama in effigy. At some point he might have shoes thrown at him. When these acts occur, I will condemn them for one reason.

Barack Obama is my President. I didn’t vote for him. Yet he will be leading my country. When you burn my President in effigy, you burn everything that I hold dear. You are my enemy.

I am ready to shake the pacifists out of their coma, stupor, blindness, or whatever adjective is used to describe people that either fail to grasp the truth out of ignorance, or deliberately ignore it out of anti-West viciousness.

There is nothing we as America can do to be liked. Short of surrendering and being part of the Caliphate, we will always be hated. We can close Gitmo, apologize for inconveniencing terrorists, try our best to understand them, and continue to watch them murder us.

“Welcome to center stage Obama. Maybe President Bush could give you a few pointers on how to handle intense criticism with class. Heh That thin skin you had during the election had better thicken up real soon. Or your entire presidency will consist of whining. It was NOT Bush it IS America they hate. Kapish?”

President George W. Bush has kept us safe. He did this by passing the Patriot Act. He had help from FISA Courts. He had help from intelligence members willing to use coercive interrogation methods. We waterboarded 3 people, one of whom was Khalid Sheik Mohammed.

President George W. Bush made the hard choices. He took all the slings and arrows. He did not back down.

The Islamists, cursed, spit, threw shoes, and burned him in effigy. So did the Jayson Blair Times. So did the Axis of Anti-Semitism of the Daily Kos, Huffington Post, and Moveon.org.

He was vilified.

He also was…and is…right.

Barack Obama has one obligation that trumps everything else, and that is to keep America safe.

He said all the right things during the campaign. Iranians are still burning him in effigy. Palestinians are still terrorizing Christian children in North Carolina.

Barack Obama has stated that he is a Christian and not a Muslim. I have never nor will I ever question this. Therefore, he should loudly condemn criminal attacks against his own faith.

He is a very bright man, but book smarts does not equal street smarts. President Bush has something that Mr. Obama does not have just yet. President Bush has the experience. He has sat in the chair. He has seen the evil and made the impossible decisions.

Mr. Obama is exceptionally bright. He will learn. He must learn. He must see that it is not about America, Israel, a lack of hope, poverty, suffering, or any other “tragedy.”

It is about a genocidal ideology that prefers a culture of death over one that values life.

Israel must smash the terrorists in the Gaza Strip. The United States must smash the terrorists in Iran and Syria. There will be collateral damage. Innocent Iranians, Syrians, and Gazans will die.

This is unfortunate, but it cannot be a deterrent. The madness must be stopped before it reaches our shores again. Another 9/11 must be prevented.

Nobody died in this North Carolina incident. Waiting until American Jewish and Christian children are killed trying to attend a Church or Synagogue service is not an option.

No more dialogue with the madmen. They are future bombs. The clock, like any bomb, is now ticking.

eric

I had the pleasure recently of interviewing the stunningly brilliant and equally gorgeous republican brunette, S E Cupp. Her book is “Why you’re wrong about the right.”

http://red-secupp.blogspot.com/

She is not Jewish, which I shall lament for decades to come.

As with other interviews, I would first like to describe the fictional interview that did not take place. For those who would rather read the Jayson Blair Times than a real newspaper, I shall present a fictional interview, with how I would take her answers out of context to my benefit.

Below is the fictional interview.

Eric: Don’t you think we should tell everybody the truth that we are happily married with 2 children?

SE: We have never met, and this interview is not off to a good start.

Eric: Sheesh, it’s not like I asked you about your underclothing.

SE: I have mace and pepper spray, and am not sure which one I should use first.

Eric: I’m sorry. I guess flipping you over my shoulder and taking a nibble would be out of the question?

SE: You are either a liberal, an imbecile, a predator, or all of the above.

Eric: So in other words I have no shot?

SE: Truer words have never been spoken. I will make sure everybody knows.

I shall now present the fictional interview in the way a liberal news media outlet such as the Jayson Blair Times would.

Eric: Don’t you think we should tell everybody the truth that we are happily married with 2 children?

SE: Truer words have never been spoken. I will make sure everybody knows.

With that, in the spirit of conservatism and republicanism, I now present the completely unedited, g-rated, actual interview with S E Cupp.

1) What is the S E Cupp story, and what do you want to communicate most either through your book, television appearances, or other forums?

1. SEC: “I think I’m still writing the S.E. Cupp story…at least I hope I am at only 29! But as far as the first few chapters go, I’m just the hard-working daughter of two hard-working parents who taught me to prize authenticity above superficiality. I think that’s what draws me to conservative politics. My writing is devoted mostly to culture criticism — sure I focus on politics quite a bit, but not so much Congressional appointments and policy (though I do that from time to time). Mostly I write about the cultural implications of political moments…whether it’s gun control, a president-elect who seems sheepish on Israel, the NASCAR voting block, or so-called “women’s isues.” I write about religion, sports, politics, popular culture…really very little is off my radar. I don’t usually write about the Dow, for example. Although once I did write a column about consumer greed.”

2) What political issues are you most passionate about?

2. SEC: “I like to write about politics as it appeals to a certain American value — whether it’s self-sustainability, independence, common sense, fiscal responsibility, community, decency — but not in a saccharine or pollyanna way, but in a way that gets to the root of what makes us all human. So when I write about gun issues, for example, it’s not just to lobby for greater gun rights, but to explore the reasons we want and need self-protection and self-reliance to begin with. When I wrote about Sarah Palin it wasn’t just to convince people to vote for John McCain, but to explore the reasons we should want a Sarah Palin in a position of power. If it doesn’t have greater cultural implications, I’m really not interested in it.”

3) Who are your top 3 American political heroes of all time, and who are your top 3 political heroes on the world stage?

3. SEC: “I love Lincoln, Goldwater and Reagan, unsurprisingly. But I also loved Decatur (I’m recently kind of obsessed with the Barbary Wars.) I’m very protective of George W. Bush and Tony Blair still, and am eager to see how history writes their legacies. Condi is certainly a woman to admire, and I’m starting to really like Uribe.”

4) What have we gotten right and wrong with foreign policy?

4. SEC: “Going to Iraq was absolutely the right thing to do, though we could have waged a better public relations campaign. Patriot Act initiatives were also necessary, and I’ll be very disappointed when Obama loosens, changes or does away with that program. If you can call Bush’s work on AIDS foreign policy, I’d generously commend him there. Aiding Israel is always the right thing to do, and brokering relations with Colombia has been one of Bush’s greatest achievements. I’m very disappointed, however, in the way we’ve handled China, whose human rights abuses are astounding. I’m also saddened that we haven’t been able to affect the turmoil in Zimbabwe and Darfur to better degrees.”

5) What are your thoughts regarding the last 8 years with regards to domestic policy?

5. SEC: “Bush has dealt with social issues very well, and gets little credit for it. Whether it was taking caution in stem cell research (while still generously funding research), or erring on the side of life in the Terri Schaivo case, or letting the marriage debate happen around him (and not injecting presidential politics into an already crowded discussion), he’s been a good moderator, and a defender of American values. And of course, it goes without saying that he’s kept the country safe for 8 years. No small feat. But on the other hand, he has overspent. Considerably.”

6) In retrospect, what are your thoughts regarding the 2008 Elections?

6. SEC: “The elections were an exciting time. There was unprecedented coverage and unprecedented activity. I’m not bitter at all about Obama’s election — McCain wasn’t a formidable candidate, as much as I respect him. But I am bitter about the treatment of Sarah Palin. If we can’t agree that a mother of five (with one child in Iraq and one child who is disabled), a former city council woman and mayor, the first female governor of Alaska and the youngest, who worked her way up from nothing, without the help of a trust fund or family name, who put herself through school and fought tremendous obstacles, should be a person to admire, then I’m not sure who is. I understand policy disagreements, but this woman represents just the kind of leader we should be promoting and telling our kids they should want to be like. I was sickened that the far left and even worse, some elements on the right, put her in the position to have to explain her religion, apologize for her state school education, defend her family, and justify her decisions. What an embarrassing moment for us.”

7) What do you think have been the most positive achievements of the Bush Presidency, and what has left you most disappointed? If you were writing the history book or the biography of the Bush Presidency, what would be its core theme? If you had 5 minutes to interview President Bush or Vice President Cheney, what would you ask them?

7. SEC: “I’d want to know how president Bush has so successfully been able to ignore the popularity contest and focus on his convictions. His commitment in the face of tremendous opposition has been remarkable, but I imagine it occurred with a cost. I’d want to know what that was. As for Cheney, I’d want to know where he was hunting next.”

8.) You, S E Cupp, are President on January 20th, 2009. What are the first three things you do? What is your hundred day plan?

8. SEC: “There’s no way I could answer these questions. I’d make a horrible president, not because I’m unqualified (though I am) but because what I want in a president are not the attributes I currently possess.”

9) What are the main positive and negative contributions to society that the blogosphere has brought us? What can be done, if anything, to as the song says, accentuate the positive and eliminate the negative?

9. SEC: “The blogosphere, like YouTube and reality television, have made it seem like anyone can be famous. Anyone can be an investigative journalist. Anyone can break news, and bring down a governor. That’s good and bad. The great blogs are the ones that still adhere to traditional journalistic ethics and values. The dangerous blogs are the ones that pretend those very ethics are out of fashion, or no longer relevant. As for blogs not trying to be news vehicles, continue forth…if your thoughts are interesting enough, the page views will follow.”

10) What do you want people to know most about S E Cupp the person? What do you want most out of this world? What do you want people to remember about you 100 years from now?

10. SEC: “I can’t really control what people think of SE Cupp. My opinions are out there, and I stand by them. For now. I’m not so much worried about what people think of me…I’m more interested in prompting self-reflection in others.”

I would like to thank S E Cupp for her genial nature, intelligent outlook, and overall delightful disposition. The future of conservatism requires young blood to carry the conservative torch. S E Cupp is well positioned to be an articulate and effective spokesperson for what will advance conservatism, and improve our overall culture. Conservatives and society at large will benefit from this.

I wish S E Cupp well always, and am glad she is speaking out.

eric