China Needs To Explain Military Expansion - Gates

Let me explain something to you Mr. Gates, China is actively trying to flex it's muscle because it feels empowered by it's economic wealth, it's success in espionage against US military computer systems, and our reluctance to do anything about it.

It's a simple matter of someone trying to play on the world stage and they see Taiwan as a first strike target because they see it as a shame upon China that they have allowed Taiwan to be independent for so long.

They know that the US is bound by law to protect Taiwan against any attack and that they want to know what they are up against when they attack. China and other nations are starting to see where they can get away with shit and where they can't. They are probing us. Want them to be more open? Start coming down hard on these probes. Military research computer systems shouldn't be on the internet at all. Computer attacks should be met with covert action back at those who are responsible for it. China is known for their economic and computer technology skills. They are going to continue to do it until we either shut them down or they have gotten all of the information they need.

Do your job Gates, protect American interests. Don't appease them simply because we buy a bunch of stuff from them.

Travis
travis@rightwinglunatic.com

Sunnis Revolt Against Al-Qaeda

It appears that people are getting tired of having terrorists in their neighborhood.

What I'd really like to see though, is a massive uprising by Iraqi citizens to show these thugs that they aren't going to rule the lives of these innocent people. Once that starts to take effect, you'll start seeing more and more terrorist idiots getting captured or killed. Once it starts snowballing, you will see people be more willing to help out our troops in the field. It's already starting, but I'm glad to see the media starting to pick up on it.

Travis
travis@rightwinglunatic.com

You Only Get One Shot

I don't mind if our guys reach out to militants to get a cease fire. However, I do want them to know that we're only giving them one shot. Turn us down, and we turn up the heat. Give them one chance to lay down their arms and become a part of society. Allow them a chance to build productive lives with themselves and their families. It allows everyone to win.

Or we could just follow them back to their lair and kill them all. I'm ok with either option really.

Travis
travis@rightwinglunatic.com

Iranians Arming Taliban?

It would certainly be within the realm of possibility. "The enemy of my enemy is my friend" type of mentality wouldn't surprise me from the Iranian government. But unfortunately for the Iranians, they are dealing with a dying militant movement and will only put themselves into harms way when they are vanquished. They need to ask themselves "Do I want to be in the cross hairs of America's wrath when the dust settles"? Once Osama, his henchmen, and the Taliban are found, captured or killed, Iran will have a very angry enemy on it's hands.

Travis
travis@rightwinglunatic.com

Late Start

Sorry about the very late start folks, I had a hell of a day. :)

Travis
travis@rightwinglunatic.com

Internet Taxes

Congress is looking into taxing more and more of the Internet. Even idiotic Republican Michael Enzi is proposing a mandatory sales tax on all Internet purchases. This would make it so that your saving a couple of bucks on a purchase at Amazon.com's website null. That means that there may be times where it would be cheaper to go to a brick and mortar store and buy your item.

I can't stress this enough. WE ARE TAXED ENOUGH. I pay more in taxes then some people make in a year. I don't know about you, but seeing a Republican ask for more taxes needs to be addressed. The Republican party is about less taxes, less government, and more freedom to do as you wish. You can make the American dream what you want it to be, not what some idiotic bureaucratic says it should be. Am I the bad guy here? Am I the only one who's tired of paying taxes after taxes after taxes?

Take a look at your gasoline bill. It takes, what, $30 bucks or so to fill a standard tank? How much of that do you think is in taxes? In the state of California for example, taxes on a $3.46 gallon of gas is 62 cents. In some areas it's more. I pay hundreds of dollars a month in property taxes. I pay taxes on food, clothing, every thing in my everyday life.

Then with government waste at an almost legendary status, they have the NERVE to say that the taxes aren't enough. If you're making $200 a week or $200,000, you have the right to have your tax money spent wisely. Schools, roads, national defense, those are all good places to spend money wisely. Cut the fat on you before you cut the pound of flesh from us.

Travis
travis@rightwinglunatic.com

Iran In Diplomatic Trouble

The time has ended for the latest round of sanctions against Iran. With new ones on the horizon, Iran may have lost itself a powerful ally: Russia. Russia is now more and more on the side of the West in their demands against the Iranian nuclear program. Iran had counted on China and Russia to defend them, but with their idiotic leader spewing off hate against America and Israel, they are painting Russia into a very deep corner.

China's only out for it's own interest and would gladly sell out Iran if it benefited them. They are only against the sanctions because they do not want to anger a major energy supplier for their explosive economy. Once it becomes obvious to even the most idiotic world leader that Iran is after a nuclear weapon with ideas of grandeur, you'll see China come around as well. This time however, I say we go after sanctioning their oil revenue. Sure, it'll drive up the price of gas significantly, however, Iran can't stand to be stubborn about the issue as long as the US can. Bring their economy to it's knees and you'll start seeing real progress on their nuclear program.

Travis
travis@rightwinglunatic.com

Al-Sadr May Have Made Fatal Mistake

The Mahdi may have made a fatal mistake. They are suspected of abducting 5 British soldiers today. This is the same militia that is headed by Moqtada Al-Sadr. If they are indeed responsible for the abductions, they have crossed the point of no return.

Moqtada can no longer claim that he's just a political guy anymore. He can no longer justify his militias existence. That means that they can be hunted down and killed just like any other terrorist group. Now his militia may not be responsible, but if they are, the gloves just came off.

Travis
travis@rightwinglunatic.com

Terrorism Dry Run

I'm disheartened to read this article. After all the bullshit, after all the heart ache we all experienced on September 11th, we actually have morons who can't seem to take terrorism serious enough even in the Air Marshals department.

What the fuck is it going to take here people? Is an atomic bomb going off in Washington DC going to get your attention? Is the mass slaughter that happened 5 and a half years ago not enough?

"Agency management was not only covering up numerous probes and dry-run encounters from Congress and other federal law-enforcement agencies, it was also hiding these incidents from their own flying air marshals," said P. Jeffrey Black, an air marshal stationed in Las Vegas.

They are actively probing our weaknesses and the higher ups are still trying to cover their asses. I want an air marshal on EVERY flight. I want EACH AND EVERY suspicious person taken off the flight and interrogated vigorously and investigated afterwards. Notice how it was 13 of them? That's because they now know that they can't pull this shit off with 5 guys anymore. They know it's going to take a lot more people to bring down an aircraft.

It's time we fought back. It's time we took those who probe our security weaknesses and gave them severe prison sentences and deported. They only have to be "right" once. If you are in the business of being an air marshal, I imagine that you take that job pretty seriously. If your higher ups can't hack the job, then they need to step aside for a man (or woman) who can do the job.

Of course, if they aren't right in the middle of an act of terrorism, they will have those at CAIR screaming about their "Islamophobia". It's simple statistics here folks. If we're hit again by another airborne terrorist attack, it's our fault for not taking these threats seriously enough. But then again, I can imagine Dylan Avery going on and on about how it was a "missile" or other such nonsense and having idiots like Rosie O'Donnell and Charlie Sheen buy into his line of bullshit.

Travis
travis@rightwinglunatic.com

Hillary Doesn't Get America

Hillary Clinton has said that it's time to do away with the "on your own" society and replace it with "one based on shared responsibility and prosperity."

What that means is, is if I get up in the morning, pay attention in college, bust my ass at work, and basically be a law abiding, upstanding pillar of the community, Hillary wants MY MONEY to go towards those who are too lazy, stupid, or both.

Let me explain something to everyone out there. This is America. ANYONE can work hard and be prosperous. ANYONE can live their dream if they work hard enough, be responsible enough and take calculated risks. We've gone from a bunch of rag tag hillbillies in the 1700's who beat the #1 military power on earth at the time to becoming the #1 industrial nation on earth in less than 250 years time. China's been an up and comer, but they've been a nation for thousands of years. What does that tell you?

We know what works Hillary. People who want more, who do more, who think better will win out. It's not fair to take from those who do well to give to those who do not do well because they don't want to work, they don't want to pay attention in school, or they simply are "happy enough". Hillary's "plan" also doesn't take into account simple human greed. Russia is a communist state. They collapsed in a flaming ball of hurt in 1991. They have a major organized crime problem. Why? Communism doesn't work. There are people who work harder then others who rightfully believe that they should have more. Bigger houses, bigger cars, college educations for their children and so on.

Where's the incentive for America to do better if Hillary has her way? Everyone will want to suckle at the governments proverbial tit. Hillary has said she wants to "take the profits" from various companies and give them to other government programs because they were too prosperous. That's not how America works. That's theft.

Travis
travis@rightwinglunatic.com

Time To Make Hard Choices

Currently, the Federal government is $59 TRILLION in debt for various social programs and retirement plans. It means that each and every person in America owes about $516,000. It breaks down this way:

Medicare	$255,280
Social Security	$144,251
Federal debt	$43,380
Military benefits	$25,863
State and local debt	$17,537
Federal civil- servant benefits	$14,374
State and local retiree benefits	$13,114
Other federal obligations	$2,548
Total	$516,348

It's time we start looking long and hard at our upcoming expenses and make tough choices on how to curb these expenses. I have a couple of ideas that will probably piss off a bunch of people, but that's what tough choices are all about.

First, Social Security is cut off for anyone under the age of 35. You'll still pay for it until the last bit of people above that age dies off. A new pre-tax way of saving for retirement needs to be worked out for those under 35. That means that I will continue to pay for Social Security for another 30 years, but not receive ONE DIME from my contributions. That's just the way it has to be.

The alternative is to cut Social Security benefits for those on it and about to come onto it. These people have paid into Social Security their entire lives. That's not fair to them.

Another alternative is to have everyone who does not rely on Social Security for their main income such as those with IRA's, investments, or savings, to voluntarily give up Social Security benefits. That's going to be tough to get people to give up "free" money, but it's an additional way to save money. Perhaps give them a percentage of the benefits as a tax write off.

Secondly, Medicare is cut back severely. If you have a terminal illness or injury, you are allowed to commit physician assisted suicide. Medicare stops paying for unnecessary things. Only things that will keep you alive and without pain are paid for. Need an operation that may extend your life another year? Sorry. You die naturally this year instead of next. It sounds cruel, but the needs of many outweigh the needs of a few.

Third: The US Government is to be run as a business. Unnecessary costs are cut. Cost cutting measures such as the use of Linux instead of Windows are used where ever possible. Government vehicles are replaced with hybrids where ever possible. Government vehicles are replaced less frequently. "Hand out" programs are cut to the bone. Welfare is now only for those who cannot work because of a disability. If you are physically able to work, you will have a job. Public parks need cleaning, government buildings need security, public construction workers need helpers, etc. Don't like the job? Get a job in the private sector because you won't get welfare benefits.


You can keep tax cuts and still make the US government profitable. It just takes some imagination and a bit of sacrifice to make our way of life free of debt.

Travis
travis@rightwinglunatic.com

Barack Obama's Finished

With the Democratic primary still a long way off, Barack Obama made a critical mistake today: He announced how he was going to pay for Universal Health Care. He plans on taxing the wealthy. While that may not do much for your outrage factor, what he didn't tell you, but experts will, is that it will cost the Federal government an additional $50-$65 BILLION A YEAR.

With the Federal deficit at an all time high, we simply cannot afford additional, unnecessary expenses. If someone wants health insurance, get a job that gives that as a benefit or pay for your own insurance. There are states that also have their own version of "universal health care" on a sliding scale. It's really as simple as that.

Democrats have long held Bush's feet to the fire over the nation's debt, and it's only fair that they get their fair shake of a gut check. You can't hold Bush to one standard and yourself to another.

His package would prohibit insurance companies from refusing coverage because of pre-existing conditions. It would also create a National Health Insurance Exchange to monitor insurance companies and limit their profits.

So if someone has cancer, insurance companies will be forced to cover this person for their treatment. I don't know how much you folks know about cancer treatment, but my friend who just got over a bout with cancer, his total tab for the treatments was $2.5 million. Insurance companies would be forced to eat that cost. That's how businesses go out of business. People will lose their job, massive layoffs will happen, and then it will get ugly. What happens if a company loses money in a particular fiscal year or quarter? Does Barack have a plan to bail these companies out with Federal funds? Say a company has a bad quarter and loses $300 million, will Barack cut them a check because he's legally limiting their profits? You can bet that insurance companies will sue the hell out of him for that.

Barack also wants to "limit the profits of insurance companies". What the hell? That's not how capitalism works Barack.

Obama's first promise as a presidential candidate was that he would sign a universal health care plan into law by the end of his firm term in the White House. But there is some dispute over whether his plan would provide universal care -- it's aimed at lowering costs so all Americans can afford insurance, but does not guarantee everyone would buy it.

"It's not totally clear that it would result in universal coverage," said Ron Pollack, executive director of the advocacy group Families USA. He praised Obama and other leading Democratic candidates for focusing on improving health care.

"What makes it a top national priority now is not simply a sense of sympathy for people who are uninsured but a sense of fear that the coverage that used to be taken for granted can no longer be taken for granted," he said.

Obama aides said they believe that everyone would buy health insurance if it were affordable enough, achieving universal care. If some Americans are still uninsured after a few years into the plan, Obama would reconsider how to get to 100 percent, the advisers said.

So if the plan doesn't work as he "envisions", he'll raise taxes AGAIN to make sure that he can stick this on his resume.

This is America. You work hard, play by the rules, and ANYONE can strike it rich. It's not fair for someone to try to take from you what you legally earned. That's communism, not capitalism. Do you think that Barack's rich Hollywood friends are going to enjoy the severely hiked tax rate?

The government needs to be run like a business, not a charity. Otherwise, we'll start facing problems like the one I'm about to write about.

Travis
travis@rightwinglunatic.com

Hugo Chavez Coming Apart

Cindy Sheehan's favorite dictator apparently had to get a little "Saddam-ish" last night and shut down a TV station and disperse a crowd with rubber bullets and tear gas. The crowd was protesting the clampdown of freedom of speech that they were experiencing.

I'm sure that George Bush would do the same things right Cindy? Cindy? Oh that's right, she won't be making any additional comments because she's "retiring" from the public eye because the money's dried up and the free lunch has ended.

Of course, Hugo is just consolidating his power and making sure that he's a "man of the people" in the eyes of the Venezuelan public. Unfortunately for him, it looks like they can see through the line of bullshit he's selling. I apologize, but I'm just enjoying watching Hugo try to take the "holier then thou" attitude and having it blow up in his face.

Travis
travis@rightwinglunatic.com

Russian Logic

You have to wonder the logic in Russian leadership if they say that the proposed missile defense shield in Eastern Europe by the US would cause the region to become a "powder keg", but then they turn around and show off a multiple headed missile designed to specifically thwart said defense shield.

Isn't that the same thing as a thug saying that cops in a crime ridden neighborhood would turn the area into a "war zone"? Maybe it's just me, but that reeks of hypocracy.

We say it's for rogue nations who might lob a missile or two against any of your allies. Is Russia claiming that they would be that "rogue nation"? Is Russia finally coming to terms with the fact that they aren't going to be a world superpower anymore and are desperately trying to grasp at straws? They really ought to look at China if they think they have threats against their nation. They have a world economic heavyweight working in their backyard and yet, you don't hear a peep from them.

Travis
travis@rightwinglunatic.com

Terrorist Leader Captured

While it's not Osama, I'll take any capture of a terrorist organization leader any day. This guy was caught literally with his pants down. :)

Khaled Shawish, whom is suspected in multiple shootings, was captured having sex in his car with a woman who wasn't his wife on sacred grounds of Yassir Arafat's grave site. You can't really get much better then that. He has some HEAVY explaining to do to his wife and his fellow terrorists for defiling a strip of sacred ground. While in their culture he might be able to brush off the wife bit, the sacred ground part might be a bit more complicated. If it happened in America, you can bet Mrs. Shawish would go all "Lorena Bobbitt" on him. :)

Travis
travis@rightwinglunatic.com

Texas About To Execute A Woman

Equal treatment under the law I say. If a man crushed this baby's skull like this woman did, he'd be equally vilified and executed as well. Had she sought help when the baby had been injured, it would be a very different story then the one she's trying to spin before she's executed.

You don't run from the law, change your appearance, and act like nothing happened when a baby is severely injured like that. You call for help, try to administer CPR, SOMETHING other then do that. But it's good to see that women are getting the same treatment as men. That includes penalties for murder. If women want equal treatment, they have to take the good with the bad.

Travis
travis@rightwinglunatic.com

Jack's Back!

Dr. Jack Kevorkian was released from prison today after serving 8 years for murder. While technically he did commit a crime, I don't really see the harm. If someone wants to end their life, where's the problem? If someone has a terminal illness, is in a coma and signed a waiver before they went into that coma, or any number of other problems that we face, I don't see why someone who've I've never met can tell me what to do with my life.

It's these type of people that need a good reality check. They aren't the ones who have to deal with chemotherapy, crippling pain, or drug cocktails with severe side effects. They have no right to tell me how and when to end my life. It's about peace and control. You want to go on your own terms. I can completely understand that. If you're in pain, I don't have a problem with you putting your mouth over a shotgun and blowing your brains across a wall.

The only thing I would ask anyone who's in that position to think of the ramifications on their family. Talk to them about it first before you decide to end your life. Your spouse, siblings and parents might understand, but children might be very devastated by your decision. Everyone in my circle of friends and family know that if I am ever in that position, I will probably end my life on my terms. I'll give away all my possessions, send my love to my friends, family and loved ones, and blow my brains out. Maybe it's because I've worked in the health care world and seen what old age and dementia or Alzheimer's can do to a person. Maybe it's my male pride in that I don't want someone wiping my ass after I've shit my pants. Either way, it's not something I look forward to and no one on this planet can tell me what I can and can't do about it.

Travis
travis@rightwinglunatic.com

Cindy Sheehan Calls It Quits

After two years of this idiot going around spouting off false statements and milking her 15 minutes of fame, Cindy Sheehan has decided to call it quits over her "peace movement". What's sad is that she has taken her son's untimely death and spun it for her fame and financial gain. Her son has signed up for a second tour of duty, and volunteered for the mission that eventually resulted in his death. Hardly the "poor Casey who was victimized by George W. Bush" that she would have us all believe.

Of course, everything is America's fault: This is my resignation letter as the "face" of the American anti-war movement. This is not my "Checkers" moment, because I will never give up trying to help people in the world who are harmed by the empire of the good old US of A, but I am finished working in, or outside of this system.

Who gives a shit if something happens to America that isn't it's fault? 9/11? Marine barracks in Beruit? Nah, none of those things matter to Cindy. She only cares that no one is listening to her anymore.

She doesn't want us to win in Iraq, just like your stereotypical Democrat either:

Our brave young men and women in Iraq have been abandoned there indefinitely by their cowardly leaders who move them around like pawns on a chessboard of destruction and the people of Iraq have been doomed to death and fates worse than death by people worried more about elections than people. However, in five, ten, or fifteen years, our troops will come limping home in another abject defeat and ten or twenty years from then, our children’s children will be seeing their loved ones die for no reason, because their grandparents also bought into this corrupt system. George Bush will never be impeached because if the Democrats dig too deeply, they may unearth a few skeletons in their own graves and the system will perpetuate itself in perpetuity.

So it's not possible to "win" in her eyes. But let me explains something to you sweety: George Bush won't be impeached because he didn't do anything illegal. Just because someone you don't like is in office doesn't give you the right to impeach them. You complain about the rule of law, yet you don't want to follow the Constitution which spells out when a person can be removed from office.

It's yet another stereotypical "I'm taking my ball home now" when the going gets tough. Real adults with a passion for what they believe in would fight until they got what they were after. To throw in the towel shows you the kind of stuff she was made of. "Give me what I want or I'll quit and go home, right after I make a few bucks off of the death of my son with a book and movie deal" Does that sound about right? That's not to say she doesn't have the right to grieve. She certainly does and I believe that her grief is very real. However, when she started getting into protesting and spouting off false statements, the gloves come off.

It really says something when your entire family disowns you and your husband divorces you because of your sudden fame and "fortune". My guess is that her popularity has waned and with her "biting the hand that feeds her" with her spewing out hateful words towards Democrats now, the free ride has now dried up. You can read all about her whining "off to the sunset" speech here.

Travis
travis@rightwinglunatic.com

Memorial Day

Today is the day we celebrate the sacrifices that our armed forces members have made, past and present. It is not simply another day off of work or school. So, if you have a veteran in your life, make it a point to say thank you. If you have a few extra bucks, send it to a veteran's charity. The freedoms you have are directly because of their efforts and sacrifices.

Travis
travis@rightwinglunatic.com

Definition Of Cowardly

Oh how I love sweet sweet irony. I'm sure you've all seen the public spat between two yenta's Rosie O'Donnell and Elisabeth Hasselback. For those of you who don't know, here's the little tiff they had:

Wednesday's debate was the culmination of a fight that started on "The View" last week, when O'Donnell said, "655,000 Iraqi civilians have died. Who are the terrorists?"

Conservative critics said O'Donnell was calling U.S. troops terrorists. Wednesday, Hasselbeck said O'Donnell should clarify her statement.

"I asked you if you believed what the Republican pundits were saying," O'Donnell said to Hasselbeck.

"Did I say yes?" Hasselbeck replied.

"You said nothing and that's cowardly," O'Donnell shot back.

Well if you want to talk about cowardly Rosie, perhaps leaving the show early is a good example.

When you have an argument with someone, you don't walk away if you're losing the argument. You stay like an man and stand your ground. Giving up is the easy, cowardly way out. Your statement of "who's the terrorists" shows your true feelings. Don't bullshit people and tell them you "do everything you can to support the troops financially and emotionally" when you know that's a lie.

I'm not even saying you should support the troops. If you don't, that's your right as an American. I'm just condemning you for lying about it and being an ungrateful cunt that financially succeeds under the umbrella of freedom that they provide.

Travis
travis@rightwinglunatic.com

US Sabotaging Iranian Nuclear Program

NOW WE'RE GETTING DOWN TO BUSINESS! This is the kind of thing I expect from the worlds greatest superpower. The US is actively sabotaging nuclear parts that get purchased and installed in Iranian nuclear plants. Those parts are defective and they tend to have catastrophic failures such as one that took out 50 centrifuges a little bit ago.

Now, couple that with scientists defecting or turning up missing, you have a real way of getting the Iranians to come around without actually inflaming public opinion against you. Of course, if you do all of the above and sanction the hell out of the Iranians, you have a recipe for them to blink and stop their nuclear program cold.

Travis
travis@rightwinglunatic.com

Dumb People

If you don't pass a test, you don't get to participate in the graduation. Simple as that. But if your parents are going to protest, make sure that they have basic English skills and don't hold up a sign that says: "Let are kids walk". It kinda takes the wind out of the sails of your argument.

Travis
travis@rightwinglunatic.com

North Korea Having Little Dick Syndrome

You'd think that after all the brouhaha going on over their nuclear program, that the North Koreans wouldn't want to endanger that deal because of the extreme poverty they are facing. But alas, you'd be wrong. North Korea test fired a short range missile today, making everyone nervous about their attention whoring. South Korea isn't too terribly worried. They've got some pretty advanced "missile shooting down goodies" from their good buddies at the US of A. :)

Travis
travis@rightwinglunatic.com

Hillary Doesn't Have A Clue

Hillary voted against the military funding bill that went through yesterday. While it's certainly within her rights to vote that way, her thinking leaves a lot to be desired.

Q: "Why did you vote against the bill?"
A: "Obviously I thought very long and hard about it because I care deeply about making sure we do everything we can to protect our troops and there are some very positive elements within the supplemental that will certainly add to what will be coming down the road in the next three months. Also, I think the president has resisted every effort by -- not just the political process -- but by independent experts like the Iraq Study Group and you know, enough is enough. At some point you just have to draw a line. You know I didn't have the luxury of voting on two separate votes like the House did. But I think that it was important to make clear that I think we can do so much better in the war against terrorism and trying to force the Iraqis to come to a political resolution than what it is in this bill or what the president apparently is willing to do.

Q: "How concerned are you this vote will hurt you in a general election?"
A: "I don't see that at all. The American people have been living now with this war for five years. I want to de-authorize it. That's what Sen. Byrd and I have proposed. We are trying to end the authority for this war which is..."

Q: "Republicans will say, 'She voted to leave our troops in the field.'"
A: "Nobody believes that, nobody believes that. There's money to fund vehicles that are desperately needed -- they're not going to be ready in three months. That's just propaganda."

I believe that Hillary. I believe you're leaving the troops with their asses hanging in the breeze. The Pentagon and military commanders have said that the funding delays have already started effecting the military in bad ways. The "vehicles" she's speaking of are new armored personnel carriers that are better against IED attacks. Those "vehicles" have been ready for the longest time, they just need to be paid for.

Don't bullshit the American public Hillary, we know how to spot a liar. If you want to vote against the war because it's your belief, that's fine. But the moveon.org people have warned you about the political consequences for voting for the funding. That tells me that you are pandering to your constituents instead of funding needed supplies and equipment for the men and women in the field.

Hillary is merely maneuvering herself to get the added votes she needs for the Democratic nomination. She has a very serious threat in Barack Obama in that he's relatively new, appears "approachable" and likable, and she...well....isn't. Hillary is leading the polls in various areas, but she needs to crush her main rival if she hopes to succeed in getting the Democratic nomination. Bowing to special interest groups like moveon.org is the same thing that her and other liberals accuse Republicans of doing. But it's different for them because....well there is no reason.

Travis
travis@rightwinglunatic.com

Ooops

If you are with your mistress on the beach and you see a TV helicopter in the air above you, don't wave and draw attention to yourself. Your wife might find out about it. Important safety tip.

Travis
travis@rightwinglunatic.com

Al-Sadr's Back

Moqtada Al-Sadr decided to show his face today with an interesting message to his followers: Stop fighting Iraqi's.

"Pay attention: This is an important point," he said. "As far as I know, the occupation is behind this, creating an excuse for it to stay in our beloved Iraq. So don't give it a reason, please."

Calling the message a fatwa -- a religious legal ruling -- al-Sadr said that "any fighting between the brothers is not allowed and [is] forbidden as long as they follow the good and reject the wrong. I advise the dear brothers in the Mehdi Army to resort to peaceful choices if they are attacked by the weak souls."

That's a very big step though. His militia has been responsible for thousands of deaths and he himself was wanted for the murder of a rival cleric a few years back. However, if he's sincere, which is a very big IF, and he militia actually listens to him, you can expect violence levels to drop drastically.

What I think it is is al-Sadr went to Iran and him and the Iranians came up with a simple plan: Stop the violence and the Americans will leave. Which is pretty much why we're still there. The Iraqi government and security forces aren't at 100% and violence levels are high in certain places. If those levels drop to 0%, and the Iraqi's can handle security for themselves, it's job done. What is interesting though, is that I'm willing to bet that Al-Sadr and the Iranians will use the opportunity when we leave to have great influence in Iraq without alienating ordinary Iraqi citizens with random acts of terrorism. It's a pretty simple, effective plan if you ask me.

But I still want those who committed these crimes against Iraqi citizens and our troops to be captured or killed. If al-Sadr's militia want to trade in their guns for political positions, I have no problem with that, as long as they didn't commit any crimes during their time in the militia. But only time will tell. What is most interesting is that the timing of al-Sadr's announcement is close to the time that the military funding budget was being finalized.

Perhaps al-Sadr came up with a plan to ask for non violence because he saw Democrats will wavering and calculated that if violence dropped to nothing, then Democrats would ask for troops to leave, and he would "declare" victory. It's certainly within the realm of possibility. I guess we'll see in the coming months.

Travis
travis@rightwinglunatic.com

Military Budget Passes

It's now onto the President's desk where he has said he will sign it. It will mark the first minimum wage hike in a very long time, but only funds the war until September. That's when the real fight begins. If no progress is made by that point, Democrats will be emboldened to ask for the withdrawal of troops from Iraq.

However, this time is now crucial. If we show significant progress in Iraq, Democrats will be pushed into a corner where they must admit that Republican's ideas worked and that more time should be given to the Iraqi government to get their security forces on their feet.

Then we can begin to get nasty with Iran. If Iran doesn't shape up soon, you can bet that a military option becomes more and more of a good idea. However, I'm willing to bet that Iranian leaders are simply waiting for the next Presidential election before they do anything about their nuclear program because they hope for a weakling to take office. If Democrats would grow a backbone and make speeches that show Iran that they won't take their nuclear plans lying down either, it would help bring the situation to a close much quicker.

But who knows? I might be wrong and Iran could be considering backing down as we speak. But alas, I've been proven right many times before, I don't see this time being any different.

Travis
travis@rightwinglunatic.com

This Is What's Wrong With Our Legal System

Seeing this just irritates me to the bone. If you're a guy who gets drunk at a bar, then goes speeding down the road, talking on the phone, not wearing a seat belt, and crash into someone killing yourself, that's just nature. That's nature taking out the dumber people in the gene pool.

But because the guy involved was professional baseball player Josh Hancock, his father is not only suing the bar (which he may have a case for), he's suing the tow truck driver and the driver of the stalled vehicle for which the tow truck driver came out to pick up.

This is one of the most disgusting things I've seen in a very long time. I hope those involved counter sue this guy into oblivion. The only reason why he's suing is because his meal ticket has died and he has no recourse. He had a son who was making decent cash who probably was helping his father out financially here and there, and now that he did something stupid that got him killed, the father has the AUDACITY to sue someone who's only crime was his car stalled?

Dean Hancock said in a statement that the "facts and circumstances" of Josh's death "have caused great pain to all of Josh's family." As administrator of his son's estate, Dean Hancock said he has an obligation to represent the family on all issues, "including any legal actions necessary against those who contributed to the untimely and unnecessary death."

He's right, Josh's death was "untimely and unnecessary", however Josh didn't have to get drunk, talk on his cell phone, speed, and not wear a seat belt. How about the "great pain" that's being caused to the tow truck driver, the stalled vehicle driver, and the bar owner? Now after having to deal with the thought that they were all involved in some way, shape or form in a fatal accident, they now have to defend themselves from a pompous prick who's only looking for money?

Travis
travis@rightwinglunatic.com

We're Supplying Lebanon

Is anyone really that surprised? Lebanon is fighting Islamic extremists and they could use some supplies, so who are we to argue? :) If someone came to you and said "hey, I'm fighting with your enemy, I could really use a few bucks", you'd send it to him in an instance wouldn't you? You don't have to do a thing but give them something that you have tons of.

Hell, I'd be willing to send a few guys over to Lebanon to help out with tactics and intelligence gathering. And who can't love a guy who says this: Lebanon's Defense Minister Elias Murr said the Fatah al-Islam militant group "has two choices: either surrender or face decisive military action."

You have two choices; surrender or die. Pretty black and white if you ask me. I can respect someone who is willing to go to the mat. Good luck fellas. If you need anything else, you feel free to ask.

Travis
travis@rightwinglunatic.com

This Is The Threat We Face

Take a good hard look at the kind of threats we face. Here's a link to a torture manual that was found in a insurgent safehouse. If you think we torture in Guantanamo Bay, these images will have you in a fetal position after the first page. Obviously, they are graphic, so man up and take a whiff.

Now, tell me that this isn't a "war on terror" when our enemies are kidnapping ordinary people and peeling the skin from their bones. Are you still sure you want us to be out of Iraq? Are you still sure that Iraqi's wouldn't be bitter against us if we left them to animals like this? The people freed during these raids likely have had their lives saved because of the actions of our soldiers over there.

As a human being you can't let a known threat out against an unarmed populace. These people are experiencing freedoms and liberties for the first time in over 30 years, and to give them a taste of that then leave them to the wolves is not only wrong, but cruel. We as Americans don't do that. We fight for those who can't fight for themselves. We protect innocent people. We sacrifice for people who may not even appreciate it because it's the right thing to do.

Why do you think we're finding mass graves in Iraq? Insurgents can't be reasoned with and they won't stop until they are captured or killed. So ask yourselves if you want our troops out of Iraq, do you want it to go back to the hellish place it used to be, or would you rather they build up a prosperous nation and become a close ally like Germany and Japan did?

Travis
travis@rightwinglunatic.com

More Sanctions On Iran

It's time for Iran to be hauled in front of the UN again. Tougher sanctions are very likely, but let's cut the bullshit. We need to sanction their oil supply. Sure, it will drive already high prices further up, but Iran's economy is 80% oil revenues. They will crack in VERY short order under the crushing weight of debt with no real revenues. Then, when they do crack, we won't have the nuclear option hanging over the oil market, thus, sending oil prices to the floor.

Or we could just let the Israeli's have their way with them and watch the fireworks from the Gulf. Russia and China can no longer afford to say "well they aren't trying for weapons", because we all know it's bullshit. However, I do like the idea that the IAEA chief has. Create a neutral nuclear fuel depot that all nations have access to, that way you don't have these kinds of potential problems. That would take the wind out of the sails of the Iranian government right now if we had such a thing. However, we already offered to enrich their fuel for them and they refused. We offered to have it enriched at a neutral third party nation, and they refused.

So with that suspicious behavior, the black market documents found pointing towards a nuclear weapon, who can reasonably say that they aren't trying for a weapon?

Travis
travis@rightwinglunatic.com

John Edward's Words Coming Back To Haunt Him

Yesterday, I spoke of John Edwards' putting down the "war on terror" bit and how he doesn't take terrorism seriously. But the golden jewel is a video I found on Youtube where Bill O'Reilly asked John Edwards whether Democrats were going to be united in the fight against terrorism. John goes onto explain that he will be "united with the President throughout the fight on terrorism". Bill even asks about Iraq and other places and Edwards says that he supports the President.

THAT'S why I come down on Democrats for their lack of backbone. THAT'S why I throw their own words back in their faces. It's the level of backstabbing hypocracy that I don't like.

Even according to the IAEA, Iran is heading towards a nuclear weapon within 3-8 years. So what can we expect from Edwards as a President? Surely he'll just cave if those on the left if they scream and hold their breath long enough. He's already shown that he'll go whatever way the wind blows. So it's pretty obvious we can't trust him or Democrats to take these kinds of threats seriously.

Travis
travis@rightwinglunatic.com

Fox News Rips Apart Al Gore's Arguments In New Book

You know, there's nothing more satisfying then catching someone directly in either a lie or trying to revise history. Especially when they are caught with their own words. For example: It's now fashionable to say that Bush manipulated intelligence towards a war with Iraq, and being who he is, Al Gore jumps on this bandwagon.

This is the worst strategic mistake in the whole history of United States of America.

But then Al's own words trip him up.

Though back in 2000, when Gore was running for the presidency, he argued that "as long as Saddam stays in power, there can be no comprehensive peace for the people of Israel or the Middle East. We have made clear it is our policy to see Saddam Hussein gone."

So which is is Al? Would you have NOT gone in and taken care of Iraq? Of course not, you're a sissy Democrat who talks tough when it's needed, but you don't have the backbone to do anything about it. After all, you have a track record of inaction against known threats. You were Vice President when Clinton was in office and yet you both allowed the Al-Qaeda threat to fester until it blew up in our faces on September 11th. Hell, your own boss, Bill Clinton, allowed a known threat, Osama Bin Laden, escape ON PURPOSE because of a financial deal with the UAE.


There was no doubt Saddam was still trying to amass weapons of mass destruction. But in the most recent book he seems to argue the opposite in criticizing President Bush saying he offered "forged evidence that Hussein was seeking to develop atomic bombs." It is not clear which evidence Gore is referring to, because the Clinton administration certainly believed the same thing when it launched bombing raids on Iraq in 1998.


So if "there's no doubt", then how is it that your boss, Bill Clinton, thought the same thing? If "there's no doubt", how did Bush "manipulate" intelligence towards war? Either Bush DIDN'T manipulate intelligence, or you lied back when you said these words. So which is it? Is Bush telling the truth or are you lying? Either way it's a very difficult pill for Democrats to swallow. Man up Al, either admit you are wrong now or you were wrong then. Chances are you're just bitter you lost in an extremely close race, you jump on any bandwagon that gives you a sliver of popularity, and let's face it, you're a terrible leader who would rather sacrifice American lives then do something about threats.

Travis
travis@rightwinglunatic.com

"Life Without Parole" - In California

So if you get a "Life Without Parole" sentence in California, why is it that you still get a parole hearing? Doesn't that defeat the purpose of "without parole"? If that's the case, isn't that just wasting time and taxpayer dollars?

Charles Manson is up for parole again. Of course, no one expects him to actually GET paroled, but if there's literally no chance, let's not waste time and money shall we? California is in some serious debt and they could use the cost savings wherever they can get them. Leave murderers in jail without parole hearings like we were all told at sentencing.

Regardless of if Charles Manson got "life" or "life without parole", I don't think there really should be a difference. You get "life", you stay in jail until the day you die. If you do a crime where the criminal could theoretically get out at some point, give them 30 years or whatever time deemed appropriate by a judge.

Travis
travis@rightwinglunatic.com

Death Sentence For Child Rape

Now, I want to be clear here. The Constitution specifically bans "cruel and unusual punishment". So we should always adhere to that. However, the Constitution DOESN'T prohibit a death sentence for rape of a child. Louisiana's State Supreme Court upheld that sentence for that crime today.

I'm all for a death sentence for child rape, but let's take this a bit slower shall we? It's a very slippery slope when you start executing people for crimes other then ones that result in the death of others. We need to define what crimes could and should be eligible for a death sentence. Good examples are:

Treason

Espionage

Forcible Rape of a child

and others. These crimes effect society as a whole and should be put at the top of the list of death penalty cases if we're going to execute for crimes other than murder.

Travis
travis@rightwinglunatic.com

Wolfowitz's Girlfriend Leaves Him

Man, did I call it or what?!?! The girl that is the center of all the attention of World Bank Chief Paul Wolfowitz has left him.

Sources say Riza, a brilliant feminist with a promising diplomatic career, was upset by all the publicity and the implication that she was getting ahead with the help of a powerful man. "She was furious about the embarrassment," said one source.

I call shenanigans on this one. She would have gladly taken the job had it gone over smoothly, but once everything hit the fan, she is trying to play the victim so she can have a shred of integrity at her next job interview. Had she stayed with him, she would look like she knew everything that was going on and approved of it. Because it was deemed unethical, no one would touch her with a ten foot pole because no one wants that kind of liability at their company.

I'm having a good string of "predict the future" luck lately. I AM THE ALMIGHTY OZ! Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain! :)

Travis
travis@rightwinglunatic.com

Democrats YET AGAIN Show Hypocracy

Story is 1/2 way down the page, but the motion to reprimand John Murtha for his comments recently to a Republican representative was defeated and it was voted primarily along party lines. I guess the LA Times were right:

"It doesn't help the Democrats' image that this dispute over Murtha's comments originated in an earmark, a special-interest provision widely seen as part of the 'culture of corruption' decried by Democrats in the last election."

It also doesn't help that Nancy Pelosi and other Democrats campaigned on cleaning up the "culture of corruption" and they were going to run the most open and honest Congress in history. They've proven that they are only interested in keeping power rather than doing what's right.

God, I swear I just keep seeing example after example of Democrats blatant hypocracy and it shows in their poll numbers. It's almost getting to the point where I should just have a running tally on the various things that they've said they would do but do the opposite. At least with Republicans, when they screw up, they are booted out of Congress. I'm still waiting to hear something about William Jefferson getting booted from Congress for his bribery scandal.

Travis
travis@rightwinglunatic.com

I HATE Being Right On Certain Issues

Some issues, I'd gladly be wrong about, for example, I'd love for the Iranians to be truly for just nuclear power and be willing to verify it and make it impossible to make weapons. But, on some issues, I know deep in my heart I'm right about and yet, sadly, I'm proven right yet again.

Democrats don't take terrorism seriously. I've said it before. But now, a major Presidential candidate is questioning the entire war on terrorism. He thinks it's a "catch phrase" for the Bush administration to clamp down on civil liberties. John Edwards said this:

"The war on terror is a slogan designed only for politics, not a strategy to make America safe," Edwards said in a speech to the Council on Foreign Relations in New York City. "It's a bumper sticker, not a plan."


Edwards said that Bush's plan to call it a war has "backfired" and caused a rise in terrorist activities, because the term conveys the message to them that the United States is "engaged in some kind of clash of civilizations and a war against Islam."

Perhaps if we call it a "cute and fuzzy bunny hoping that terrorism might go away", then things would get better Mr. Edwards? Perhaps if we were just nice to everyone and supported our allies when they asked for help, the world would be sunshine and rainbows? Oh wait, we did that for our friends the Saudi's and Osama used that as an excuse to attack us. Get your head out of your ass Edwards, we're in it to win it, and if you don't understand the threats we face every single day, then you aren't worthy of leading this nation.

Travis
travis@rightwinglunatic.com

FINALLY!

Finally someone who calls the Iranian bullshit!

"Iran is fighting a proxy war in Iraq and it's a very dangerous course for them to be following. They are already committing daily acts of war against US and British forces," a senior US official in Baghdad warned. "They [Iran] are behind a lot of high-profile attacks meant to undermine US will and British will, such as the rocket attacks on Basra palace and the Green Zone [in Baghdad]. The attacks are directed by the Revolutionary Guard who are connected right to the top [of the Iranian government]."

They are committing DAILY ACTS OF WAR against our troops. If Democrats would grow a spine, and truly "support the troops" they would want Iranian asses nailed to a wall over this. They would want Iran yanked in front of the UN with crippling sanctions and UN authorization for force. But they don't. You know why? They appease their pussy constituents who don't want to fight against those who want us and our soldiers dead. They don't want to fight back against those who want to crush the fledgling Iraqi government.

If we started bombing Iranian places that support the insurgency, you can bet that Iran would be up in arms at the UN asking for us to knock it off. So why are we taking one to the chin? Our grandparents didn't take one to the chin like this when Germany and Japan needed an ass kicking in WWII, so what the hell's the problem now? We carpet bombed the shit out of them until there was rubble. Then we bombed the rubble.

But we're too sissified to do anything about it. We're too worried about world opinion. Iran is thinking they can pull this shit and get away with it, and until we retaliate, they are right. So, the next bomb that goes off that can be tied to Iran, we bomb a bomb making factory. The next sniper rifle that gets found on an insurgent that came from Iran, Iran loses a radar station. Pretty soon they start seeing real consequences for their actions. Until now, they've done it pretty much without resistance. It's time for that to stop, otherwise we'll keep sending men to soldier's homes to explain why their loved ones aren't coming home alive. That's unacceptable.

Travis
travis@rightwinglunatic.com

Disturbing Poll

25% of young Muslims in America say that suicide attacks are justifiable in some instances. But let's take a bit of a harder look at this.

That means that they think, in theory, that it's ok to blow themselves up for their religion. Does that mean that they'll do it? Unlikely, but it does mean that we should take this report seriously. You'll find all sorts of people who believe something but don't have the guts to do something about it. First off, where are young Muslims in America going to get explosives? Sure, they could stockpile black powder or some other minor explosives such as that, but let's see where things can go wrong.

This is America. Land of the free. That means EVERYONE, including them. Many terrorist attacks didn't happen simply because of the nature of America. They simply took a look around and said to themselves "this place isn't as bad as they said it was". Let's not bullshit, we've got some of the finest women on the planet too. You're telling me that some kid with a girlfriend is gonna go for the bomb rather than the pussy? Very unlikely.

Secondly, when you're young, you have all sorts of stupid things go through your head, mine included. So how much of this is actual "I believe this and I'm going to do it"? I'd say less than a fraction of a percent. That's not to say that we shouldn't take this poll seriously and see what we can do to prevent such things, but let's not "knee jerk" this.

"The price of Liberty is eternal vigilance"

Travis
travis@rightwinglunatic.com

Russia - Nothing For You To See Here

The UK has enough evidence to try a Russian for the poisoning of a former KGB agent, but what does Russia say? Tough shit. It appears to be against Russian law to extradite the guy. Now of course, they say the guy COULD be tried in Russia under Russian law, but let's cut the bullshit here, who here things that could happen?

Didn't think so. There's been too many suspicious deaths in recent months with regards to the Russian government, so don't be surprised if in 10-20 years you hear some former KGB guy on the Discovery Channel talking about this case admitting that they were behind it. There's just too much oddity with this case for them not to be involved. They poisoned the guy with a rare, radioactive element. Kinda points the finger doesn't it? Why not just walk up and shoot the guy in the face and take his wallet to make it look like a robbery gone bad?

But no, Russia wants to be theatrical. Well let them. I'm sure that sooner or later, our friend Lugovoi will come to a sudden, violent end to his life.

Travis
travis@rightwinglunatic.com

Democrats Don't Get It

Democrats have put forth a bill that strips away the time line for Iraq to meet certain goals otherwise they don't get aid for various things. However, they have said that they will try to put in time lines for other bills during the summer. What they've done is twofold.

First, they are appearing to be compromising on their issue while getting the minimum wage hiked. However, what they are really doing is dividing up their demands across multiple bills. So instead of saying "we want this, this, and this", they are saying "we want this" and it appears that's only a minor thing. So Republicans agree to it. Then, later down the road, they say "we want this other thing too", that will also, separately appear to be a minor thing. Republicans will foolishly say ok to it. Then they will say "we want this one last thing" and it will also appear to be minor and some Republicans will say ok to that too.

Then, when the summer months come along, more progress will happen in Iraq and Democrats will say "see, Iraqi's don't need us here anymore, let's call for a time line". Some people might foolishly believe them and say ok. However, we MUST make sure that NO TIME LINE EVER gets into any bill. If they accomplish these things, they will be able to go to their constituents and say "see, we accomplished all the things we said we would. It took a bit longer then we expected, but we did it". Thus, their approval ratings will go up because idiots can't see the big picture.

Don't believe me? Bookmark this article and check back in around August/September and see how close I am to the truth. Damn, I need to get into the "Political Psychic" game. I seem to be pretty good at it. :)

Travis
travis@rightwinglunatic.com

Ok I'm Back

Wow, what a pain in the ass day today has been. LAMP servers having issues, DNS issues, all sorts of craziness. And that's just my work stuff. But everything seems to have settled, so I'll get back to posting. Sorry again for the delay.

Travis

Late Posts

Today I have several things to take care of, so my posts will be later then my usual time. Sorry for the delay. :)

Travis
travis@rightwinglunatic.com

Democrats May Give In

There's rumors going around that Democrats are pushing a military spending budget that does NOT have a timeline in it, however it did add an increase for minimum wage. If the rumors are true, it would mean that the Democrats have seriously undercut themselves just to avoid the perception that they are not supporting the troops. While we all know that Democrats don't really support the military, the perception is worse because it would show even their own rank and file members that they are hypocrites.

What's worse is that when election time comes around, they are likely to lose votes because they promised to end the war, even going so far as to cut funding for it, yet they did the exact opposite. This further cements the stereotype that they will do what keeps them in power rather than doing what's right.

The budget that includes a minimum wage hike also includes tax breaks for those who hire minimum wage workers. This will help offset the amount of price increases that you and I will face for our everyday items. However, individual businesses might decide to take the tax breaks and still charge more for goods and services.

Still, I'd rather Shay (a soldier I know in Afghanistan) get better gear and weapons than me having to pay $30 bucks for a pizza. It's a tradeoff that I know will help me sleep better at night.

Travis
travis@rightwinglunatic.com

Time To Bring Out The Big Guns

John Murtha's little attempt at bullying a fellow House member is coming back to bite him in the ass big time. Now, Nancy Pelosi is coming out to defend him. What's really funny is that A) John Murtha isn't disputing anything that was allegedly said. and B) Nancy isn't disputing it either.

So what that means is that everything that this Republican representative alleges is true. You can argue one way or another, but the first thing Mr. Murtha should have said was "this isn't true" if it wasn't. But he didn't because he has witnesses against him that would contradict him. What that also means is, is that he broke House rules and threatened another Representative with removing any and all earmarks "now and forever".

Pelosi even went a step further and tried to deflect the heat off of Murtha and tried to blame Republicans. "I wasn't there" for the confrontation, Pelosi said. "I do know that the Republicans caused quite a stir that was unjustified on the floor of the House, and I'm sure things were said on both sides."

"I wasn't there" is a decent statement, showing that she's not an expert on the situation, but then she goes on to say "Republicans caused quite a stir that was unjustified....I'm sure things were said on both sides."

Now she's just making shit up. Republicans may have indeed "caused a stir", but she doesn't say that it was Representative Rogers who caused the "stir". Secondly, in one breath she admits she wasn't there, but in the one right after, she makes an accusation even though "I wasn't there".

So which is it Nancy? Were you there and heard and saw what happened, or were you not there and are making shit up to deflect a punishment for your favorite lapdog?

You claimed in your campaign and the campaigns of other Democrats during the '06 election that you were going to run the most open and honest Congress in history, but now you're showing that you're not willing to rap the knuckles of those within your party that have broken the rules. That means you're a liar and you're no better then those you've accused of partisanship and lying to the American people. You meant none of those words about Honesty, Integrity, Fiscal Responsibility, and others. I have included links on each word to their Websters dictionary definitions since it is quite obvious you need help knowing what those words mean.

If you need additional help with understanding basic concepts such as doing what's right for the American public, please feel free to contact me and I will gladly take the time to teach you.

Travis
travis@rightwinglunatic.com

From The "About Damned Time" Department

The House has now gotten it's ass in gear over F-14 aircraft parts being sold on the market, which is where Iran is snapping them up in a hurry. I wrote about this in January, but they are now getting on the ball about it. I just can't believe that it even needs to be said or done. Military parts that are no longer needed should be melted down and recycled or destroyed. It's that simple.

If an ally needs these parts, fine, sell them the parts. But can any of you name a legitimate reason why a military aircraft's parts need to be going on sale anywhere? I could understand if say a billionaire bought one that was demilitarized, but sales should be restricted to him and the part that is being sold to them should have a "core" returned upon the sale just like an auto part.

Am I the asshole here? Am I the only one doing the thinking? Military parts are for the military.

Travis
travis@rightwinglunatic.com

New UK Prime Minister Won't Pull Iraq Troops

US officials claimed today that the incoming UK Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, would not pull troops from Iraq. While I like hearing that news, I want to hear it from Mr. Brown himself. Pulling troops right now would be a major mistake and cause significant disruptions to Iraqi security forces and other rebuilding efforts. But, let's let Mr. Brown get settled into his new office before we slam him with questions.

Travis
travis@rightwinglunatic.com

Jimmy Carter Speaks Out - Then Retreats

Jimmy Carter decided to take a jab at President Bush and his policies a little bit ago. That's fine. That's what Freedom of Speech is all about. However, I do have a problem with is "apology". First off, man up Jimmy. If you say something and mean it, say it and stand by it. Don't offer some half assed apology that's meant to appease people who get pissed at your comments. Let's take a look at what was said:

“I think as far as the adverse impact on the nation around the world, this administration has been the worst in history.”

Pretty direct if you ask me. But then let's look at his half assed "apology"

"They were maybe careless or misinterpreted." He said he “certainly was not talking personally about any president.”

“I think they were, yes, because they were interpreted as comparing this whole administration to all other administrations."

Jimmy, let's cut the bullshit here shall we? You were personally talking about Bush and you used the words "this administration has been the worst in history", yet you think they were "interpreted" to be comparing administrations to all others? You used those EXACT words.

But then again, if you want to compare administrations, let's do that shall we? You gave away the Panama canal which robbed American merchants of millions in saved dollars. You appeased the Iranians during the US embassy situation, and when you authorized a raid, it went disastrously. Inflation was through the roof. The prime rate was at 21.5%, the highest for ANY President ever. Shall I go on?

There's a reason you were slaughtered in the 1980 election Jimmy. There's a reason the Iranians released the hostages the DAY that Ronald Reagan took office. They knew Reagan wasn't messing around and would do more then your lame duck policies ever would. That's not to say that President Bush is perfect. He's not by any stretch of the imagination, but if you're going to criticize, at least have some credibility behind your words.

Travis
travis@rightwinglunatic.com

Gas Hits Record High

While the summer months are always more expensive in terms of cost per gallon, gasoline has now hit a record high, even when adjusted for inflation. Now, we all know the basics on how to stretch more mileage out of a gallon of gas such as drive slower, make multiple errands into one trip, avoid stop and go, etc., but I'm the kind of guy to give you tough love, so here it is.

First up, trade in that clunker for a hybrid. I've owned one (Honda Insight) and while I did have one minor problem with it, it was an excellent car. The problem I had with it was when it got above 90 degrees and I would kick on the A/C, in stop and go traffic, pretty soon the battery would run down to zero and I would have to turn off the A/C, let the battery recharge, then kick the A/C back on. This was probably more because the Insight's gas engine was a paltry 60 some HP. Stop and go traffic for this meant 10+ miles of stop and go, not just a minor slow down here and there.

Shop around for gas, to a degree. Don't drive across town to save 5 cents a gallon, when you'll burn all that savings off getting to the gas station. If it's a mile or two, go for it, but when you get 10+ miles out of your way, you're not saving jack.

Stop driving as much. This one is the one that most people scoff at. We're America. We drive everywhere. However, if you drive all over the place for no real reason, you don't have a right to bitch about the price of gas.

Get a motorcycle. Some people wouldn't think of this one. Get a motorcycle. They get great gas mileage, even the crotch rockets. Most get anywhere from 40+mpg on up. Plus, you get to use the car pool lane in most states, so you get to get home quicker. Just make sure you get a quality helmet and some thick leathers. You want your skin to remain intact don't you? Remember, there are two kinds of motorcycle riders, those who've fell, and those you are going to fall. A nice, full faced helmet and a set of thick leathers (leather jacket, pants, and boots) will save you tons of time and pain when you do eventually go down.

Look at alternative fuel vehicles. A lot of people are talking about hydrogen or electric vehicles. Those are nice and they definitely have a niche, but I don't know what it is about the allure of the compressed air car that does it for me. It's ugly as sin, but it's priced very cheaply (starting at around $7,500 rumored), and completely does away with foreign oil. You actually clean the air if you're driving one of these around because of the various filters on the car. When/if they ever come to the US, I will definitely give this one a serious look.

Ride a bike. If you live in a densely populated area, a bicycle might be something you could look into. It's great exercise and you can get around traffic and other obstacles quite easily.

The reason why gas companies are charging more right now is simple demand. We are demanding more gas and they are charging what the market will bear. Get the demand down and they will be forced to reduce the price.

Travis
travis@rightwingluanatic.com

Chat Software

I'm currently playing with multiple items, and so far, I like Meebo's chat software the best. Especially since it allows me to inject it directly into the site. I especially like that you can create a free account. Anyways, I'll be testing it out and be on from time to time. Feel free to give me a buzz if you see me on.

Travis

What If Lincoln Survived His Assassination?

Quite an interesting "what if" article, especially given that modern medicine could have very well saved President Lincoln's life.

But the better question is: would we think so highly of him as we do now? Would he have been just another war President? We can use the example of any celebrity who died young.

For example, Jimi Hendrix. If he was still living, he would have likely released albums that sucked, aged, and had his world views change and he may have said or done things that the American public might have chastised him for. However, he died young after releasing only a relatively short amount of musical material, and thus, cemented him into everyone's mind. He never got a chance to suck. :)

President Lincoln may have done things in a similar way. He may have done or said things that made him irrelevant to history. Of course, there are other bits of American history that had they not happened, America as a nation might be very different.

For example, it's well known that George Washington was offered to be King of America after the defeat of the British. However, he turned it down because he knew that's what everyone fled from to begin with.

Alas, history will never know. Even today, the actions we take now have a profound effect on the future. What happens if Iraq turns into one of America's closest allies? What happens if Iraq becomes a blossoming economy and everyone looks to these times as ones of turmoil, but one that was done for the right reasons? Would history be kind to George W. Bush?

What about Iran? What if they do develop a nuclear weapon and use it on Israel or America? Would history be kind of China and Russia for their foot dragging on the issue of stopping them from getting a weapon?

"What if" usually isn't what really would have happened. It's usually a best guess based upon the behavior of people who knew the person who died. However, history has shown that even people who think one way, might go another in various circumstances.

Travis
travis@rightwinglunatic.com

Iran Tells US To "Stop Meddling" Over Detention

Well I'd be happy to stop "meddling" in your affairs Iran if you'd stop "meddling" in the affairs of Iraqi insurgents. I'd be happy to stop poking my nose into your business as soon as you stop supplying insurgents with $10,000 sniper rifles, high grade explosives, and training.

So stop with the "meddling" hypocritical bullshit Iran, no one's buying it.

Travis
travis@rightwinglunatic.com

"Make Hamas Pay"

Well it's about time the Israeli's have decided to get tough on Hamas. With recent rocket attacks in Israel, it appears that it's yet another round of tit for tat. Israel needs to take Hamas completely out. Kill everyone from the top guy on down to Hamas' accountant.

Predicting that Kassam rocket fire would continue over the next few days, the officer said that the IDF planned to continue its current policy of bombing Kassam manufacturing plants, warehouses, Kassam rocket squads and other Hamas infrastructure involved in terror attacks.

He also hinted that the IDF operations could continue even if Hamas stopped firing rockets.

Israel is not "conducting a dialogue" with Hamas, he said, and added that IDF operations were not necessarily dependent on the continuation of rocket attacks.

"We're not just attacking real estate. We want to make Hamas pay for the terror," he said.

That's ideally what you want. You want them to think twice before firing rockets into Israel. You need to make them think that by firing a rocket, they have sealed their own doom or the doom of another Hamas member. You'll notice you don't see CAIR or any of these other Arab organizations denounce Hamas firing rockets into Israel, which frequently hit civilian homes and kill innocent women and children.

Terrorists only know one thing: force. You show them that you're not fucking around, and they will either ratchet up the attacks (which leads to all out war), or they run like hell. Generally, it's the latter that happens. Terrorists are cowards who attack unsuspecting innocent people, and the world needs to start playing hardball with these people.

Travis
travis@rightwinglunatic.com

John Murtha In Trouble

John Murtha had a bit of a tussle with Senator Rogers today over an earmark that Murtha wanted for his home district. Senator Rogers is fighting back and asking that the House look into Murtha for House rules violations. Below is a transcript of what was said:

“I hope you don’t have any earmarks in the defense appropriations bills because they are gone, and you will not get any earmarks now and forever,” Murtha told Rogers, according to the draft transcript given to The Politico.

“This is not the way we do things here – and is that supposed to make me afraid of you?” Rogers replied.

“That’s the way I do it,” Murtha said.

Makes him sound like an asshole doesn't it? Unfortunately for Murtha it's against the rules to do that. Those rules, which forbid members from blocking earmarks based on how a colleague votes.

About the earmark though. It seems to be just pandering to Murtha's constituents.

President Bush’s budget cut $23 million from the budget to force the agency to close the office, which has received repeated low marks from several federal review boards.

If they aren't doing their job and getting proper work done, then it gets shut down. Simple as that. That sounds like responsible spending to me. But Murtha's pissed that Bush is shutting it down. What's worse is that Senator Rogers is actually trying to spend our money wisely and Murtha is trying to bully him.

“This is exactly why Americans are disgusted with out of control federal spending,” Rogers said in a statement.

“In order to restore the faith of the American people in Congress, we must do better," he said. "We can’t allow members to be threatened and intimidated when they stand up for hard-working taxpayers’ money.”

But then of course, we have the obligatory statement from Murtha's office.

“The committee and staff give every Democrat and Republican the same consideration,” Murtha said in a statement sent out by his office. “We have extensive hearings and every request is given careful consideration. We will continue to do just that.”

Uhhh...that's not what you said Murtha. You said: "I hope you don’t have any earmarks in the defense appropriations bills because they are gone, and you will not get any earmarks now and forever"

That sounds like you're playing politics with American taxpayer money and propping up poor performing government agencies. People are sick and tired of government waste and the deficit, and when someone challenges you in your blatant attempt to appease your constituents, you try to bully them. You violated House rules, and now you should rightfully pay for that.

Travis
travis@rightwinglunatic.com

American Morality Compass

Tell me something: Why is it that violence and murder are ok to talk about in graphic detail, but sex and nudity isn't? Opie and Anthony got into trouble for making a joke about violent sex with various prominent women. Personally, I don't see the fuss. You'll notice that the majority of "complaints" that the FCC and other regulatory bodies get are from various groups that don't represent the majority of the American public.

XM is already hemorrhaging customers because of their decision to suspend Opie and Anthony. That's based in part that when you purchase a satellite radio, you're SUPPOSED to get uncensored radio. When you suspend a DJ for making comments, you're showing yourself to be a hypocrite.

But my point is a much larger one. Why is it that on CSI you'll see graphic violence and details of horrible ways to die all day long, but people get upset if they see one tit? To tell you the truth, I'd rather have it the other way around. I'd love to see boobies on TV all the time and occasional violence. But then again, I'm a man, so you'll have to take that with a grain of salt. But I'm pretty sure that my women readers would love to see a hot shirtless guy on TV much more with the occasional butt shot. (every woman I know doesn't like to see the wang).

In Europe you see sex on TV much more then you do here in America. They seem to be ok with all of it. They haven't spun out of control and turned into mindless, sex crazed maniacs (at least all the Euro types I know)

Sex solves everything for us men. Bad day at work? Wrecked the car? Lost your job? Sex will fix all those problems. It's not the same for women, they usually use shopping as their "fix all".

So I propose this: More boobies on TV. More shirtless men on TV (for the women and gay men in the audience) People getting a grip on their own lives before trying to complain and impose their idea of morality on the rest of us. For example, a report came out a few years ago that showed that 1 group was responsible for 99% of all FCC complaints. That doesn't sound like the majority of American public opinion to me. So, that said, more boobies on TV! Who's with me!

Travis
travis@rightwinglunatic.com

How Many People Do You Have To Kill?

Ok, I can understand if you're anti-death penalty if someone kills another person. I don't agree with it, but I understand it. However, when a person is responsible for the massacre of 7 people in a restaurant, and you still get a life sentence because 1 person held out, I don't get it. We put people down like animals for less then what this guy did.

We've executed people for kidnapping where no murder happened. We've executed people who've killed only 1 person, so how is it fair that this guy gets off with a life sentence for killing 7? It's not fair to those he killed. But alas, that's how our judicial system works. Want to change it? Do something about it. Run for office, petition the government to change the law, write to your congressman. More and more as I write my posts and see the idiocy in government and law I feel the need to run for office.

Travis
travis@rightwinglunatic.com

Al Gore's Book

Here's an excerpt from Al Gore's latest book, and I thought I would share my rebuttal for Mr. Gore.

Not long before our nation launched the invasion of Iraq, our longest-serving Senator, Robert Byrd of West Virginia, stood on the Senate floor and said: "This chamber is, for the most part, silent—ominously, dreadfully silent. There is no debate, no discussion, no attempt to lay out for the nation the pros and cons of this particular war. There is nothing. We stand passively mute in the United States Senate."

Why was the Senate silent?

Because Mr. Gore, the Democrats in power want to do what keeps them in power, not what's "right". Perhaps the American public like the way things are going. Ever think of that?

In describing the empty chamber the way he did, Byrd invited a specific version of the same general question millions of us have been asking: "Why do reason, logic and truth seem to play a sharply diminished role in the way America now makes important decisions?" The persistent and sustained reliance on falsehoods as the basis of policy, even in the face of massive and well-understood evidence to the contrary, seems to many Americans to have reached levels that were previously unimaginable.

A large and growing number of Americans are asking out loud: "What has happened to our country?" People are trying to figure out what has gone wrong in our democracy, and how we can fix it.

Well when you come up with an idea to "fix it", I'm all ears Mr. Gore. When Democrats come up with ideas that don't endanger the American public, appease terrorists, raise taxes, involve pork spending, or treat the American public like children, I'll be happy to listen.

To take another example, for the first time in American history, the Executive Branch of our government has not only condoned but actively promoted the treatment of captives in wartime that clearly involves torture, thus overturning a prohibition established by General George Washington during the Revolutionary War.

Here's where you and I are going to disagree severely Mr. Gore. First off, regardless of how these people are treated, they are NOT covered by the Geneva Conventions. First off, they don't wear uniforms. They don't fight for a particular country. They attack civilians. They attack known populated areas. They are trying to find and use WMD's. Shall I go on?

And let's face facts here Mr. Gore, these people want us all dead. You and other liberals are wanting to find out their "feelings" and find out the "root cause" of their "feelings". We want them dead.

The American public wants blood revenge. They kicked us in the nuts on a sunny Tuesday morning and killed 3,000 of your countrymen. People who's only crime was going to work that morning. These people were burned, crushed, leapt, or crashed to their deaths. ALL of them were horrible ways to die. Especially for those trapped above the wreckage. They were trapped for 45 minutes to an hour knowing that they were going to die. You can even hear them scream as the towers collapsed all around them.

So you'll have to excuse us because we aren't bleeding heart fucking lunatics who want them to be treated "fairly". They really ought to feel lucky I wasn't President. I would have given them one chance to hand over Osama and his gang of thugs. When they say "he didn't do it and we won't hand him over", you've sealed your doom. After your announcement that he's not being handed over, your country is a sheet of green glass that will be uninhabitable for the next 10,000 years.

So I think what I'm trying to say is: Fuck you Al Gore. Yeah...that about sums it up for me.

Travis
travis@rightwinglunatic.com

Don't Act Like Babies

I sometimes need to rap the knuckles of those within my own political party. This is one of those times. Michigan Republican Party Chairman Saul Anuzis, wants to ban Ron Paul from future Republican debates because of his recent 9/11 comments suggesting that those attacks were because of US foreign policy.

Leaving Ron Paul out of debates shows that you are being petty and vindictive because someone has an opinion different from your own, regardless of how offensive that opinion might be. Let the American public see what kind of idiot Ron Paul is, and they'll know he's nowhere near electable. So let him up there, he has no chance of winning, and it shows that you're man enough to allow a level playing field.

Travis
travis@rightwinglunatic.com