Anna Nicole Smith's Burial Clearance Tops News Stories

Playback Editor

When Anna Nicole Smith's burial clearance becomes the country's top story, we may be headed for trouble.

With all the conflicts going on in the world today, from war on multiple fronts to a monster hiccup in the stock market, to have the burial clearance of Anna Nicole Smith as the number one story in the country sends one of two messages.

The first is that our eye is way off the ball, very much like the days prior to 911 when shark attacks were the page one headlines attracting our attention. The second is that perhaps we are so tired and drained by reality that we want to zone out in morbid fascination and watch the Anna Nicole soap opera unfold as a selected form of escapism.

There is no getting around the fact that we have entered a shake out period. Realities are being shifted. Even Axis of Evil members like Iran and North Korea realize that the time allotted for putzing around is coming to an end.

While Iraq remains a mess, the invasion's ultimate mark upon history may not be the war alone but the consequences of ignoring a President crazy and stubborn enough to refuse to allow business as usual. Like him or not, George Bush has shaken up the world and made everyone aware that a corrupt international community could not self serve, play ostrich and still dictate the foreign policy of the United States.

History is written over decades, not months and time will tell.

Joe Klein: Some Honest Questions. It's About Time

Joe Klein is sizing up our current international political climate and asking some honest questions about the concept of "allies" and acting unilaterally.

February 28, 2007 9:11

Where Are the Allies?
Posted by Joe Klein Comments (30) Permalink Trackbacks (0) Email This
Given the arrogance and distemper of the Bush Administration, it's kind of tough for even our best friends, like the Brits, to remain solid U.S. allies these days...but I've got to say that Max Boot raises an important point in his column today.

Our NATO allies simply aren't pulling their weight in Afghanistan. This is a "good war" against some really bad actors--the Taliban and Al Qaeda. If we can't get NATO to do more than some flaccid, Sarajevo-style peacekeeping, then you have to wonder about the future of the alliance...although I suppose that NATO is still good for its initial purpose, to repel an attack on the European democracies. But if the Europeans aren't going to join us in the fight they agreed to undertake against Al Qaeda in Afghanistan--if we are truly all alone--it damages righteous liberal arguments about multilateralism as a precondition for military action and bolsters the neoconservative assumption that we're the only country in the world with any military spine. That would be very bad news, indeed.

Update: I must say I'm disappointed by the inability of many commenter's to see past their opinions of Max Boot and deal with the very disappointing failure of the Europeans to stand up in Afghanistan. Ezra Klein makes a similar point here about the perils of ideological myopia.

Given the arrogance and distemper of the Bush Administration, it's kind of tough for even our best friends, like the Brits, to remain solid U.S. allies these days...but I've got to say that Max Boot raises an important point in his column today.

Our NATO allies simply aren't pulling their weight in Afghanistan. This is a "good war" against some really bad actors--the Taliban and Al Qaeda. If we can't get NATO to do more than some flaccid, Sarajevo-style peacekeeping, then you have to wonder about the future of the alliance...although I suppose that NATO is still good for its initial purpose, to repel an attack on the European democracies. But if the Europeans aren't going to join us in the fight they agreed to undertake against Al Qaeda in Afghanistan--if we are truly all alone--it damages righteous liberal arguments about multilateralism as a precondition for military action and bolsters the neoconservative assumption that we're the only country in the world with any military spine. That would be very bad news, indeed.

Update: I must say I'm disappointed by the inability of many commenters to see past their opinions of Max Boot and deal with the very disappointing failure of the Europeans to stand up in Afghanistan. Ezra Klein makes a similar point here about the perils of ideological myopia.

U.S., Iran and Syria to Meet Over Iraq

In a strategic change of policy, the U.S. has agreed to meet with Iran and Syria to discuss strategies in stabilizing Iraq.

The mere fact that all parties are speaking is a huge, positive step. Expect nothing made public right away but without discussion there is no hope of resolution. However, there is a logic in having such conversation taking this long to come about.

The U.S. has upped the ante and Iran is feeling the heat. At the end of the day only fools want war and Iran, which was riding high this past summer as the U.S. media barbecued Bush on a daily basis while proxy Hezbollah instigated war with Israel, has been taken down as few pegs. The Iranian population is greatly frustrated with the over-the-top antics of their "president," the country is facing U.N. sanctions that can hurt their vulnerable economy and the U.S. has made it know they will retaliate if Iran continues to meddle in Iraq. Iran has been made quite accountable.

Now let's hope the Mullahs at the end of the day have the same instincts for survival in the upper leadership as the rest of the human race.

U.S. Set to Join Iran and Syria in Talks on Iraq

By HELENE COOPER and KIRK SEMPLE
Published: February 28, 2007
WASHINGTON, Feb. 27 — American officials said Tuesday that they had agreed to hold the highest-level contact with the Iranian authorities in more than two years as part of an international meeting on Iraq.

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/02/28/washington/28diplo.html?_r=1&hp=&adxnnl=1&oref=slogin&adxnnlx=1172664358-cEdktgrsmgK4rWgH9bxTNQ

Thomas Friedman on Israeli Economy and Politics

Thomas Friedman offers an inside perspective on Israel's current economic boom and who it effects and how it creates a mirage that can and will most likely burst.

Outsource the Cabinet?

By THOMAS L. FRIEDMAN
Published: February 28, 2007
Yes, it’s true, a picture is worth a thousand words — but some are worth a whole dictionary. I came across one the other day on BBC.com. The story was headlined “Israeli Minister in Vision Gaffe.”

http://select.nytimes.com/2007/02/28/opinion/28friedman.html

US Market Poised for Big Rebound: CNN Money

This morning the U.S. indicators predicted a big rebound on Wound Licking Wednesday after Black Tuesday 07.

Wound-licking Wednesday
U.S. stocks poised to rebound from huge selloff; GDP revision, Bernanke testimony on tap.
February 28 2007: 6:23 AM EST

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- U.S. stocks were poised for a big rebound at Wednesday's open, less than a day after a huge selloff that included the Dow industrials' biggest one-day drop since 2001.

At 6:21 a.m. ET, Nasdaq and S&P futures were sharply higher after the worst day for stocks since the first day of trading following the Sept. 11 terrorist attack.

http://money.cnn.com/2007/02/28/markets/stockswatch2/index.htm?postversion=2007022806

Tokyo Slides 2.9% , Shangi Rebounds...

Today's latest market update after Black Tuesday 07

Tokyo Slides 2.9%, Shangi Rebounds ...
The Wall Street Journal, February 28, 2007

Investors Reassess Economic Outlook
Asian markets skidded for a second straight session, with the Nikkei 225 index falling more than 500 points. But investors in Shanghai-listed stocks bucked the very trend they'd begun a day earlier, bidding shares into positive territory. A dramatic plunge in stocks world-wide is forcing global investors to re-evaluate their appetite for risk.
document.write(uescEnt('• '))

More Voters Shifting from Hillary to Obama

More threads being pulled away from the Clinton quilt. I know it's ridiculously early, but I never viewed Hillary as a comeback type.

She was bestowed the senator seat of New York on a silver platter. She beat a lightweight to win in the most liberal big city in the country. She has been positioned and scripted every step of the way, not because of a lack intellect, but because of a hostile, thin skinned temperament. Hillary does not have Bill's charm.

While Obama is a novice, he is an extremely talented novice. He is no lightweight. His communication skills are exceptional. He is extremely bright. He can and will surround himself with very bright, experienced minds. The longer he contends, the stronger he will get.

It will be a very interesting run.

African American Voters Shift Support to Obama
By Dan Balz and Jon CohenWashington Post Staff Writers
Tuesday, February 27, 2007; 7:14 PM

The opening stages of the campaign for the 2008 Democratic presidential nomination have produced a noticeable shift in sentiment among African American voters, who little more than a month ago heavily supported Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton but now favor the candidacy of Sen. Barack Obama.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/02/27/AR2007022701030.html

Al Gore: You have to Laugh ...Limousine Liberal

I happen to like Al Gore. I believe his intentions behind the documentary film "An Inconvenient Truth" are genuine. However, when it came out over the wires that his personal energy bills were huge, it was very funny and extremely limousine liberal. It reminds me of all his Hollywood supporters that were chauffeured to the Oscars in Humvees but cheered him on.

Whatever - just for giggles.

An inconvenient truth: eco-warrior Al Gore's bloated gas and electricity bills· Household consumption 20 times national average· Supporters claim smear campaign after Oscars win

Ed Pilkington in New YorkWednesday February 28, 2007The Guardian

Al Gore knows a thing or two about the vicissitudes of public life. Six years ago he was virtually written off as a has-been vice-president after he won the popular vote only to lose the 2000 race for the White House. On Sunday night his rehabilitation was completed as he was crowned the moral mouthpiece of Hollywood, receiving an Oscar for his global warming documentary An Inconvenient Truth.

Watch the Left Self-Destruct !!!

They just don't get it. It's that simple. I'm not talking about the average American who has a multitude of views, some left of center, some right of center. I'm not even talking about tried and true democrats. I'm talking about the far left nut jobs, so filled with anger and so dishonest about their transparent actions.

Two examples from today stand out.

I arrive at home to find this week's copy of New York Magazine on the doorstep. On the cover is a ridiculously unflattering photograph of former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani with the title "Him?" The subheading reads "The Weirdness of the Giuliani juggernaut." The article goes on to slam Rudy as a highly flawed person and a mediocre politician. This title and article reek of the pompous, condescending attitude common with the far left, basically thumbing their noses down on the people who would possibly want Giuliani as president.

The second is my good friend, the relentless jackass Keith Olbermann. Tonight on MSNBC, he and his usual group of rah, rah buddies were discussing todays assassination attempt on Vice President Dick Cheney. The topic loops around to Olbermann commenting incrediously on how the right "actually tries to blame foreign policy failures on the media." His attitude is so smug it's hard not to laugh at the fool. Here he goes out of his way on a nightly basis, trying desperately to draw attention to himself by slamming the administration every way possible. He then goes on to ask how can anyone accuse his peers of sabotaging Americas' foreign policy strategy's? Duh!!! Maybe he should spend less time in make up.

The problem with the far left is that they really believe they are so much smarter than everyone else. At the end of the day people see through them and get turned off. If they would stay on policy and check their anger maybe their best will shine. Maybe instead of bitterness they can offer constructive, intelligent and realistic options.

If they continue to shoot themselves in the foot time and again with self-destructive behavior, they offer us no shot.

Democrats Find Actual Arena More Difficult Than The Bleacher Seats.

The democratic party is starting to see that it is easier to criticize from the bleacher seats than it is to actually govern. They have become accountable and their conflicts and agendas have become transparent. Any attempts to submarine President Bush's plans for Iraq will be memorialized.

Democrats struggle with next step on Iraq
POSTED: 12:49 p.m. EST, February 27, 2007

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Democrats' ambitious plans to limit President Bush's war authority and force a change of course in Iraq are faltering amid party divisions over how quickly and aggressively they should act.

A group of senior Senate Democrats is pushing to repeal the 2002 measure authorizing the war and pass a new resolution restricting the mission and ordering troop withdrawals to begin by this summer. In the House, a respected veteran wants to use Congress' spending power to essentially force Bush to scale back U.S. involvement in Iraq.

http://www.cnn.com/2007/POLITICS/02/27/flailing.over.iraq.ap/index.html

Dow Tumbles After Cheney Attack...

Lot's of eyes are on the Middle East as the failed attempt on Vice President Dick Cheney prompts a frightened response from Wall Street as the Dow tumbles.

This will wake up a lot of people...nothing draws attention like a shot to the wallet

Global worries slam Wall Street: Dow tumbles 100, Nasdaq skids as investors eye selloff in China, thwarted attack on Cheney; bonds rally.
February 27 2007: 10:52 AM EST

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- Stocks plunged early Tuesday as investors eyed reports of slumping stocks in China and Europe and news that Vice President Dick Cheney was the target in a Taliban suicide bombing attack in Afghanistan.

A surprisingly weak read on durable goods orders added to the morning concerns.

http://money.cnn.com/2007/02/27/markets/markets_0945/index.htm?cnn=yes

Hamas Still Refuses to Recognize Israel

I am confused. I am constantly reading about how the best opportunity for peace in the Middle East is being squandered by a lack of U.S. drive and then this: Hamas announcing in a meeting in Moscow that they are still refusing to recognize Israel's right to exist.

Sound's real close to me.

Feb. 27, 2007 11:40 Updated Feb. 27, 2007 16:23
Mashaal in Russia: Hamas not ready to recognize Israel
By ASSOCIATED PRESS

Hamas's political leader said Tuesday that the militant group is not ready to recognize Israel, which has been a key demand of international peace negotiators.

"First of all, Israel has to end its occupation of Palestinian territory and put an end to the suffering of the Palestinian people," Khaled Mashaal said when asked about recognition of Israel during a news conference at the close of a trip to Russia.

Giuliani: A Huge Lead: Hilliary's Hit Squad Savoring

The fascination with former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani's presidential bid continues. Originally counted out by many as too flawed to win the Republican nomination, he is currently enjoying a huge lead over top rivals. It will be very interesting to see how it plays out over the next year.

ON THEIR SIDE: WHY SO MANY RIGHTIES ARE ROOTING FOR RUDY
By John Podhoretz, The New York Post

February 27, 2007 -- IT is nearly impossible for the chattering classes - on all sides of the political divide - to comprehend the heat being generated by Rudy Giuliani's presidential bid.
The fallback explanation is just to say "9/11" and be done with it. After all, how else can you explain a man with Giuliani's supposedly liberal social views possibly rise as high as he has - besting John McCain among Republicans by as many as 22 points in one poll?

http://www.nypost.com/seven/02272007/postopinion/opedcolumnists/on_their_side_opedcolumnists_john_podhoretz.htm

Cheney Target of Suicide Bomber: Additional Wake Up Call

This ought to wake up some folk. Anyone doubting that the Taliban or at least Taliban sympathizers are alive and well, received a wake up call as U.S. Vice President Dick Chaney survived a suicide bombing attack in Afghanistan this morning.

Cheney Unhurt After Bombing in Afghanistan
By ABDUL WAHEED WAFA
Published: February 27, 2007

KABUL, Afghanistan, Feb. 27 — A suicide bomber blew himself up this morning outside the main gate of the United States military base at Bagram while Vice President Dick Cheney was inside. Mr. Cheney was not hurt in the attack.

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/02/27/world/asia/27cnd-cheney.html?hp

Jon Stewart Show: Messing with Fire

I find it interesting to see how many of the chattering classes go out of their way to paint the U.S. government as the bad guy in the unfolding crisis with Iran.

Tonight Jon Stewart was positioning the administration as a bunch of lying fools following up on Iraq with a similar plan regarding Iran. Maybe it makes great television and truth be told Stewart is very smart and funny. However, it is a serious matter.

Tonight on O'Reilly, General Wesley Clark flat out said the United Nations is useless in dealing with Iran and that the U.S. must speak with them directly. I find it facinating since Clark was critical of the Administration for "going it alone" in Iraq.

Just some thoughts...

Bob Herbet on Hillary and Barack: Hard on Hillary

It is fascinating to see portions of the left turn against Hillary. Today Bob Herbert of The New York Times takes a few shots at the Clintons - man is it going to be interesting.

Mud, Dust, Whatever
By BOB HERBERT

Published: February 26, 2007

If Bill and Hillary Clinton were the stars of a reality TV show, it would be a weekly series called “The Connivers.” The Clintons, the most powerful of power couples, are always scheming at something, and they’re good at it.

http://select.nytimes.com/2007/02/26/opinion/26herbert.html

All Not Well with Ahmadinejad at Home?

Is this the truth or is this a ploy to buy time and confuse the West?

Some in Iran denounce Ahmadinejad stance
By ALI AKBAR DAREINI, Associated Press Writer, CNN

TEHRAN, Iran - President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad faced a new round of sharp criticism after he said Iran's nuclear program is an unstoppable train without brakes. Reformers and conservatives said such tough talk only inflames the West as it considers further sanctions. The criticism came even as new signs have arisen that Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is growing discontented with Ahmadinejad, whom he is believed to have supported in 2005 presidential elections.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070226/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iran_nuclear

The Arab American News: Blame Israeli Policy

You really do not have to go far to find over-the-top Arab view points on United States foreign policy. Right here in the States you have The Arab American News reporting that the U.S. decisions regarding Iranian nuclear containment are driven by their commitment to Israeli dominance in the Middle East.

It is important to note that everyone is entitled to their opinion in this country, but there is a fact to take notice of. The Arab population is growing rapidly in America, not only Europe. While we have quite a different scenario and the Arab American population is far more assimilated than their European counter parts, this is important to note from a future voting perspective. At the end of the day politicians count on votes and as the Arab population and vote tally continues to grow over time, they will be more and more of a force to be lobbied and solicited.

Israel's ultimate deathblow might come from a withdrawal of American support over time as the Arab population and vote far surpasses the pro-Israel ones.

Removing Iran from the 'new Middle East'
By: Ramzy Baroud

The configuration of the new Middle East — as envisaged by U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice during the Israeli war against Lebanon in July and August 2006, most certainly has no place for more than one regional power broker, namely Israel.

Under such an arrangement — subservient Arabs and Iran governed by an all-powerful Israel and supervised, even from afar by the seemingly philanthropic United States — would ensure Israel's "security," which has for long served as a casus belli, and supposed American interests in the region. Regardless of what one thinks of such logic, in Washington, it prevails.

http://www.arabamericannews.com/newsarticle.php?articleid=7713

Cheney in Pakistan to Meet with Musharraf

Vice President Dick Cheney flew to Pakistan to have a face to face meeting with President Pervez Musharraf. While what goes on behind closed doors is any one's guess, it is safe to say claims of a Taliban "resurgence" in Pakistani territory appears to have some merit.

What influence the United States actually has and to what degree Musharraf can act without toppling his own regime are unknowns. However, when it is reported that the Taliban is strong, regrouping and actively looking to set off a nuclear weapon in the United States, I'd say it's of primary importance to all that this is strongly and immediately addressed.

Cheney Warns Pakistan to Act on Terror

By DAVID E. SANGER and MARK MAZZETTI
Published: February 26, 2007

WASHINGTON, Feb. 26 — Vice President Dick Cheney made an unannounced trip to Pakistan on Monday to deliver what officials in Washington described as an unusually tough message to Gen. Pervez Musharraf of Pakistan, warning him that the newly Democratic Congress could cut aid to his country unless his forces become far more aggressive in hunting down operatives with Al Qaeda.

Scorsese Finally Gets Oscar: Justice Done!

After almost three decades at bat, Martin Scorsese finally received a best directors award last night at the Academy Awards. It was Scorsese's sixth nomination.

Scorsese has already achieved icon status in the U.S., where his films have captured hearts and minds for decades. He remains one of the most influential film directors of his time.

Scorsese finally an Oscar winner
POSTED: 4:24 a.m. EST, February 26, 2007

LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- After losing out five times, director Martin Scorsese was awarded his first Oscar on Sunday for his mob informer movie "The Departed."
And moments after Scorsese walked offstage, clutching his Oscar, "The Departed" was named best picture.

Scorsese, 64, was up against Clint Eastwood, who beat him two years ago and went up against him again this year having directed two critical favorites (though he was nominated for only one, "Letters From Iwo Jima"). (Gallery: The nominees)

Putin's Russia: A Lesson in Perspective for the Liberal Media

I wonder how the far loony left, many of whom will be on display tonight for the academy awards, would deal with the sort of dominating corruption that has taken over Russia the past five years. I wonder how long Keith Olbermann would last if he pulled his self-serving, self-righteous crap out of Moscow on Putin? My answer is that he'd end up worse than when ESPN dumped him.

Who's killing Putin's enemies?
Sunday February 25, 2007, The Observer

Saturday 7 October was a marathon of disheartening tasks for Anna Politkovskaya. Two weeks earlier her father, a retired diplomat, had died of a heart attack as he emerged from the Moscow metro while on his way to visit Politkovskaya's mother, Raisa Mazepa, in hospital. She had just been diagnosed with cancer and was too weak even to attend her husband's funeral. 'Your father will forgive me, because he knows I have always loved him,' she told Anna and her sister, Elena Kudimova, the day he was buried. A week later she underwent surgery, and since then Anna and Elena had been taking turns helping her cope with her grief.

http://observer.guardian.co.uk/magazine/story/0,,2019157,00.html

The U.N. versus Israel: The Never Ending Threat

It is interesting to note that on the same day it is forced to deal with a defiant Iran over it's continued enrichment of nuclear material, the U.N. (obviously taking a step out of the Middle Eastern Dictators deflection notebook) decides to release a statement that once again spotlights Israel as the world's number one bad guy.

Is there any wonder that in this self serving, corrupt international community the Bush Administration at times was forced to go it alone to protect America's best interests? The U.N. is worse than a bad joke. It is a reflection of how illegitimate and ineffective the concept "allies" really is.

Jews Seek Racial Domination!
The latest report from the U.N.
By Anne Bayefsky

A newly released United Nations report epitomizes the foul anti-Semitism which has overtaken the U.N. human-rights machinery. In language reminiscent of Nazi Germany, John Dugard, the U.N.’s “Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territories occupied since 1967,” has announced that Jews seeks racial domination.

http://article.nationalreview.com/?q=MmRlYzUwZjk3OTI4ZjIwYmYzZWY4MWVhMzgzOWJmZWU=

Keith Olbermann's Show: Al Qaeda to Detonate a Nuclear Device in the United States

In his column in today's New York Times, Frank Rich reports that a terrorism expert predicted on the Keith Olbermann show last week that Al Qaeda is close to setting off a nuclear bomb in the United States. If this is the case, why have they not flagged this story constantly or at least 10% as often as their lone coverage of the Libby Trial?

For more see Rich's column

Where Were You That Summer of 2001?

By FRANK RICH
Published: February 25, 2007
“UNITED 93,” Hollywood’s highly praised but indifferently attended 9/11 docudrama, will be only a blip on tonight’s Oscar telecast. The ratings rise of “24” has stalled as audiences defect from the downer of terrorists to the supernatural uplift of “Heroes.” Cable surfers have tuned out Iraq for a war with laughs: the battle over Anna Nicole’s decomposing corpse. Set this cultural backdrop against last week’s terrifying but little-heeded front-page Times account of American “intelligence and counterterrorism officials” leaking urgent warnings about Al Qaeda’s comeback, and ask yourself: Haven’t we been here before?

http://select.nytimes.com/2007/02/25/opinion/25rich.html

The Hypocrisy of The New York Times (III)

Playback Editor on 02/25/07

I remain so disgusted by The New York Times' adolescent, irresponsible behavior that I feel compelled to memorialize my feelings of their actions for the historical record. In today's lead editorial they call out all the things the Bush Administration have not done and need to do regarding the current status of Al Qaeda. Despite the fact again they make claims without any quotable sources, they make suggestions as if they know the administration is not exceptionally well aware of current situations. The worst part is the demands they make of a man to perform in the international when they have been perhaps the driving force in compromising his credibility on the worldwide stage. Their relentless campaign to undercut his integrity at home and abroad has not helped the international perception of his strength in representing the American people's will.

It is fortunate that of all recent presidents, President Bush will do what he feels he must regardless of public opinion polls.

Editorial
Al Qaeda Resurgent
Published: February 25, 2007

Almost five and a half years ago, America — united by the shock of 9/11 — understood exactly what it needed to do. It had to find, thwart and take down the command structure of Al Qaeda, which was responsible for the deaths of 3,000 innocent people on American soil. Despite years of costly warfare in Afghanistan and Iraq, America today is not significantly closer to that essential goal.

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/02/25/opinion/25sun1.html?_r=1&oref=slogin

Oscar Night: Will Martin Scorsese Finally Win?

Time to take a moment away from the serious and chat a bit about this years Oscars.

I am wondering if this is the year Martin Scorsese finally wins a best director's award? While The Departed is far from my favorite film of his, I get the feeling that the timing is right and this year will be it. If so, expect it to be the highlight of the night.

The only other award that means anything to me this year is best actor and I really hope and feel Forrest Whitaker deserves it.

Let's see.

Oh yeah, it's about 1000 to 1 that anyone but Al Gore wins for best doc. Talk about a lock. Unfortunately he'll blow it with a Goring speech.

Obama Rips Cheney: Barack is Dangerously Close to Believing His Own P.R. Agents

Playback Editor on 02/24/07

In banner headlines all over the United States, political novice and far left poster boy (reference/not slur) Barack Obama took aim and fired at Vice President Dick Cheney. It is almost funny when you think about it. Fresh off his spit swapping love fest with the Hollywood elite, Obama must be feeling pretty empowered if he wants a piece of Cheney. It is a bad move.

Like him or not, Dick Cheney is without question one of the smartest and most experienced men in Washington. This is a fact acknowledged by almost every Washington insider. He has been in or close to the eye of the political storm in Washington since 1971. For a complete novice like Obama to take swipes at Cheny at this point in his campaign is stupid and short sighted. If he is being advised that the unpopular Cheney is an easy target, he is being misinformed. Ask John Edwards (undistinguished, remember?) who Cheney exposed in their presidential debate as nothing more than an ambulance chasing attorney.

I like the talents Obama brings to the table. I don't even care that he is a novice. In today's world the biggest skill a president needs is to seduce his audience, George Bush's largest weakness. If he manages to seduce enough people to become president, he will be able to insulate himself with experienced talent. However, if Obama keeps putting his foot in his mouth, he will blow the opportunity.

My advise to Barack is to stay away from Cheney. He can and will rip his head off without blinking. Cheney is way out of Obama's league. Barack should stick to the four rounders for the next six months and leave the heavyweights alone.

449 Quentin on Modern Day Poltroonery

POLTROONERY
By 449 QUENTIN - 02/24/07

Poltroon is an archaic word. It is rarely used anymore in modern America. It evokes long gone images of maidens in distress and duels fought over principles. By definition a poltroon is a craven coward.

Basically a poltroon might talk the talk but not walk the walk. The word was used in the pre civil war south where men would die for their beliefs and even more importantly for their honor. One of the reasons that it fell into disuse was that honor itself has little or no currency in modern America and has long since been usurped by expediency. As a prime example of poltroonery today we only need look at people who like to criticize things that they lack the courage to even try or help with. Examples abound today in all area’s of Western Culture.

One of the foremost examples is the reaction of the political left in the Western World to the depredations of the Islamo Fascists. The Spaniards in their zeal to blame America for all that is wrong in the world groveled after the train bombing in Madrid. Then they elected a new leader that gave in to the demands of those whose hands were dripping with the blood of the victims. George Bush and his policies that were forged as an answer to previous Islamo Fascists acts in the African embassies, on the blood soaked deck of the U.S.S. Cole, and the streets of Manhattan was morphed into the new Hitler.

The Spaniards abandoned their commitment to the coalition in Iraq in a display of poltroonery. Ferdinand and Isabella who drove the Moslems from Spain and saved the glory of Western culture would have spun in their graves. The Conquistadors who created the greatest empire of their age would have looked on in disbelief at the poltroons who descended from them. To surrender all pretense of honor and to acquiesce to the demands
of an enemy with the blood of your citizens still wet on it’s hands is to behave in a poltroons manner.

Then we have the example of the poltroons that populate the Democratic party in the United States. These are people that while the guns are still roaring put short term political gain ahead of duty, honor and country. People that do not understand that the books written about military history do not list the great retreats.

It is more than permissible to criticize your political opponents during a war. That is what living in a democracy is all about. However to behave as if the other party and it’s leader are war criminals is beyond the pale. George Bush responded to a string of attacks that culminated in the destruction of The World Trade Center. No matter how long he continued his predecessors tactics of doing nothing the enemy riding the tides of history would have kept coming.

We cannot live in the same world as suicide bombers. It is ordained that we struggle until we or they are defeated. The world is not big enough to hold both ideologies. The fact that Bush’s policies seem to be failing is no reason to pillory him so ruthlessly. State clearly what you would have done and what you want to do in the future. Explain how you would have sent all the terrorists captured in Afghanistan to Disney World rather than Guanaco if that is your position. Pretend that you would not use torture if terrorists took over your house and threatened to kill your family but do not condemn the Bush Chaney team for mulling it over because the whole country is their family. Forget about the Anthrax attack if that is what you want but do not crucify a noble but flawed leader who you do not like because he comes from a red state, speaks with a drawl and is not as comfortable in an art gallery as you are because that would make you a poltroon.

How many attacks have to come and how much blood has to be spilled before you stop whining that Islam is a religion of peace? It took two thousand years for Western Culture to evolve into the system that we live under today. Does it have flaws? Yes it does but there is very little immigration into the third world. Nobody is riding on a flimsy raft through Shark infested waters to sneak into Cuba. In addition nobody is freezing to death at forty thousand feet clinging to the wheels of a jet headed for Kenya.

With all of our flaws we do not condemn homosexuals and petty thieves to death. We are not the ones who wish that women remain illiterate slaves and we are not committing genocide in Defer. We stand for religious and political freedom and the enemy does not. In addition Shakespeare, Plato, Rembrandt, Mozart and Einstein are worth fighting for despite what the faculty at Harvard says. The wave that is heading towards the West has been building in intensity for over a thousand years. The only difference is the suicide bombers will soon have weapons of unspeakable power for the first time.

Awake Ye poltroons lefties and pick up a sword while there is still time. We cannot stand against the fury that is descending on us if we are a house divided. Face the reality that this struggle is about much more than George W. Bush. You may not like his Texas drawl and his garbled syntax but you will not enjoy lugging around a prayer rug. In addition it’s important that you grasp that you have to walk to Mecca when you do the pilgrimage thing, they won’t let you drive there in your Mercedes.

Keith Olbermann: Simply the Worst

Playback Editor on 02/23/07

I am basically a guy that will give everyone the benefit of the doubt. I really try to do quite a bit of research before I open my mouth and rip into anyone. Keeping this all in mind, I cannot help but to keep commenting on MSNBC's Keith Olbermann because I find him to be such an outrageously nasty, insecure specimen that it amazes me.

This is a guy that was a sports commentator whom basically got fired from ESPN because of an outrageous, obnoxious personality memorialized by temper tantrums. He will be remembered for later going on air to apologize for his tremendous insecurities. Somehow years later he ends up hosting a prime slot show on MSNBC and his daily agenda is not to be believed.

Olbermann and his show offer absolutely no perspective other than their own, juvenile far-left political outlook. He will never have an interview subject on air that challenges his views. Instead, each night he teams up with a crew of regulars that share his pompous, condescending disdain for anyone that doesn't share his opinions.

(More to come)

Hillary, Barack, Britney and Oscar

Playback Editor on 02/23/07

The upcoming Academy Awards ceremony will provide an interesting window to see just how tuned in (or out) Hollywood's elite are today compared with the rest of the planet.

I was shocked to see Hollywood godfathers like Geffen and Spielberg throw themselves behind a completely unknown commodity (Obama) after their long standing love affair with the Clintons. All I can tell you is aptitude aside, Obama the politician has nothing to do with their selection or support. That decision reeks of a personal vendetta between the Clinton's and their former cohorts.

I can see Geffen and Company, brewing at the Clintons over not saving the dolphin of their choice and deciding to teach her "a lesson." Team Geffen raised tens of millions of dollars for Bill and Hill over the years. They were Lincoln bedroom regulars. They would never just change horses over little matters such as policy which could easily be nuanced. Something of a personal nature went down. You can see it in Geffen's strategically selected, personalized attacks. He called Hillary old. He went out to hurt her and more than likely did.

Obama is an interesting guy, full of charisma and quite bright. However, he has next to nothing on his resume that would afford him Democratic front runner status. However, until proven otherwise, he radiates exceptional and moldable potential. Team Geffen are idol makers. That is their business. Hill's hill got a bit steeper.

Academy Award night is Hollywood's annual coming out party. The rest of the universe gets a scripted peek inside of Dreamland. I will be interested to see how host Ellen DeGeneres and the dozens of other speakers choose to address the political climate. Their decisions might make for better television than the rest of the show.

Charles Krauthammer on the Transparent, Dishonest Strategy of the Democrats Reguarding the Funding for Iraq War

Washington Post Columnist Charles Krauthammer dissects the Democratic attempt to cut off funds, end the war but manage to remain supportive. Net/Net: nice try but ultimately transparent and accountable.

No Way To End A War
By Charles Krauthammer
Friday, February 23, 2007; Page A19

The United States has fought many wars since 1941 but has never again declared one. No one abroad declares war anymore either, perhaps because it has the anachronistic feel of an aristocratic challenge. Whatever the reason, today Congress doesn't declare war; it "authorizes" the "use of force."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/02/22/AR2007022201453.html

Victor Davis Hanson on the Hypocrisy of the Democrats

For the longest time I have observed politicians who once lined up behind President Bush on the matter of Iraq attempting to reposition themselves as the polls shifted. I have found it lame, pathetic and transparent every time one of them tried to justify their decision by saying they were"misinformed," as if they were lied to and moved ahead as innocent babes in the woods.

If they were misinformed, they were no more misinformed than the president as all information led all to believe that Saddam had weapons of mass destruction and was working on establishing a nuclear arsenal as well. If their position runs deeper, claiming they were purposely mislead by a self-serving Administration bent on personal agendas, then they are far too naive and unfit to govern with any authority in my book.

Victor Davis Hanson points out the hypocrisy in the claims of so many of these fair weathered, transparent hustlers.

Disingenuous Party

The Democratic antiwar problem.
By Victor Davis Hanson

Why did a majority of Democratic senators — such as Joe Biden, Hillary Clinton, Chris Dodd, John Edwards, Harry Reid, Jay Rockefeller, and Chuck Schumer — vote to authorize a war with Iraq on Oct. 11, 2002? And why is this war now supposedly George Bush’s misfortune and not theirs?

http://article.nationalreview.com/?q=Y2I3YzM1NGZiNjNjNDIzMzU1N2ZhNjM3NDlmNDQ1ZTE=

Thomas Friedman: Monday Morning Quaterback

Tom Friedman of the NY Times writes an interesting but incomplete column critiquing the Bush Administration's decision making history and resulting ramifications, but manages to leave out many key details, diluting his argument.

One of the points Mr. Friedman and so many others leave out is that without the president's strong stance on Iraq, North Korea would never have come back to the table as the U.S. would have been continued to be viewed as an empty threat. Many in the world may despise Bush, but they do take him quite seriously.

A Foreign Policy Built on Do-Overs
By THOMAS L. FRIEDMAN
Published: February 23, 2007

Watching the Bush team wrestle with Iran, North Korea and Iraq reminds me of something that used to be said of the Reagan administration: The right hand never knew what the far right hand was doing.

http://select.nytimes.com/2007/02/23/opinion/23friedman.html

Mark Steyn on Blair, Bush and the State of the Allies

The brilliant Mark Steyne captures the feelings and the consequences of the moment in a wonderful article posted in The Australian Opinion. Among the points he makes is that Britain will distance itself from the United States, at least for a while in the near future. An interesting article from a hell of a mind.

Mark Steyn: Blair is right on troops

Eighty per cent of the violence in Iraq takes place within 50km of Baghdad
February 23, 2007

ACCORDING to my dictionary, the word "ally" comes from the Old French. Very Old French, I'd say. For the New French, the word has a largely postmodern definition of "duplicitous charmer who undermines you at every opportunity".

http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,20867,21269819-7583,00.html

The Anna Nicole Smith Trial - What's Up with this Judge?

Playback Editor on 02/22/07

This is not my usual topic of interest or discussion, but it is almost impossible to completely avoid it as I caught the latest news clippings on the Anna Nicole Smith trial/circus. I came across an article mentioning the "teary eyed judge" and I almost lost it - is there anyone in this country that is not auditioning for their fifteen minutes of fame. What in the world is this judge teary eyed about? If this was not a celebrity event, there is no way this guy would be "teary eyed" over anything. He'd be nauseous over the combination of drug infested, parasitic, white trash losers he was surrounded by. However since this is his moment in the sun, he'll milk it for all he can to get in the eventual movie and of course the book deal. He more than likely already sees himself on Oprah's couch - how sad.

United States Showdown with Iran

Let's see how the chess match between the United States and Iran plays out on a world stage now that the United Nations reports that Iran is in open defiance of the international community.

The Bush Administration has worked closely with the international community in dealing with what it feels is a threat to the national interests of the United States. The United Nations has not stated that Iran is in open defiance and will expedite its attempts at uranium enrichment, thumbing it's nose at the entire international community. Now we will see who will step up and approve serious sanctions and who will do nothing.

No more finger pointing. Let's document it as it happens. We all hope it can and will be resolved through diplomatic means.

Report Finds Iran in Breach of U.N. Order

By DAVID E. SANGER and WILLIAM J. BROAD
Published: February 22, 2007

WASHINGTON, Feb. 22 — In open defiance of the United Nations, Iran is steadily expanding — rather than freezing — its efforts to enrich uranium, the International Atomic Energy Agency reported today. The findings have prompted the Bush Administration to press for more severe sanctions against Iran, at a moment of greatly increased tensions between Washington and Tehran.

Obama (Clooney and Geffen) vs. Hillary (Fonda and De Niro)

Interesting to see the battle shaping up between the Hollywood elite over the selection and support of their favorite democratic candidates. Hillary Clinton must be shocked and worried by the bridge- burning dialogue going on between her camp and her former supporters. When massive heavyweights such as David Geffen publicly call you out and side against you, you have your hands full.

As far as Obama goes, he is virtually a complete unknown with a paper-thin resume of achievements and experience. His two primary platforms, immediate removal of troops from Iraq and universal health care for everyone, are vague and do not stand up under scrutiny. It is obvious his advisers are choosing to groom him along the campaign trail by keeping him insulated from the media accept for highly choreographed events.

Obama is the 2008 version of "The Candidate." Poor Hillary looks old and scared. However, never count out the Clintons. It's still very early and she is still a huge favorite.

H'WOOD CLASH OF THE TITANS
MOVIE MOGUL SPURS HILL-OBAMA MUD FIGHT

By NILES LATHEM Post Correspondent

February 22, 2007 -- WASHINGTON - With Hollywood as the backdrop, the campaigns of Sens. Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama traded furious insults yesterday, each accusing the other of rank hypocrisy as the race for the Democratic nomination erupted in astonishing bitterness.

http://www.nypost.com/seven/02222007/news/nationalnews/hwood_clash_of_the_titans_nationalnews_niles_lathem_________post_correspondent.htm?page=1

George Will on Bush Critics Regarding North Korea

The haters of George Bush are legion and relentless. They curse his mere existence, so to believe he is going to get a fair shake on media coverage for his successes are almost asking too much. I have barely read any positive coverage on his administration's breakthrough on the North Korean nuclear standoff. All I read is criticism. The article written by George Will posted below gives a detailed account of the significance of the Bush Administration's accomplishment in working to a peaceful solution with North Korea.

EVEN BUSH CRITICS CAN GET IT WRONG
By George Will for The New York Post

February 22, 2007 -- INDISCRIMINATE criticism of President Bush is an infectious dis ease. Some conservatives seem to have caught it, but congressional Democrats might be crippled by it.

http://www.nypost.com/seven/02222007/postopinion/opedcolumnists/even_bush_critics_can_get_it_wrong_opedcolumnists_george_f__will.htm

The Guilt Ridden, Self-Hating Jew

An interesting editorial in today's New York Post details the phenomenon of the self-hating liberal Jew in America and how potentially harmful they are for both Jews worldwide and the State of Israel.

LEFTIST JEWS' HATEFUL OBSESSION

By EDWARD ALEXANDER, The New York Post

February 18, 2007 -- TOO many writers and pundits today are obsessed, almost pathologically, by the conviction that Israel is the most evil country that ever has existed, and that its removal from the family of nations is a precondition of world peace.

http://www.nypost.com/seven/02182007/postopinion/postopbooks/leftist_jews_hateful_obsession_postopbooks_edward_alexander.htm

Thomas Friedman with an Iran Strategy

Not-So-Strange Bedfellow

By THOMAS L. FRIEDMAN

Here's a little foreign policy test. I am going to describe two countries -- ''Country A'' and ''Country B'' -- and you tell me which one is America's ally and which one is not.
Let's start: Country A actively helped the U.S. defeat the Taliban in Afghanistan and replace it with a pro-U.S. elected alliance of moderate Muslims. Country A regularly holds sort-of-free elections. Country A's women vote, hold office, are the majority of its university students and are fully integrated into the work force.

http://select.nytimes.com/search/restricted/article?res=FA081FF73F5B0C728FDDA80894DF404482

Hillary Ripped By Obama Fundraiser Host David Geffen

At a closed door, press barred, star studded, L.A. based fundraiser last night, co-host David Geffen bashed former best pal Hillary Clinton and her husband former President Bill Clinton. It surprised many to see just how estranged Hillary Clinton, former Hollywood elite, has become over her initial support for the Iraq war. It is obvious that it has severely pissed off her former buddies on the Left Coast who have long memories to go along with their deep pockets.

Obama’s Big Screen Test
By MAUREEN DOWD
Published: February 21, 2007
BEVERLY HILLS, Calif.

Hillary is not David Geffen’s dreamgirl.

“Whoever is the nominee is going to win, so the stakes are very high,” says Mr. Geffen, the Hollywood mogul and sultan of “Dreamgirls,” as he sits by a crackling fire beneath a Jasper Johns flag and a matched pair of de Koonings in the house that Jack Warner built (which old-time Hollywood stars joked was the house that God would have built). “Not since the Vietnam War has there been this level of disappointment in the behavior of America throughout the world, and I don’t think that another incredibly polarizing figure, no matter how smart she is and no matter how ambitious she is — and God knows, is there anybody more ambitious than Hillary Clinton? — can bring the country together.

http://select.nytimes.com/2007/02/21/opinion/21dowd.html

Imagine: Amanpour on Peace with Iran

I found what appears to be a hopeful article by Christiane Amanpour of CNN that paints a potentially rosier picture of the relationship between the U.S. and Iran. According to the article, of course quoted by an unknown high ranking source, there is a desire from very high up in the Iranian governing body for a peaceful alliance with the United States. While it is great to hear anything positive potentially coming from this mess, the questions are ones of validity and how to move forward? Hopefully calm, smart and above all "rational" minds are at work. I personally feel the root of the whole Mid-Eastern mess is the Wahhabi's Sunni mentality that has been bred all over by the self-serving Saudi regime. If by some miracle the U.S. and Iran could connect it would be a huge positive for the region and the planet.

As always, time will tell.

Iranian official offers glimpse from within: A desire for U.S. ally
POSTED: 11:07 a.m. EST, February 21, 2007
By Christiane Amanpour, CNN

TEHRAN, Iran (CNN) -- As I sat down recently with a senior Iranian government official, he urgently waved a column by Thomas Friedman of The New York Times in my face, one about how the United States and Iran need to engage each other.
''Natural allies,'' this official said.

It was a surprising choice of words considering the barbs Washington and Tehran have been trading of late.

"We are not after conflict. We are not after crisis. We are not after war," said this official, who spoke on condition of anonymity. "But we don't know whether the same is true in the U.S. or not. If the same is true on the U.S. side, the first step must be to end this vicious cycle that can lead to dangerous action -- war."

http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/meast/02/21/btsc.iran.amanpour/index.html

The New York Times - Relentless and Losing all Credibility

I am continually tracking the one sided, partisan coverage of The New York Times because I simply cannot believe what I see. The entire newspaper has become a one-sided editorial section. The editorial section campaigns to bash the Bush Administration every day, every step of the way. It is astonishing to see.

Today's lead editorial basically blames the Bush Administration for continued war between Israel and Palestine, a condition that has existed for close to sixty years despite the best efforts of a dozen administrations. However, according to today's Times, the Bush Administration squandered a "special" opportunity for peace. Their audacity is remarkable.

I think that before the Times blames the Bush Administration for this mess they should choose which of their sacred horses they are backing as "Jimme" and "Bubba" have each accused the other of lying over their interpretations of the events resulting from President Clinton's tremendous efforts for peace in 2000.

Editorial: The New York Times
Charade in Jerusalem

It speaks volumes when Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice flies to Jerusalem to try to revive peace talks between Prime Minister Ehud Olmert of Israel and President Mahmoud Abbas of the Palestinian Authority and cannot even get the two to show up when she reads out the content-free joint statement to which they have grudgingly agreed.

Volume 1 reminds us of the six feckless years during which the Bush administration has squandered America’s once commanding prestige in the region. Volume 2 portrays a secretary of state who clearly arrived with no new ideas — and no idea of how to wheedle or pressure either side into making any of the compromises needed to stimulate the dangerously moribund peace effort.

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/02/21/opinion/21wed2.html?_r=1&oref=slogin

Ed Koch on the U.S., Iran and America's Far Left

Former New York City Democratic Mayor Ed Koch voices his concerns about how partsian politics in the United States may weaken President Bush and make the United States more vulnerable in the future. Straight talk that defies party politics from a New York legend long known for speaking his mind.

About Broken?
By Ed Koch on 2/20/07

Over the last few years I have written of my fears that we Americans, as a people, have lost our will to fight for our freedom.

We have come to expect that wars can be fought without casualties, even the relatively modest casualties we have suffered in Iraq. During World War II, more Americans were killed or wounded on Iwo Jima in one month than have fallen in Iraq in almost four years. Of course, every military death and severe injury is a tragedy. Nevertheless, former Secretary of State Colin Powell has said that our army in Iraq is “about broken,” which appalled and frightened me. Added to those two disturbing dangers to our national security is a new and third factor: denial of a military threat to our armed forces. Such a denial allows us to avoid addressing the threat with an appropriate military response.

http://blogcentral.jpost.com/index.php?cat_id=3&blog_id=43&blog_post_id=857

National Review on The New York Times' Al Qaeda is Back Banner Headline ...

Below you will find an interesting article that calls the New York Times out on the mat for its biased coverage on the war on terror. Last Sunday the Times led page one with a story painting a highly inaccurate picture on the current status of Al Qaeda. This site called them on it the minute we saw it. Today's article in the Review details how the New York Times is bending and distorting facts to push their own agenda.

Al Qaeda is Back? Let's go to the videotape.
By James S. Robbins

Periodically I give a seminar as part of a government course for counter terrorism analysts. The general topic for that segment is assessing the War on Terrorism, and I am billed as “The Optimist.” The organizers tell me they like to bring me in because I am provocative. That has always surprised me, because I never thought telling people they are doing a good job keeping the enemy at bay was particularly controversial. But you’d be surprised, as I am time and again, at the level of skepticism I run into. It is the same point of view reflected in the piece in Monday’s New York Times, based on intelligence-community sources, that says Al Qaeda is reconstituting. Their command and control is robust. They are running training camps. They are on the way back. Seems like five years into the war and we have nothing to show for it.

http://article.nationalreview.com/?q=MTY2MTMyOGYzOTRiNWYyMDA2OWNhMmU2OWQ1NjU2ZGQ=

Victor Hanson on Iran: Ahmadinejad's Egg

Victor Davis Hanson maps out a multifaceted, non-military strategy in dealing with the Iranian regime that targets and exploits Tehran's vulnerabilities.

February 19, 2007

Tapping Ahmadinejad’s Egg

by Victor Davis Hanson
Tribune Media Services

We all know the Iranian M.O. — nuclear proliferation, Holocaust denial, threats to wipe out Israel, vicious anti-Western rhetoric, lavish sponsorship of terrorists at work attacking Israel and destabilizing Lebanon.

If that were not enough, we now learn that Iran has been sending agents into Iraq to destroy the fledgling democracy and supplying sophisticated roadside bombs to blow up Americans.

http://victorhanson.com/articles/hanson021907.html

Thornton of Victor Davis Hanson Private Paper's discusses the Hypocracy of the Palestanian Deal

February 18, 2007

The Stink
What makes the worst lies in the Middle East acceptable?
by Bruce Thornton , Victor Davis Hanson Private Papers

Remember Big Daddy in the movie Cat on Hot Tin Roof? He kept walking around complaining about the “stink of mendacity” emanating from his dysfunctional family. I know how he feels, for every day the bad odor of lies, hypocrisy, and deluded appeasement wafts from the daily news.

http://victorhanson.com/articles/thornton021807.html

The New North Korean Deal

Playback Editor on 02/18/07

I have read numerous articles from around the world suggesting that the deal brokered with the international six and North Korea was either a failure, a reward to a rogue nation going nuclear or at best a rehash of President Clinton's 1994 deal. All three are off the mark.

The United States has been criticized unmercifully for "going it alone" in Iraq. Here they organized and championed a core group of the international community including China, Russia, Japan and South Korea to confront North Korea in a very firm and united fashion. Unlike 1994, today North Korea is both working with and being closely monitored by a group of highly motivated and concerned neighbors that never could have been as tightly organized before the U.S. upped the accountability ante with the Iraqi invasion.

New York Times-Page One Lead with Zero Credible Sources

In their relentless pursuit to draw public attention away from any progress made by the Bush Administration, today the New York Times has no problem leading off page one's headline with a story about a regrouping Al-Qaeda without one verifiable source to quote. They have chosen to give a banner headline to a story that is completely unsubstantiated.

What does that tell you about their motives and agenda?

Al Qaeda Chiefs Are Seen to Regain Power

By MARK MAZZETTI and DAVID ROHDE
Published: February 19, 2007

WASHINGTON, Feb. 18 — Senior leaders of Al Qaeda operating from Pakistan have re-established significant control over their once-battered worldwide terror network and over the past year have set up a band of training camps in the tribal regions near the Afghan border, according to American intelligence and counterterrorism officials.

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/02/19/world/asia/19intel.html?_r=1&oref=slogin

Steyn Online Sunday: Watch the U.S. Self-Destruct

Why the Iraq war is turning into America's defeat.

February 18, 2007
BY MARK STEYN Sun-Times Columnist

The week's news from Iraq: According to the state television network, the leader of al-Qaida in Iraq, Abu Ayyub al-Masri, was wounded in a clash with security forces just north of Baghdad. A senior deputy was killed.

Meanwhile, the punk cleric Muqtada al-Sadr has decided that discretion is the better part of mullahs and has temporarily relocated to Iran. That's right: The biggest troublemaker in Iraq is no longer in Iraq. It may be that his Persian vacation is only to marry a cousin or two and consult with the A-list ayatollahs, but the Mookster has always had highly sensitive antennae when it comes to his own physical security -- he likes being the guy who urges martyrdom on others rather than being just another schmuck who takes one for the team. So the fact that urgent business requires him to be out of town for the Big Surge is revealing at the very least of how American objectives in Iraq are not at the mercy of forces beyond their control; U.S. military and political muscle can shape conditions on the ground -- if they can demonstrate they're serious about doing so.

http://www.suntimes.com/news/steyn/260810,CST-EDT-steyn18.article

New York Times Will Position It Any Way But Pro-Bush

A page one lead story in today's Sunday addition of the New York Times features a story that manages to take a pro-Iranian spin in the escalating confrontation with the United States. The theme of the story is that the administration's blotched, complete failure in Iraq has allowed an opening for an innocent Iran to be a fool not to take advantage of . . . . I wonder how they will feel when Hezbollah blows up a train in Times Square near their West 43rd Street offices?

News Analysis:
Iran’s Chance: U.S. Troubles in Iraq Create Opening for Regional Shift

By MICHAEL SLACKMAN
Published: February 18, 2007
CAIRO, Feb. 17 — In recent weeks, President Bush and American military officials have increasingly accused Iran of meddling in Iraq’s affairs. But from Iran’s perspective, given its longstanding interests in Iraq, it is the United States that is meddling in its backyard, analysts inside and outside of Iran say.

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/02/18/world/middleeast/18assess.html?ref=world