Jihad!

Susan Estrich issued the fatwah and look at all the shuhadaa who've shown up!

Yet another goofy sports photo-op

I guess Lurch's handlers think stuff like this appeals to gun owners, but mostly it's just cause for laughter. And if they are going to tell him it won't look manly to use eye or ear protection, maybe they should warn him about flying shells. Of course, he can't get around the problem with a semi-auto:

Kerry currently is a co-sponsor of S. 1431, which would ban all semi-automatic shotguns, all detachable-magazine semi-automatic rifles and many other guns, calling the whole lot "assault weapons."

Oh well, they did let him have a beer afterwards:

Just a regular guy

Shrill and skanky is a heck of a way to go through life

Greyhawk at Mudville Gazette - RIDICLUELESS:

Don't read further in this story without first listening to this brief excerpt from John Kerry's comments on the Republican convention (play audio) [visit Mudville for the link].

Ooops, sorry - that was Doug Neidermeyer from Animal House. I'll find the Kerry audio later.

While I'm searching, read Susan Estrich again: ...

More by visiting Mudville, but as far as ole Suzy goes - no thanks - been there, done that. Basically, like so many Donks, Suzy has become unhinged by the Republican convention and her response is volunteering to be a martyr in a suicide smear bomb attack. A lot of that seems to be going around - Families of POWs Frightened By Kerry:

The plan was to release the first TV ad with Kerry’s own band of brothers from the Swift Boats accusing him of lying about what happened in Vietnam and his own record.

The second wave was to have POWs on camera accusing Kerry of betrayal for his anti-war activities after he left Vietnam.

Those two waves hit like political atom bombs.

The third wave of attack was to have the families of the POWs go on air to reveal how Kerry’s activities hurt them and their imprisoned loved ones.

Apparently, there are also claims that anti-war protesters like Jane Fonda and John Kerry actually contacted the families of POWS, encouraging them to come forward and criticize the U.S. government. Some families were told that by criticizing the U.S. government their loved ones in Hanoi would get better treatment.

But getting POW family members to speak out has become difficult. After seeing how the Swift Boat Vets and the POWs have been treated, many are fearful of going public.

Ya think? But not everyone is intimidated by the Democrat slime squad.

One who went through the ringer for speaking out was former POW Ken Cordier, a former Air Force Colonel. When a friend recently commiserated with the media drubbing, Cordier said, “The communists tortured me for seven years, this is nothing.”

Who'd think a whole political party backed by tons of money would be driven rabid by a few POWs and their families speaking their minds?

How about it, Nuance Boy?

Drove into town early this morning. The machine outside the lumberyard has the "big city" paper with a front page photo of a naked and bloody Russian child like these. Talked with the locals while waiting for my order. No interest in helping the terrorists get in touch with their "inner feelings" other than with the rifles they keep on hand for feral, rabid dogs. Me too.

Which presents a problem for Nuance Boy - Still whining Kerry running out of time:

It's time John Kerry chooses between being a whiner and being a leader. His midnight performance Thursday and remarks at events Friday showed he's yet to get the difference in this campaign.

Americans do not want to hear Kerry's whining about being ``attacked'' and ``insulted'' at the Republican National Convention. Americans do not want to hear his childish claims that he was attacked first and therefore he now must attack back.

Americans do not want to hear the Democratic nominee call the commander in chief during a war where American lives are on the line ``unfit for office and unfit for duty.''

They want to hear that he is as committed as President Bush to stopping fanatics from taking over American schools and slaughtering children. And if he has better ideas about how to go about doing it than Bush does, Americans want to hear those, too.

C'mon Lurch, we're waiting. And sensitivity just isn't going to cut it.

President Bush could and should be a whole lot tougher in order to prevent terrorist attacks inside the USA and disable foreign terrorist regimes. But he's got to contend with the corps of perpetual whiners in the press and the Democrat portion of Congress. And as disgusting as Kerry's waffling on combatting terrorism is, don't forget he's the Democrat's "pro war" candidate:

A New York Times/CBS News poll in July found that three-quarters of Democratic voters and 86 percent of Boston delegates opposed the war in Iraq. Yet both John Kerry and John Edwards voted for the resolution authorizing force in Iraq in 2002.
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That's the central difference between the GOP and the Democrats: The Democrats were willing to -- no, they chose to, by nominating Kerry -- sell out their core issue in order to beat George W. Bush.

That's how fanatical their hatred is.
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Let me be clear: I am not arguing that Bush is not political -- he is political. He's president. I am arguing that the Democratic Party has become so political that it stands for absolutely nothing. Dems know it, so they nominate men who also stand for nothing -- but raw ambition.

Kerry won the nomination because many Democrats believed they had to pick a pro-war candidate in order to beat Bush. They were able to look at Kerry's vote against the Persian Gulf War and determine that he did not believe his 2002 Iraq vote and does not mean the pro-war statements he has made during the campaign.

Some of the very folks who bellow, "Bush lied," are crossing their fingers in the hope that Kerry lied.

"I don't think the Democrats have confidence in the American people," Republican National Committee Chairman Marc Racicot noted. That's why the Democrats are "angry."

And many Democrats think that they're going to lose. A famous wartime poster had Winston Churchill's face looming over the words, "Deserve victory." You deserve victory when you believe in a cause so much that you are willing to take risks for it.

This year, the Democrats abandoned their principles, implying either that they don't trust the America people to appreciate their message, or that they don't trust their message. Democrats aren't willing to take risks, but they are willing to choose someone whom they want to mislead the public. For that alone, they deserve to lose, and I think they know it.

Can you imagine Lurch backed by a Greek chorus of left wing howlers doing anything to combat terrorism other than wringing his hands, tut-tutting, and having cheese tastings with Chirac? Heck, what did Bubba ever do?

Meanwhile in the Peanut Gallery

EU wants explanation from Moscow on hostage storming. Dutch Foreign Minister Bernard Bot, whose country currently holds the European Union presidency, opens his pie hole:

"All countries in the world need to work together to prevent tragedies like this. But we also would like to know from the Russian authorities how this tragedy could have happened."

Someone point Bernie to the clue phone.

Hey, no liberal media bias around here!

Version 1: http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20040903/ap_on_el_pr/bush_clinton_1:

WEST ALLIS, Wis. - President Bush (news - web sites) on Friday wished Bill Clinton (news - web sites) "best wishes for a swift and speedy recovery."

"He's is in our thoughts and prayers," Bush said at a campaign rally.

Bush's audience of thousands in West Allis, Wis., booed. Bush did nothing to stop them.

Bush offered his wishes while campaigning one day after accepting the presidential nomination at the Republican National Convention in New York. Clinton was hospitalized in New York after complaining of mild chest pain and shortness of breath.

Bush recently praised Clinton when the former president went to the White House for the unveiling of his official portrait. He lauded Clinton for his knowledge, compassion and "the forward-looking spirit that Americans like in a president."

Version 2: http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20040903/ap_on_el_pr/bush_clinton_2:

WEST ALLIS, Wis. - President Bush (news - web sites) on Friday offered former President Bill Clinton (news - web sites), who faces heart bypass surgery, "best wishes for a swift and speedy recovery."

"He's is in our thoughts and prayers," Bush said at a campaign rally.

Bush offered his wishes while campaigning one day after accepting the presidential nomination at the Republican National Convention in New York. Clinton was hospitalized in New York after complaining of mild chest pain and shortness of breath.

Bush recently praised Clinton when the former president went to the White House for the unveiling of his official portrait. He lauded Clinton for his knowledge, compassion and "the forward-looking spirit that Americans like in a president."

I wonder what happened between versions 1 and 2? Maybe the fact that it was on TV? Here are some eyewitness accounts - No boos at Bush rally in Wisconsin (I was there):

I wouldn't have posted this as a separate topic until I heard on the radio on the way home from the rally that the AP had reported the crowd booed when it was annnounced that the former president had been hospitalized. That is a bold faced lie. I understand it was later retracted, but that's like unringing a bell. I do not think it was in error, either, since the writer further stated that 'Bush did nothing to stop them.' Shameful.
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Good reporting. I saw it on TV and no one booed. The audience respectfully clapped in support of Bush's concerned remarks on Clinton's health.

The media are spitballs.

And it is like unringing a bell.

UPDATE: Swimming through the Spin has more:

Of course, someone with access to the raw wire posted this as well to archive this monumental, and perhaps intentional screw up.

BC-Bush-Clinton, 1st Ld-Writethru,150 Bush offers best wishes for Clinton's recovery
Eds: SUBS lead to include reference to surgery. DELETES 3rd graf previous, Bush's audience, because of uncertainty about crowd reaction.

Uncertainty? Like the reporter was on some other planet or something?

UPDATE 2: (Via a commenter at Swimming through the Spin) Here's a sound clip.

For the Todo list

John Derbyshire at The Corner - FALLUJAH -- A MODEST PROPOSAL:

It is now common coin among Bush-doubting conservatives that the cease-fire and withdrawal from Fallujah back in April was a horrible blunder. My understanding is that the administration felt that the political price -- i.e. the body count, both allies and Iraqi collaterals -- was too high to pay just six months before a presidential election.

If that was in fact the administration's calculation, there is nothing particularly contemptible about it. Politics is the art of the possible, and a President has to make political judgment calls like that even when dealing with military matters.

If, however, following the inauguration for a second GWB term in January -- which I now look forward to with confidence -- the bad guys are still ensconced in Fallujah, could we please level the place? Please? And sow salt in the ruins?

It would make a nice parking lot.

I should be Photoshopping Vampire Lurch...

But unfortunately gainful employment beckons. How creepy is it that Lurch and his staff decided that his big response to the Republican Convention should be a midnight rally in Springfield, Ohio? Things were bad on the scene:

I was at Kerry's Midnight Rally in Springfield Ohio. ZZZZZZZZZZZZ. And I was able to stay awake!!!! Barely.

Poor showing for Kerry supporters. Lots of empty space in main area. And they advertised free tickets in all sorts of places including a local Beauty Parlor.

Good show for Bush supporters. They had to bring up a big sign to hide the Bush supporters from the TV cameras. They did that right after the Bush supporters all started chanting "Flip Flop" and waving their arms.
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Really poor turn out. That parking lot was only 2/3 full - and that included some curious Bush supporters. I suspected that they were getting a poor showing when they advertised ticket locations up to the last minute. We got there after Kerry started talking. Found an easy parking spot within sight of the podium. Stood on a railroad track and could see Kerry and Edwards. Traffic jam afterwards was quickly dispersed. In fact I've been to movies with slower traffic dispersal.

The cable networks cut away when it was clear it was a snoozer and aside from the question of whether his new slogan

"“I have five words for Americans: This is your wake up call!”

is really six words or five, he also thrilled the fans with:

In the opening statement of his response to President Bush's GOP convention acceptance speech, Sen. John Kerry claimed the Boston Red Sox moved to within 2.5 games of the division-leading New York Yankees.

He was wrong. The Red Sox began the night 3.5 games behind the New York Yankees and ended the evening in the same place as both teams won.

It's the gang that couldn't shoot straight.

Anyhow, besides his usual stump speech, the Lurchster decided to trot out the Donk's favorite bromide when someone questions their abilities:

At the midnight rally with his vice presidential running mate, Sen. John Edwards, Kerry cited "the anger and distortion" at the GOP gathering in New York where a long line of speakers, including Cheney, said the Massachusetts senator was unfit to serve as commander-in-chief because of his Senate record and recent statements.

"They attacked my patriotism and fitness to serve" as president.

Zzzzz. He went on to attack Bush and Cheney personally for not serving in Vietnam. They didn't call American soldiers "war criminals" either, Lurch. Don't forget to mention that.

Get your party hats on, folks, the fun is just getting started.

Well Yeehaw!

The Zell factor:

Note to Dr. Howard Dean: About that Bubba vote? Two words. Zell Miller.

Wonder no more what gets the good ol' boys' juices flowing, and don't pay no never mind to them talking heads on this particular question. The answer is simply this: real men taking charge, talking straight, telling truth, and leaving the girlie men to fuss about the nuances of terrorist sensitivity.

Miller's fiery, brimstone-studded speech on the penultimate night of the Republican convention was a quintessential testosterone moment that got professional harrumphers flustered and swing voters inspired. While pundits wondered whether Zell was over the top, too hot or too tough, Heartland Americans (and not a few journalists who shall remain unnamed in the interest of job security) were high-fiving and arm-pumping yessssssssss.

You can tell it was good by the amount of squealing from the usual suspects.

Sundry Amusements

Drudge has been running this photo most of the day over the title of a WaPo article:

Kerry Planning More Aggressive Campaign Style In Final Months Of Campaign...

Well, maybe not exactly this photo. Which reminds me - Kerry-Edwards Spend $50M to Prove They're 'Regular Folks.'

Then Jacob Laksin covers a "mass panty flash at Manhattan's Battery Park." It's the usual wingnuttery, but:

The park was swarming with media types, though it was hard not to notice that they, like most of the onlookers, were overwhelmingly male. Photographers ran around snapping furiously, taking pictures at a rate surprising even for professional shutterbugs. Meanwhile, the Eves persisted with their partisan gyrations, chanting, "Which side are you on? Our panty lines our drawn."

Now I can't speak for everyone, but most spectators seemed to be on the side that provided the best view of the action. That included two members of the NYPD. Asked if he thought this a choice assignment, one officer did not hesitate. "Absolutely," he said, "I wouldn't miss it for the world."
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Still, I would be remiss if I failed to mention that I spotted one young man who took something away from the experience. Displaying a noticeably tight tank top with the words "Weapons of Mass Seduction" across the chest, he was radiant: "For my girlfriend," he explained. "I got it extra small."

Indeed!

And then there's sad news for wannabe celebrity politicos - Negative Votes for P. Diddy:

CITIZEN Change — the not-for-profit organization Sean ("P. Diddy") Combs created to get out the vote — needs some changes itself.

The group had to cancel this weekend's fund-raiser at Combs' house in the Hamptons, following a disastrous event in Miami last weekend coinciding with the MTV Video Music Awards. The Miami turnout was so sparse that the Mansion club opened its doors to paying customers midway through the night.

"There have been a series of fund-raisers, none of which have been raising money," said a source. "Nobody's writing big checks. Celebrities are not signing on. Puffy thought it would be like 'We Are the World.' It isn't.

"Even Ben Affleck and Russell Simmons stayed away [from Combs] during the DNC in Boston," the source added.
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The group has failed to raise the kind of money necessary to staff it, so almost everyone who holds a Citizen Change title has an outside job as well.

Don't quit your day job!