Wussies

Word in the blogosphere is that the Fox network has caved in to CAIR's complaints about the portrayal of Muslims as terrorists in the show "24".(link via Michelle Malkin)

Thanks for Filing and Wasting Our Tax Dollars

For striking out on his latest stupid crusade against religion, Michael Newdow should be required to have a big "L" tattooed on his forehead.

Another Reason to Homeschool

Based on the reported conversation that occurred in the classroom, I'm wondering if there might not be some criminal charges involved.

According to Fried and students who attended the talk, Fried told one group of about 16 students that strippers can earn as much as $250,000 a year and that a larger bust -- whether natural or augmented -- has a direct relationship to a dancer's salary.

He told the students, "For every two inches up there, it's another $50,000," according to Jason Garcia, 14.

Representative Democracy is So Yesterday

Check out this recent quote from Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer:

"U.S. law is not handed down from on high even at the U.S. Supreme Court," he said. "The law emerges from a conversation with judges, lawyers, professors and law students. ... It's what I call opening your eyes as to what's going on elsewhere."

And you thought having a constitution and voting for a so-called lawmaker actually meant something. (See more at Powerline).

Update: American University law professor Kenneth Anderson says the Breyer quote above was misreported by AP. It appears Breyer was speaking within the narrow context of interpreting legal texts that have already been established and informed by various democratically elected institutions. Nevertheless, the level of deference that Justice Breyer gives to international law in the interpretation of U.S. law -- as reflected in the last quoted sentence -- is something that Anderson has a bone of contention with.

Diplomatic Bunglehead

Other than out of anti-American sentiments, I just don't see why Cardinal Pio Laghi felt the need to publicly complain that President Bush broke some vague "promise" to him about fighting the Iraq war "quickly" and "favorably." Indeed, my suspician about Cardinal Laghi's actions being driven by sheer hostility toward the U.S. seems to be supported by comments he made back in March 2003 where, after meeting with the President, he stated that "military force [in Iraq] can only be taken within the framework of the United Nations." (news link via Drudge).

Good Call by the SCOTUS

In what could be interpreted as an affirming nod to federalism (i.e., states' rights), the Supreme Court declined to review a challenge to a Florida law that prohibits self-identified homosexuals from adopting children. Now if the Court would just extend the principles of federalism to things like sodomy and abortion.

The People Have Spoken

Caught the tail end of The People's Choice Awards last night -- I was watching the season premiere of 24, which IMHO, is the best show on television right now -- and was very happy to see that The Passion of the Christ won the award for best movie drama. It looks as though The Passion is going to be snubbed from Oscar consideration, but in view of the fact that the Hollywood elite is falling all over films about abortionists, Che Guevara and deranged sex researchers, this probably isn't a bad thing.

Eighth Grade Name Calling

Asked to point out an example in support of his charge that Justice Clarence Thomas is an embarrassment because he writes poorly written opinions, Democrat U.S. Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid brought up the case of Hillside Diary, Inc. v. Lyons. In Reid's view, Justice Thomas' opinion in this case resembles an "8th grade dissertaion compared to somebody who just graduated from Harvard."

After reading Thomas' part concurrance and dissent in Hillsdale Diary (which is little more than a paragraph), I share in the perplexity expressed by others over the charges levelled by Reid. In an age when Supreme Court decisions can be readily accessed by anybody at anytime, and the MSM no longer has a monopoly on reporting news, I'm amazed that someone like Harry Reid still seems to assume that nobody is going to check out the validity of what he is saying and expose any flaws. (Hat tip to PSB).

Update: In addition to refuting Reid, former clerk to Justice Thomas, John Yoo, writes an interesting piece here where he essentially argues that Thomas would lose influence on the Court if he were ever to be named Chief Justice.

Sadly Not Surprising

After three years of a legally recognized marriage, San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom and his soon to be ex-wife are getting a divorce. The reason? The "demands" of being a bicoastal couple. With such a compelling reason for ending a marriage, I can now really see why Newsom thought it would be a good idea to give marriage licenses to homosexual couples.

Hitpiece

I noticed this article about Clarence Thomas in the L.A. Times yesterday, and just by reading the headline I knew it was a biased slamjob. Ken Masugi of the Claremont Institute elaborates on just how much of a ridiculous hitpiece this is.

Happy New Year!

Or as we Chinese sometimes say, "Xin Nian Hao!"

Movin' On Down

As the new year approaches, I will be moving back down to So. Cal. where I've accepted a job with a relatively new and small law firm in Orange County. Hopefully, this job will work out a lot better than the last associate attorney position I held, and civil litigation won't be something that I hate so much.

Although I am sad to be leaving No. Cal., I do plan to make my way back up here in the next 2-3 years.

Just Watch. He'll Be Called an "Uncle Tom" Liberal

Set for publication this week in the Stanford Law Review is a controversial article written by UCLA law professor Richard Sander. In this article, Sander essentially concludes that affirmative action admission policies in our nation's law schools hurts minorities (e.g., blacks) more than it helps them.

As summarized by Terry Eastland at the Weekly Standard(article link via Powerline):

In the picture Sander draws, the admissions preferences for blacks are very large. This is the case with respect to almost all law schools. Which is to say, contrary to conventional wisdom, preferences aren't confined to the elite schools. Indeed, "affirmative action has a cascading effect through American legal education." The top-tier law schools enroll not only the small number of blacks who don't need preferences to get in but also less-qualified black applicants whose credentials would have sufficed to gain them admission under a race-blind standard to a second-tier school. Second-tier schools are then forced to choose between having few if any black students (under a race-blind standard) or using preferences to reach their racial goals. The second-tier schools make the latter choice, and so the effects cascade to the third-tier schools and on down the law-school ladder. There is thus a "system" in place whose net effect is "to move nearly all blacks up a tier (or two) in the law school hierarchy." Only at the bottom--in the lowest-tier schools--do you find black students who are probably unqualified for any law school.

The cascading effect leaves most black students "mismatched" with peers whose academic credentials (in terms of LSAT scores and UGPA) are superior. Which means, as Sander puts it, that "nearly all blacks [are placed] at an enormous academic disadvantage in the schools they attend." And so there are "mismatch effects." In their first year, about 50 percent of black law students end up in the bottom tenth of their class, and roughly two-thirds in the bottom fifth, with only 8 percent placing in the top half. The grades of black law school students go down a bit from the first to the third year. Black students have a much higher attrition rate than white students (19 percent compared with 8 percent). Sander finds that fact unsurprising, since students (of whatever race) with the very worst grades are those who are expelled or drop out. Finally, black law school graduates fail the bar exam at four times the rate of white graduates. Sander concludes that more than 40 percent of black students starting out to become lawyers never reach that goal.

Still Pining for a Gore Presidency

No doubt largely inspired by Barbara Boxer's most recent foray into the ridiculous, California's other left-wing U.S. Senator, Dianne Feinstein, wants to "fix" the national electoral system by proposing a constitutional amendment that would abolish the electoral college. (news link via Hugh Hewitt).

Hi-ho Silver, Eh?

The Supreme Court of Canada has been asked to determine whether the word "kemosabe" (most famously used in The Lone Ranger TV show) is racist. I imagine the Vancouver Canucks hockey team will be looking on with much interest.

Yet One More Reason to Homeschool

How incredibly perceptive of the Plano Independent School District to figure out that when people wear red and green colors around the Christmas holiday, they are trying to proslytyze their Christian faith.

Judge Wears Ten Commandments on Robe

A nice idea, although I personally find it a bit aesthetically awkward (I would have put a discrete, but noticeable, "PX" symbol).

Another Example of How Barbara Boxer is a Freakin' Nut

Images of a raging magalomaniac arise, as the left wing senator from California not so subtly threatens to put the Federal government hammer on college football if the private consortium that oversees the Bowl Championship Series (BCS) doesn't adopt some kind of a playoff system (as it currently stands, the top Division I-A football teams are more or less determined by some mysterious mathmatical formula that, of course, takes into account wins and losses). And oh yeah, Boxer's son is a graduate of Cal, whose football team this year got numerically squeezed out of a BCS bowl game that would have netted the school several million dollars. Quite a coincidence, eh?

Doing God's Work

A woman who has dedicated her life to saving babies from infanticide wins $27 million in the California lottery.

All too often, the ring of Debi Faris-Cifelli's cell phone means there is another abandoned newborn at the morgue, another forsaken child for her to name and bury in a shoebox-size coffin under a white cross in the California desert.

"Maybe it's the children saying, 'Thank you' for taking care of them when nobody else would," Faris-Cifelli said, bubbling with laughter. "It's a gift and one for which we feel an awesome responsibility."

It's what they did next that sets the Cifellis apart.

"That's a lot of money to be responsible for. We want to be really good stewards of that money. We feel like it's a gift," said Debi.

"And the first thing we thought of was a scholarship fund," said Steve.

The Power of Ordination Belongs to State and Federal Judges

So effectively suggests a Connecticut defense attorney who believes that Catholic priests should unionize in order to protect their "careers" from "baseless allegations" of criminal misconduct.

Wonder where this yayhoo was on the day they taught the First Amendment in law school.

That Would Be "Aiya!"

Michelle Malkin posts a story about how Nike is apologizing for running an "offensive" commercial that has since been banned in China, and what China does to folks who dare to exhibit courage.

"Christophobia"

It appears the Vatican is pushing for an adoption of the term by the U.N.

Archbishop Giovanni Lajolo, the Vatican's foreign minister, said anti-Christian feeling had increased, exacerbated by the war on terrorism.

He said Christianity was often mistakenly seen as being inextricably linked with Western political policy, and had suffered as a result in the backlash against the West.

His comments, at a conference in Rome, were primarily aimed at Middle Eastern countries such as Iraq, where insurgents have bombed a number of churches.

But he also echoed Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, a leading contender to be the next Pope, who said last month that parts of Europe were so now secular that Christianity was being pushed into the margins.

A stupendously bad idea if you ask me. For one thing, a phobia is an irrational psychiactric fear, not an overt expression of ignorant hostility or hatred. Second, adopting this made up term only lends further credibility to ridiculous political words like "homophobia." Seems to me that if you want a word that adequately describes anti-Christianity, the word "anti-Christianity" should be used.

Maybe Target Did A Good Thing

In an unintentional fashion, the controversial decision by the Target Corporation to prohibit the Salvation Army from ringing bells (i.e., soliciting charitable donations) in front of their stores may very well be in the best interest for Catholics. (link via Amy Welborn)

73*



The bigger they are, the harder they fall.

By and Large, AIDS is a Homosexual Disease

This is certifiably confirmed by the fact that over 40 percent of those in America who are afflicted with the disease are homosexual males. Sure would be nice if the "gay community" would fess up to this and admit that their chosen lifestyle is inherently dangerous.

Unhinged

If the Democrat Party doesn't disassociate itself from folks like these, it can forget about ever winning back Congress and the presidency. (link via Michelle Malkin)

Detroit Not Only Has Basketbrawl

They also have Boy Scout troops that throw dinner parties for anti-Boy Scout congressmen. Huh.

SCOTUS Won't Review Mass. Case

The SCOTUS declines to review the blatantly activist decision by the Mass. high court legalizing "gay marriage." Since the rejection was made without comment, one can only speculate that it might be based on the proposed amendment to the Mass. constitution that would define marriage as being between a man and a woman.

Blackballed

For daring to blow the whistle on John Kerry, 'Rat mafiosos (can there be any other way to describe them?) have apparently succeeded in getting Swift Boat vet Steve Gardner fired from his job. (link via Powerline)

On Vacation

And I have an annoying cold, so I won't be blogging for the rest of this week. Have a happy Turkey Day!

Thought Exercise

Primary Mission of the Catholic Laity: Apply Principles Taught by the Church to the Secular World. That, to me at least, was the general underlying theme of the insightful lecture I attended last night given by Fr. Michael Sweeney, O.P. at St. Dominic's church. Within the realm of American politics, this is an incredibly challenging goal, especially when one considers the inherent conflict between the traditional emphasis that our culture places on individualism (which all too often has lead to destructive self-centeredness -- see, e.g., the Sexual Revolution) and the prime importance that the Church gives to self-sacrifice and doing things for the common good.

It is, of course, important to make a distinction between principle and doctrine. Although both are taught by the Church and can be upheld by Her as infallible truths, it seems to me that principle tends to transcend religion. As such, even an atheist can embrace and believe in a principle that the Church recognizes as being from God. The most obvious example would be the prohibition against murder (which, legally defined, is the intentional killing of another person with malice).

Because of the failure of many American Catholics to make a distinction between principle and doctrine, self-identified and elected Catholic politicians like Mario Cuomo, John Kerry and presumably Gavin Newsome have pretty much "gotten away" with making convoluted public statements about personally being against something that the Church also opposes (e.g., abortion) but nevertheless supporting its legality. In the view of these politicians, the use of their public authority to apply a transcending principle that is dogmatically upheld by the Church equates to an impermissible imposition of religious doctrine. This is plainly untrue, and it’s also scandalous to the extent that many other Catholics have been persuaded into embracing the same false belief. That being said, while no one of us in the Catholic laity can claim perfection in carrying out the primary mission we have been given by the Church, those Catholics who refuse to even engage in the mission by raising the false legal pretense of "separation of church and state" would seem to be especially culpable.

If Only They Weren't Required to be Celibate and Allowed to Marry

A California DMV employee is arrested and charged with sexually molesting seven teenaged girls during driving tests.

Living The Faith After The Election

That's the title of a speaking event tonight at St. Dominic's church is San Francisco. Probably won't be nearly as unintentionally humorous as the upcoming Gavin Newsome Show on Nov. 22 at St. Vincent de Paul's (which I sadly won't be able to make, because I'll be in L.A.), but it should be interesting.

Only in Berserkeley

Despite running a $7.5 million defecit, the city of Berkeley spends in excess of $70,000/year storing shopping carts that were stolen and abandoned by homeless people.

Meanwhile, the chancellor of UC Berkeley was named yesterday to oversee the implementation of California's "loan for clones" pogrom scam program.

This Oughtta be a Hoot

Mayor Gavin Newsome, the man who violated state law by issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples and who probably supports legalized abortion, will be giving his "perspective" on being a Catholic politician at an upcoming Young Adult Group meeting at St. Vincent de Paul church in San Francisco. Given the certain predictability of his comments, and my thin skin for outright stupidity, I'm going to need some other incentive to show up for this meeting.

Support Ahnuld for Prez TV Ads

My fellow Cahleefonians, starting this Monday there will be a series of television ads running encouraging the adoption of a constitutional amendment that will allow naturalized citizens, like Ahnuld, to run for President. You have been warned girly-men!!

Power, Like Nature, Abhors a Vacuum

Cardinal George Pell, Archbishop of Sydney, warns against secular democracy and that if the West isn't careful, Islam could very well be the communism of the 21st century.

Update:Arrrgh! Registration is required to read the article linked above. Here's a summary from Catholic News.

Chairman of SF Abuse Panel Resigns

And while going out the door accuses the archdiocese of obfuscating and engaging in a public relations scheme. (link via Amy Welborn)

Sad Local Note

Acclaimed author and Bay Area resident Iris Chang has apparently committed suicide, leaving behind a husband and 2 year old son. If you ever get the chance, read Ms. Chang's book The Rape of Nanking, a very haunting and controversial chronicle of the atrocities committed by the Japanese in China during WWII.

Not Sure I Like This

According to Al Reuteera, President Bush will be nominating White House Legal Counsel Alberto Gonzales to be the next U.S. Attorney General. In light of the reports that Gonzales has squishy positions on affirmative action and life issues, conservatives should definitely be concerned about this apparent nomination.

State Rankings on the Greatest Virtue

Not a blue (Kerry) state among the top 25.

The Anti-Janet Reno Resigns

And I mean that as a complement. Nice job Mr. Ashcroft, and thank you for your service.

Kill the Sick and Useless Among Us!!

Such effectively is the calling cry of two California state legislators who plan on introducing a bill that would legalize physician assisted suicide. Ahnuld, having made one too many Terminator movies, is apparently undecided on the matter.

A Real Choice

Some Federal employees in Illinois now have the option of choosing a Catholic-run health insurance plan that doesn't cover abortions or contraception. Predictably, Planned Parenthood opposes the providing of such a choice by disingenuously confusing reasonable accommodation for religious indoctrination. Plus, I'm sure those baby butchers don't like the fact that they'll be losing money from this.

Aiming for Arlen

Folks at The Corner think that pressure should be applied to deny Arlen Specter the Chairmanship of the Senate Judiciary Committee for his warning remarks to President Bush about nominating judges who are openly critical of Roe v. Wade, while conservative talk show host Hugh Hewitt thinks pro-life efforts should be focused on changing the Senate rules that have allowed pro-abortion Democrats to obstruct Bush's judicial nominees. Frankly, I don't really know who's right on this, but I will say it's a most unfortunate situation that probably could have been altogether avoided had Bush shown a little bit of courage and not endorsed Specter over Pat Toomey in the Pennsylvania GOP primary.

Come to think of it, Hewitt did support Bush's move to endorse Specter in the primaries, so perhaps his argument for restraint and analysis isn't as dispassionate as it should be. But he does nevertheless raise some good points, and I'm going to have to mull them over for a bit to see if I should jump on the "Axe Arlen from the Judiciary Chairmanship" bandwagon.

Update: I'm now leaning toward denying Specter the chairmanship.

Chief Justice Thomas?

All the scuttlebut surrounding William Rehnquist's health and who might succeed him as the next Chief Justice of the Supreme Court kind of reminds me of the all the mostly media speculation that's been going on the last several years about who the next pope is going to be. In any event, Drudge is flashing a news report about how President Bush is supposedly looking into the possibility of elevating Clarence Thomas to the position of Chief Justice if and when Rehnquist resigns. A bold move to be sure, and one that I would wholeheartedly support. Between Thomas and Antonin Scalia, I personally think Thomas is the better jurist mostly because he appears to view the Ninth Amendment as a vehicle for Natural Law principles. The same can't be really said about Scalia who doesn't really seem to see the Ninth Amendment as anything more than an ink blot that conveys a nice sentiment.

Good Question

Howard Bashman at How Appealing asks what the election results of this past Tuesday mean if, as some people would have you believe, that it is impossible to fill a probable opening on the Supreme Court with a nominee who is a known opponent of Roe v. Wade.

California is a Weapon of Mass Destruction

In a state where abortion has been expressly proclaimed to be a fundamental right, it really isn't suprising that a ballot initiative which allows human beings to be created in a petrie dish and destroyed for purposes of "scientific research" passed with flying colors. Lord have mercy. Christ have mercy.

My Sentiments Exactly

Addressed to the incredibly deep blue MSM.

Lefty Dem Dilemmas

First, they make vacuous promises to leave the U.S. and move to Canada if George Bush wins reelection, then comes news that they'd have to wait up to a year before Canada allows them to become citizens of the Great White North.

Wonder if some of these 'Rats have ever thought of Cuba? I'm sure Fidel would fast track their citizenship applications in no time.

I am Alone in an Ocean of Loony Lefties

The final tally on the presidential race here in San Francisco is Kerry 83% and Bush 15%. A local initiative that would actually have allowed non-U.S. citizens to vote in San Francisco school board elections barely lost 51% to 49%, while an initiative condemning President Bush as a liar and demanding U.S. troop withdrawal from Iraq easily passed by a 63% to 37% margin.

Should I Feel Disenfranchised?

The type of voting ballot being used in San Francisco requires a person to fill in a broken arrow to a candidate of choice. At the polling place that I was at, a felt-tip pen was provided inside each voting stall. As most people might be aware, anything that is written with a felt-tip pen can be easily smudged, which is exactly what happened to a few of the markings I made on my ballot. When I asked the kid (he looked college-aged) who was running the ballot reading machine if this was a problem, he said "no." I remain skeptical.

Also, the voting for San Francisco Supervisors employed something called "ranked choice voting," which basically asks people to selct their first, second and third choices for a particular District Supervisor seat. The claimed purpose of this crazy voting method is to avoid prolonged and costly runoffs in case there is either a tie among two candidates or no candidate is able to garner more than 50% of the vote (I can't remember which one it is). Since there was only one supervisorial candidate in my district who I could vote for in good conscience, I didn't make a second and third choice. This seems to have been the reason for why the ballot reading machine didn't initially scan my ballot. After asking me if I had failed to fill in a couple of things on the Supervisor ballot, the kid running the ballot reading machine punched in a couple of buttons, and voila, my ballot got scanned. At least I think it did. Now I'm kicking myself for not asking.

Update: I noticed this guy's name among the candidates running for San Francisco School Board, and I just thought to myself, "This city is loony bin."

No Camelot for Kerry

At least as far as getting the Catholic Vote [tm] is concerned.

Several things of note in the linked article: 1). Apparently, the Daily Herald is amazed that any Catholic will not be voting for someone who claims (repeatedly) to have once been an altar boy; 2).The liberal/heretical Pax Christi is laughingly referred to as a "social justice group"; 3). Catholic concern about abortion is described as an "ideological shift" that occurred in the last 30 years; 4). Life related issues are qualified as "so-called"; 5). "Anti-abortion rights?"; and 6). Catholic Answers is described as being partisan and of the position that Catholics are required to "vote for a candidate who supports any one of five 'non-negotiable issues'"

If it wasn't for the fact that this article is being passed off as news, all of the blatant distortions and misleading comments that are made would be hilarious.

I Kind of Like My Car

Thus, my hesitancy to slap a Bush/Cheney sticker on it out here in the Bay Area. (link via Drudge)

This Guy Needs to be Dropped Like a Bad Habit

A pro-abortion lawyer (he's given lots of money to pro-abortion candidates) retained by a Wisconsin diocese advises said diocese against distributing a Catholic pro-life voter guide.

Government May Discriminate Against Private Religious Schools

So, in effect, decrees the U.S. 1st Circuit Court of Appeals. From just the article itself, it looks as though this might have been a case involving a challenge to a "Blaine Amendment", which from a historical standpoint, has its roots in anti-Catholicism.

Leftist Law School Intolerance

A Christian law student club sues UC Hastings over the school's homosexual membership policy. Hastings, a government funded law school in San Francisco, won't afford the Christian club official recognition unless it allows practicing homosexuals to become members and officers.

"UC Hastings has apparently decided to withdraw itself from the 'marketplace of ideas,'" said ADF Chief Counsel Benjamin Bull. "What’s next? Will they require a vegetarian club to admit meat-eaters or a Democratic Party student group to admit Republicans?"

"Permitting people to join HCF [Hasting Christian Fellowship -- sic]who disagree with the group’s beliefs and goals would contradict and undermine their purpose,” Bull added. "The Supreme Court has ruled repeatedly that student organizations have the right to determine their own membership."

Signs That the "Catholic Democrat" Will Soon Be an Endangered Species

From Colleen Carroll Campbell:

Election-year polls have shown Catholic support about evenly split between Kerry and President George W. Bush, with churchgoing Catholics favoring Bush and those who rarely attend Mass preferring Kerry.

But other polls suggest that Bush may be pulling ahead among Catholic voters as a whole. In midsummer, Zogby International pollsters began seeing a significant Catholic shift toward the president in such swing states as Minnesota, Iowa, Wisconsin, New Hampshire, and Pennsylvania. Zogby senior political writer Fritz Wenzel told the Catholic News Service that increased attention on Kerry's pro-abortion policies combined with strong pro-life networks in those swing states was making the difference for Bush. The numbers show "concern about the legitimacy of the war in Iraq being overridden by ongoing discomfort with Kerry's stand on abortion," Wenzel said.

By the end of September, the difference was obvious to pollsters at the Barna Research Group, who found a "seismic shift" in support for the President among Catholics. In May, Kerry had led Bush 48 percent to 43 percent among Catholic voters. Late last month, a 22-point shift had put Bush in the lead, with 53 percent of Catholic voters supporting him and just 36 percent backing Kerry. Survey director George Barna said many of Bush's Catholic supporters "have traditionally voted Democratic, but have chosen a different course this time around."

The numbers remain in flux and conclusions are premature. A new Zogby poll suggests that Kerry may be regaining a slight edge among Catholics, though white Catholics — who tend to vote in greater numbers — continue to favor Bush. The race for the Catholic vote may be too close to call, but the fact that a Catholic Democrat running for president has failed to lock in the Catholic vote at this late stage should worry Kerry's team — and buoy the Bush camp.

Not Your Mao's China Anymore

The world's best fried chicken wings hits China via Hooters.

The Off-Centered Mind of Jimmah

QandO points out this little gem from a Chris Matthews interview of ex-Presidente Jimmy Carter:

MATTHEWS: Let me ask you the question about—this is going to cause some trouble with people—but as an historian now and studying the Revolutionary War as it was fought out in the South in those last years of the War, insurgency against a powerful British force, do you see any parallels between the fighting that we did on our side and the fighting that is going on in Iraq today?

CARTER: Well, one parallel is that the Revolutionary War, more than any other war up until recently, has been the most bloody war we‘ve fought. I think another parallel is that in some ways the Revolutionary War could have been avoided. It was an unnecessary war. Had the British Parliament been a little more sensitive to the colonial‘s really legitimate complaints and requests the war could have been avoided completely, and of course now we would have been a free country now as is Canada and India and Australia, having gotten our independence in a nonviolent way.

As QandO points out, Canada, India and Australia didn't effectively become independent until the 20th century. And the claim about the Revolutionary War and War on Terror being the most bloody wars the US has ever fought is just plain wrong. Yes, I do believe Jimmah has been smoking a few too many peanut plants.

High Hopes Dashed From Lack of Cash

The unfortunate and abrupt ending of Campion College in San Francisco:

In late July Campion College, San Francisco's upstart Catholic college, announced that it was shutting its doors after two years of operations. Citing the decision of Guadalupe Associates to cease their funding of the college and an inability to raise alternative funding, the college informed the archdiocese of San Francisco that it had no choice but to cancel classes for the fall semester.

Campion College was conceived by Jesuit Father Joseph Fessio in February of 2002, following the well-publicized gutting of the University of San Francisco's Saint Ignatius Institute. The idea for an authentically Catholic, two-year liberal arts college had been discussed by Fessio and John Galten, the former director of the Ignatius Institute, a number of years ago, but it remained in the discussion stage until the Jesuits moved on the institute, leaving a void in Bay Area Catholic higher education.

Under the umbrella of the Guadalupe Associates, the parent organization to Ignatius Press, a curriculum was drafted, administration positions filled, and faculty hired, all under Father Fessio's direction.

(...)

When the Guadalupe Associates board unanimously decided to sever its funding relationship to Campion College, Galten, who is a voting member of the Guadalupe board, was on the East Coast on a combination vacation and student recruitment trip. "I knew that there was going to be a planning meeting to discuss matters for the future," said Galten. "They knew that I was going to be away. I guess that matters came up at that meeting. I was not aware that the fate of Campion College might be discussed."

While the meeting without Galten and the lack of warning to either the faculty or students takes on a darkly conspiratorial note to some involved, Brumley insists that the board did not go into that meeting with a premeditated intention to cut funding. According to Brumley, "[while] over the past year, we had concerns, it was really at the end of May that it became clear [that there was a crisis]. A couple of factors: we were unable to recruit a sufficient number of students. We only had two for the fall who were committed. We needed to see ten students for Campion to be viable. That would be one factor. We had a few students who had told us that they were not returning, and many of the students who were returning were not in a position to contribute much more financially. Third was the overall financial strain that Campion was posing to Ignatius Press."

One father of a Campion student (who asked not to be named) discounted this, noting that a responsible business should have been able to see the budget and recruitment problems no later than December of 2003, when a decision to discontinue funding would have left faculty and students adequate time to make other plans. Furthermore, he added, "I had never heard that we should be looking out for money. They asked those of us on financial aid to let the college know if our financial situation changed, but there was no importuning for us to seek outside donations to help the college financially."

Terrorist Enablers and Sympathizers

Proving once again that they are even kookier than their ideological brethren on the kooky Left, the ACLU turns down $1.15 million in funding from the abortion loving Ford and Rockefeller foundations. Why? Because both of these institutions have expressly said that their money can't be used for anything that encourages or facilitates terrorism.

UBL is Dead and Both Bush and Kerry Know It

So speculates (fairly persuasively IMO) Matthew Heidt at Froggy Ruminations. I especially like the insights on why Bush won't mention that UBL is pushing up daisies, despite the fact that doing so would easily put him over the top in the race for the presidency, and how Kerry is trying to shamelessly exploit Bush's restraint for his own political advantage. (link via Powerline)

Al Presseera Strikes Again

Despite numerous other news sources reporting that well over 60% of the military and their families have a favorable opinion of President Bush, the AP ignores this fact altogether in a "report" on a poll which finds that 62% of the military think that more troops should have been sent to Iraq. QandO provides more details and commentary.

Let It Never Be Forgotten

That a monster was removed.

A mass grave containing the bodies of children, babies and their mothers has been unearthed in Iraq.

Shocked investigators reported finding "thighbones the size of matchsticks" at what they believe is the site of one of Saddam Hussein's atrocities. Among the findings-were the skeletons of unborn babies and toddlers clutching toys.

A baby had been shot in the back of its head and was found still being clutched by its mother, who had been shot in the face. The discovery was reported as Tony Blair came under mounting pressure to apologise to Parliament for the misleading intelligence claiming Saddam had weapons of mass destruction.

Job Interview With Gigante Law Firm

I've actually always tried to avoid working for a large firm, and at the time I sent in my resume to the one I'll be interviewing with next week, I had no idea they had well over 100 attorneys and offices in San Fran, L.A., New York and Hong Kong. Yikes! Anyway, since this firm has expressed an interest in talking to me, I figure I may as well see if I can impress them enough to maybe offer me a job.

FCC Commissioner Admits MSM Has Liberal Bias

In his unwarranted criticism of the Sinclair Broadcast Group's decision to air an anti-Kerry program on 60 of its local stations, FCC Commissioner Michael Copps effectively admits that shows like Nightline have a left-wing political bias. I tried doing a Google search to see if Copps ever criticized Nightline, but wasn't able to come up with anything.

Update: Go here for the official Stolen Honor documentary website.

Contraception Brownshirts

Devout Catholic pharmacist refuses to fill a college student's prescription for birth control pills. Militant college student can't wait another day or two to have intercourse, so she calls the police and eventually forces the pharmacist to defend himself in front of a state licensing board.

Lots of Smoke in the City

I noticed it when I walked outside this afternoon, and wondered where it was coming from. Now I know.

John Kerry for Antichrist

The Walking Hairdo makes the case as explained by Mark Shea.

The SCOTUS Will Review Ten Commandments Monument Cases

And in reporting this fact, the Al Presseera (via "reporter" Gina Holland) once again reveals its leftist bias and ignorance.

Examples:

The Constitution bars any state "establishment" of religion. That means the government cannot promote religion in general, or favor one faith over another.

No, the Constitution expressly prohibits Congress from establishing religion. And I will buy Ms. Holland a dozen Krispy Kreme Doughnuts if she can point out where the Constitution says the government cannot promote religion or show favoritism toward one faith over another.

The lawyer for the Kentucky counties, Mathew Staver of the conservative law group Liberty Counsel, told justices that lower courts are fractured on the issue. A divided appeals court panel sided with the American Civil Liberties Union in the Kentucky case.

Interesting how the Liberty Counsel is explicitly described by the AP as "conservative" but the ACLU avoids getting tagged with the "liberal" designation.

The Rev. Barry W. Lynn of Americans United for Separation of Church and State said Tuesday that he hopes the court uses the cases to declare government displays of religious documents and symbols unconstitutional.

"It's clear that the Ten Commandments is a religious document. Its display is appropriate in houses of worship but not at the seat of government," Lynn said.

Why is the "Rev." Barry Lynn the only one in the whole "report" who gets directly quoted? And again notice that even though Americans United is a clearly leftist organization, the AP avoids describing it as such.

More Vatican Ignorance

And so in addition to being pretty clueless about American sensibilities and putting undeserved faith in an unaccountable and corrupt organization like the United Nations, the Vatican tries to "bury the hatchet" with Tony Blair and President Bush by analogizing post-war reconstruction efforts in Iraq to an illegitimate child who must be educated and reared.

With all due respect Cardinal Sodano: Shat up!

Update: Great take on Cardinal Sodano's unfortunate choice of words by The Mighty Barrister. Kind of makes you think that perhaps Sodano would have preferred that Saddam had stayed in power.

Morbid Musing

This past weekend, philosopher Jacques Derrida , actor Christopher Reeve, and former Major League Baseball player and MVP Ken Caminiti passed away. Kind of odd how celebrities, or relatively well know people, seem to always die in threes.

Kerry's Consistent Inconsistency

On the issue of requiring parental notification before allowing a minor to obtain an abortion, Kerry during last Friday's debate said he was against it because he didn't want "to require a 16 or 17 year old kid who's been raped by her father and who's pregnant to have to notify her father." The big problem with Kerry's rationale, however, is that he has voted against notification proposals that made an exception for the very type of scenario that he raised.

Bombshell

Drudge obtains an internal memo which confirms what most people with half a brain and not drinking the MSM's Kool Aid already know: there is a liberal bias at ABC News.

Maybe He Meant the Cambodia Marathon

Much like John Kerry's Christmas in Cambodia story, there is no evidence that supports Kerry's claim that he ever ran the Boston Marathon.

President Bush, on the other hand, has run many races, including the Houston Marathon. (link via Michelle Malkin)

Theology of the Demented Fruitcakes

Alleged scholars and theologians at an upcoming convention on American religion will be presenting papers which basically argue that true spirituality may be manifested through sadomasochism, transvestism, transsexualism and polyamory. Dollars to donuts that one of these crackheads throws out an argument that Christ was sexually aroused during the crucifixion.

Why "Catholic" Kerry Will Help Bush Win More Catholic Votes

George Marlin opines in the Washington Times:

This November, the number of Bush Catholics is likely to increase because many Catholics are angered by the specter of one of their own, candidate Kerry. This backlash may doom Mr. Kerry's candidacy, because unlike non-practicing "cafeteria" Catholics who are congregated in the northeastern and far western states that Mr. Kerry will easily carry, practicing Catholics are a major voting bloc in the key swing states of Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Ohio and Missouri.

According to liberal political pollster Stanley Greenberg, these practicing Catholics are "those most committed to and identified with the church and most likely to bring their Catholic identity into politics."

Right now, most pollsters agree that these states are moving in Mr. Bush's direction. Mr. Kerry's poor social-issues record has lead to Catholics in certain battleground states polling significantly more in favor of Mr. Bush than the general population.

Al Presseera

If you ever had any doubt that the AP news service is nothing but a mouthpiece for the Left, read this and wonder no more.

Glorifying Evil

So what does a self-described Catholic school like the University of San Francisco do in response to a mayor who is pro-abortion and breaks the law by granting official government recognition of gay "marriages?" Why, the university gives him an award! Like the city it's named after, USF is completely insane. (link via Mark Shea)

Judge William Pryor

Of the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals will be appearing EWTN's "Life on the Rock" show tonight at 5pm PDT. In case you might have forgotten, William Pryor was at the center of a heated confirmation battle in the U.S. Senate last year because of his express pro-life beliefs, and the fact that he once called Roe v. Wade "the worst abomination in the history of constitutional law."

The Vatican Doesn't Really Get the U.S.

On the stage of world affairs, National Catholic Reporter correspondent John Allen writes in his new book All the Pope’s Men that the Vatican just doesn't think the U.S. has what it takes to run the world. George Weigel, citing Allen's book, thinks that's probably an accurate assessment of the Vatican, but also adds that many Vatican officials are unaware of the fact that most Americans think the same thing.

But Americans have come to understand, however reluctantly, that power, like nature, abhors a vacuum. Perhaps no one can, or should, “run the world.” But someone will take the lead in shaping world politics. That someone can’t be the United Nations as presently configured. And it can’t be those western European countries who are reviving the failed appeasement strategies of the 1930s. Absent American leadership, the world will not be calm and orderly; the world will be chaotic — lethally chaotic.

So does the Vatican understand or see this? Doesn't really seem like it.

Blogger is Temperamental

Sometimes it won't let me in to my account, and sometimes it won't publish. As such, posting might be light for a while.

No WMD Stockpiles Inside Iraq, But...

That doesn't mean they aren't outside of the country, that Saddam didn't have a rudimentary WMD program in place, and that Saddam wasn't going to try and actively develop WMDs had there been no military intervention by US led coalition forces.

Update: From BBC Washington reporter Aaron Brookes:

Crucially, Mr Duelfer was asked in Congress today whether he thought the world was better off without Saddam Hussein.

Mr Duelfer hesitated, and then replied, "Yes, as an analyst, the world is better off."

Update: Some good analysis of the ISG report at Powerline. Check it out.

ID-ing the Baby Killers

Pro-life activists warn Oakland residents about a local gynecologist who flies to Kansas every month to perform abortions. As expected, the pro-aborts wring their hands and allege that "misinformation" and "lies" are being spread. Exactly what the pro-lifers are lying about, they don't say.

Pro-Aborts Hate Democracy (and Children)

The euphemistically named Center for Reproductive Rights sounds the alarm that at least 30 states will either ban or impose broad restrictions on wanton baby killing if Roe v. Wade is overturned.

"The building blocks are already in place to recriminalize abortion," said Nancy Northup, the center's president.

The group's report comes less than a month before the presidential election, which those on both sides of the abortion issue say will be critical in determining the future of the Roe decision.

Currently, it is believed that five of the nine justices support abortion rights, but that balance could be tipped if President Bush, in a second term, nominates a new justice who reflects his anti-abortion views. Democratic contender John Kerry is a strong supporter of abortion rights.

Cert Denied

Among the various First Amendment cases that the SCOTUS has declined to review is Catholic Charities of Sacramento v. California. This is the case where Catholic Charities has challenged the State of California's requirement that relgious backed service organizations include contraception coverage in their employee health benefit plans. Because the SCOTUS has declined to review the matter, the California Supreme Court's ridiculous ruling that Catholic Charities is not an exempt religious institution stands.

Ahnuld OKs Pedophile Protection Act

Even though I didn't vote for him, I'm sorry I ever put up a defense for his election. I would have at least thought Ahnuld would refrain from signing any idiotic bills that helps protect the baby butchers at Planned Parenthood. Ugh! Maybe we need another recall. (link via Mark Shea)

Will the MSM Pick This Up?

CNSNews.com, the first news service to break Rathergate, obtains evidence that appears to cement the claim that Saddam had WMD and ties to terrorists.

San Francisco Schools For Jihad

Yes, this place is truly an insane asylum.

The San Francisco Unified School District will host an event tomorrow (Saturday, October 2) in support of overseas terrorist groups given by the International Solidarity Movement and its affiliate, International ANSWER. Taking place at Horace Mann Middle School in San Francisco’s Mission District, the event is titled “The Struggle for Palestine: 4th Anniversary of the Intifada.” The Intifada means the violent insurrection started by the PLO in September, 2000 that has resulted in over 25,000 terror attacks and more than 1,000 innocent people deliberately murdered in cold blood.

For the radical Left, this event is especially timely, since it follows the beheadings of two American citizens in Iraq last week, a crime and tragedy that undoubtedly will not be condemned during the proceedings at the Horace Mann Middle School this weekend.

Not Everyone Should be Allowed to Vote II

Res Ipsa Loquitur

When You Mess With the Bull, You Get the Horns

A public school district is ordered to pay-up big time for its intolerance of traditional Catholic views about homosexuality. (link via Amy Welborn)

"Hopefully, this will deter Ann Arbor Public Schools from violating students' constitutional rights in the future," said Robert Muise of the Thomas More Law Center on Friday, after learning that U.S. District Judge Gerald Rosen had ordered the school district to reimburse the center for suing on behalf of Elizabeth (Betsy) Hansen.

"They could have avoided all of this by simply letting her express her views," Muise said. The center is an Ann Arbor-based public interest law firm that defends the religious liberties of Christians.

What They Said

Why no serious Catholic should even consider voting for Kerry. (link via Mark Shea)

Kerry has a proven record of hostility to judges who share the beliefs that form the core of the Church’s teachings on life, family, and social issues. With the full support of Senators Kerry and Edwards, Senate Democrats have used unprecedented filibusters to prevent the Senate from holding a vote on many of President Bush’s judicial nominees – not because they were unqualified but because of liberal concerns that their judicial philosophy would yield results that conform too closely to the core teachings of Catholic doctrine. In effect, to paraphrase one commentator, Senate Democrats have adopted a viewpoint test for judicial office that has the effect of screening out all nominees who are faithful to the Church’s teaching.

Putting Terri's Faith on Trial?

A Florida judge considers whether evidence of Terri Schiavo's commitment to her Catholic faith should be allowed in arguments against removing her feeding tubes.

In a hearing Thursday, attorneys for the parents of the 40-year-old brain-damaged woman argued that Schiavo was a practicing Catholic whose views would be affected by statements made by Pope John Paul II in March.

The pope said in a speech that someone in a persistent vegetative state still has the right to basic health care, including nutrition and hydration, and that to withhold it would be a sin.

From the Same Folks Who Said "The Passion" Would Cause Anti-Semitism

The Anti-Defamation League successfully henpecks Riverside County to cover up a Theodore Roosevelt quote (“The true Christian is the true citizen”) that was engraved on a courthouse wall about 70 years ago.

The ADL, which seeks to fight anti-Semitism and other forms of bigotry, sent a letter to the court in July stating that the quote should be covered because it could be interpreted as a direct “endorsement of Christian faith.”

Alison Mayersohn, associate director of the group’s Pacific Southwest region, said that without the original context, the quote could easily be perceived by socially vulnerable groups, particularly minorities “as equating Christianity and good citizenship.”

In other words, the ADL thinks minorities are too stupid to figure out that the quote in no way implies that one must be a Christian in order to be a true citizen. Typical elitist left-wing goofs.

LA County Sued for Voting to Remove Cross Off Seal

God bless the plaintiffs who filed the complaint, but practically speaking, I don't see them getting too far with this.

The suit alleges that the supervisors' action was hostile toward religion and a waste of taxpayers' money.

Supervisors earlier this month voted 3-2 to approve a new county seal to avoid a lawsuit by the American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California.

The ACLU claimed the cross symbol represented a government endorsement of Christianity in violation of the First Amendment.

Individuals Can't Be Required to Obtain Speech Permits

So rules the 6th Circuit Court of Appeal in a case involving a street preacher who had attempted to verbally express his religious beliefs on public property. What's real interesting about this case, though, is that no determination was made as to why it is acceptable for the State to require groups to obtain a speech permit, but not individuals.

In a dissent, Judge Deborah Cook said she thought the state's rules for use of the Statehouse grounds were appropriate because they regulated the time, place and manner of speech but not the content of the message.

Ohio Attorney General Jim Petro was considering whether to appeal the decision, spokeswoman Kim Norris said.

"We continue to maintain that there is no principal difference between individual speakers and groups on the grounds of the Statehouse," Norris said. The Capitol Square Review and Advisory Board regulates use of the Statehouse grounds and approves permits.

Not Everyone Should be Allowed to Vote

Some words of something other than wisdom from Ms. Cameron Diaz (via Drudge):

"We have a voice now, and we're not using it, and women have so much to lose. I mean, we could lose the right to our bodies. We could lo--if you think that rape should be legal, then don't vote. But if you think that you have a right to your body, and you have a right to say what happens to you and fight off that danger of losing that, then you should vote, and those are the..."

More Catholics Supporting Prez. Bush

According to a poll conducted by former Catholic George Barna. A good sign, but probably still should be taken with a grain of salt.

Time to Come Clean Mr. President

Bobby Eberle at FrontPageMag.com raises some serious questions on whether the President lied about Iraq having weapons of mass destruction. Interestingly, it isn't President Bush that needs to answer the hard questions.