Gasoline Price War Hits The Senate And Nancy Pelosi's Promise Of Lower Energy Prices Keeps Getting Emptier

Harry Reid is a prime example of how out-of-touch the Democrats are with reality. Here is what he said in front of a Fox News camera:

“The one thing we fail to talk about is those costs that you don't see on the bottom line. Coal makes us sick. Oil makes us sick. It's global warming. It's ruining our country. It's ruining our world. We've got to stop using fossil fuels."

Well, as I noted in a recent posting, that is like asking humans to stop eating. It just won't happen, at least not without seriously fatal side-effects.

Jed Babbin notes something similar in his most recent column:

America’s, like it or not, is an oil-based economy. People who drive, fly and ship by truck are the basis for our commerce. Without the ability to drive, fly and ship we cannot buy and sell goods and services.

Apparently, the Democrats are still addicted to the fantasy that we can make cars, planes, trains and ships go on pixie dust and unicorn whiskers. They have this fantasy that some super-scientific technology is going to come and rescue us. Not so.

Read on:

Airlines are -- once again -- facing bankruptcy and the cost of fuel is driving up the price of every kind of goods and services. Neither the President nor the Democratic Congressional leadership is doing anything to bring the price of gasoline down now, before the election. Politicians seem to be immune to reason. They’re talking about things that may -- not will -- happen decades from now. If we began today, and bent all our attention, spent every dime we have on it to the exclusion of all else, we’d not be able to “stop using fossil fuels” for fifty years or more. The Democrats seem impervious to the facts. There is no cost-effective way to “stop using fossil fuels” in an economy that is completely dependent upon that use. Even if there were, the burden of gasoline costs on our economy demands that effective action be taken now to drive that price down. Reid and others chant the mantra that “you can’t drill your way out of this problem.” We -- and the OPEC cartel -- have drilled our way into it. Why can’t we drill our way out, at least to buy enough time to figure out a long-term solution?

So why do the Dems act the way they do, to the complete detriment of the American people? For the same reason they refuse to acknowledge reality and vote to do the right thing:

Because the environmentalists would be unhappy. Their contentment is more important to Reid and the other Dems than the economic survival of the American voter.

Yes, keeping the radical left happy is more important to the Democrats than keeping their promise to the American people. Remember that promise, made back in 2006? Here is a reminder of what Nancy Pelosi said on April 24, 2006:

"Democrats have a common-sense plan to help bring down skyrocketing gas prices by cracking down on price gouging, rolling back the billions of dollars in taxpayer subsidies, tax breaks and royalty relief given to big oil and gas companies, and increasing production of alternative fuels."

We need to get the Dems out of Congress and replace them with people who really know what the needs of the United States are.

You can access the complete column on-line here:

Gasoline Price War Hits The Senate
Jed Babbin
Human Events Online
July 7, 2008

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And here is a little something from the Journal Sentinel of Milwaukee:

Natural gas futures have jumped 82% since the start of the year. Heating oil and propane prices are also soaring. The increased natural gas prices already have resulted in electricity bills jumping twice since March for customers of Milwaukee-based We Energies and Green Bay-based Wisconsin Public Service Corp. Including increases authorized for three other state utilities, customers of the state’s five investor-owned utilities have seen rates rise by $210 million since the start of the year. Spokesmen for the state’s large natural gas utilities said it’s too early to predict what customers may pay this winter. The futures price of natural gas, which finished last week at its highest point in more than 2 1/2 years, could still fall below its current, abnormal high, they said. “Prices right now are in the scary range,” said Kerry Spees, spokesman for Wisconsin Public Service, an electric and natural gas utility. “It makes you look toward the winter with a little trepidation.”

Anyone still gullible enough to believe that Nancy Pelosi and the Dems have us on the right track?

You can access the complete column on-line here:

High Natural Gas Costs Expected To Boost Heating Bills This Winter
Thomas Content
Journal Sentinel of Milwaukee
July 6, 2008

What Is A Billion? What Taxes Are You Paying? Do Politicians Have Any Idea What They Are Spending Money On?

What is a billion? Let's put it in perspective here. From an email I recieved:

The next time you hear a politician use the word 'billion' in a casual manner, think about whether you want the 'politicians' spending YOUR tax money. A billion is a difficult number to comprehend, but one advertising agency did a good job of putting that figure into some perspective in one of it's releases. A. A billion seconds ago it was 1959. B. A billion minutes ago Jesus was alive. C. A billion hours ago our ancestors were living in the Stone Age. D. A billion days ago no-one walked on the earth on two feet. E. A billion dollars ago was only 8 hours and 20 minutes, at the rate our government is spending it. While this thought is still fresh in our brain ... let's take a look at New Orleans ... It's amazing what you can learn with some simple division. Louisiana Senator, Mary Landrieu (D) is presently asking Congress for 250 BILLION DOLLARS to rebuild New Orleans. Interesting number ... what does it mean? A. Well ... if you are one of the 484,674 residents of New Orleans (every man, woman, and child) you each get $516,528. B. Or ... if you have one of the 188,251 homes in New Orleans , your home gets $1,329,787. C. Or ... if you are a family of four ... your family gets $2,066,012. Washington, DC: "HELLO!" Are all your calculators broken?? Accounts Receivable Tax Building Permit Tax CDL License Tax Cigarette Tax Corporate Income Tax Dog License Tax Federal Income Tax < BR>Federal Unemployment Tax (FUTA) Fishing License Tax Food License Tax Fuel Permit Tax Gasoline Tax Hunting Licen se Tax Inheritance Tax Inventory Tax IRS Interest Charges (tax on top of tax) IRS Penalties (tax on top of tax) Liquor Tax Luxury Tax Marriage License Tax Medicare Tax Property Tax Real Estate Tax Service charge taxes Social Security Tax Road Usage Tax (Truckers) Sales Taxes Recreational Vehicle Tax School Tax State Income Tax State Unemployment Tax (SUTA) Telephone Federal Excise Tax Telephone Federal Universal Service Fee Tax Telephone Federal, State and Local Surcharge Tax Telephone Minimum Usage Surcharge Tax Telephone Recurring and Non-recurring Charges Tax Telephone State and Local Tax Telephone Usage Charge Tax Utility Tax Vehicle License Registration Tax Vehicle Sales Tax Watercraft Registration Tax Well Permit Tax Workers Compensation Tax STILL THINK THIS IS FUNNY? Not one of these taxes existed 100 years ago ... and our nation was the most prosperous in the world. We had absolutely no national debt ... We had the largest middle class in the world ... and Mom stayed home to raise the kids. What happened? Can you spell 'politicians?' And I still have to press "1" for English.

Sad but true.

We should have three top priorities:

1) Pass the FairTax.
2) Control Government Spending.
3) Produce oil and energy right here at home.

Companies Begin Quest For Oil Offshore: Oil And Gas Prices Emerging As #1 Issue

So, how much have you been paying to fill your gas tank? Quite a bit more than you were when the Democrats took control of Congress back in 2007. Gas prices have gone up over 38% since then. The American people want change. Not the change Barack Obama is proposing (i.e. more disastrous Socialism), but a change in domestic energy production policy.

That change would be to lift the stifling rules and regulations that prevent us from producing our own energy right here at home. Conceivably, our domestic oil companies could produce oil at $60/bbl instead of having to pay $145/bbl or even $200/bbl when the price gets that high.

According to the Associated Press:

Oil companies once viewed drilling in the deep waters off Florida as cost prohibitive. Politicians feared even the slightest sign of support would be career suicide. No more. Record crude oil prices are fueling support for oil and natural gas exploration off the nation's shores. In Florida, movement was under way even before President Bush called on Congress last month to lift a federal moratorium that's barred new offshore drilling since 1981. The early activity here stems from a 2006 Congressional compromise that allows drilling on 8.3 million acres more than 125 miles off the Panhandle — an area that had been covered by the moratorium, which was enacted out of environmental concerns. In exchange, the state got a no-drilling buffer along the rest of its beaches.

2006. That's when the Republicans controlled Congress. They had more than enough votes to force the issue, but certain Republicans decided to become obstructionists, including the GOP Presidential candidate John McCain.

McCain better be singing a different tune today, because Barack Obama is the one constantly saying "no" to viable solutions to our energy crisis. Here's what the American voter is thinking:

With gas topping $4 a gallon, recent polls show Americans, Floridians included, more supportive of drilling in protected areas. Some politicians — including Gov. Charlie Crist — have switched sides. "We think the public is way out ahead of the politicians on these issues. People are more open to (offshore drilling) now," said Tom Moskitis, spokesman for the American Gas Association, a trade group. At the same time, oil companies, driven by the record energy price, are more willing to risk $100 million or more to begin exploring new regions. The Interior Department estimates there could be 18 billion barrels of oil and 77 trillion cubic feet of natural gas beneath the 574 million acres of federal coastal waters that are now off-limits.

And when people realize that the energy crisis is going to threaten the family vacation to Disney World, they will end up voting for the candidate who will work the hardest to remove the threat. That is why John McCain had better be listening to the people on this one.

More:

But politicians who once supported the ban are changing their minds. Sen. John McCain supports lifting the ban and allowing states to decide whether to approve drilling of their shores. Crist, Florida's Republican governor and a possible vice presidential candidate, reversed his long-standing opposition to lifting the ban last month. The ban won't be lifted without a fight. Sen. Bill Nelson, who has led opposition to offshore drilling among the state's congressional delegation, criticized the governor for reversing his position, accusing Crist and McCain of putting oil company profits before protecting the state's $65 billion annual tourism industry.

But Nelson seems to be completely ignorant of the fact that if people can't put gas in their cars, or airlines can't put fuel into airplanes, then the tourist industry in Florida is going to take a huge hit. People aren't going to walk hundreds of miles to get to Florida, especially if they have children.

You can access the complete article on-line here:

Companies Begin Quest For Oil, Gas Off Florida
Associated Press via MSNBC.com
July 4, 2008

How Barack Obama Intends To Repay His Surrogate Lap-Dog General Wesley Clark For The McCain Military Service Smear

Political Ad Verifies Democrats Have No Integrity And Bush Urges Americans To Contact Congress About Drilling At Home

A Philadelphia radio station, KYW-AM 1060 has rejected a political ad submitted by the Democrat Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) that uses an impersonator for President Bush's voice, but fails to disclose the impersonation up front.

According to The Hill:

Philadelphia KYW-AM Vice President and General Manager David Yadgaroff said his station decided not to run the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) ad because it was worried its listeners would be misled. “As an all-news station, we were concerned that our listeners would have been misled by usage of an impersonator in the creative delivery,” Yadgaroff said in an e-mail sent to The Hill. The ad was part of a $100,000 DCCC ad campaign in 13 different congressional districts held by Republicans. In the ad, a Bush impersonator calls the local GOP congressman, thanking him for “continuing to support the Big Oil agenda” as a member of the “Grand Oil Party.”

There are several things to note here. First, is the blatent political distortionism the Dems are deliberately engaging in. Second is that they are pointing the finger of blame in the wrong direction ... again. High oil prices are attributable to a do-nothing Democrat controlled Congress. Third, it shows that the Dems have abandoned any pretense of integrity.

We need to vote them out of office before they inflict a Socialist disaster on us that is worse than what is happening over in Europe.

You can access the complete story on-line here:

Philly Radio Station Refuses To Run Democratic Ad
David Matthews
The Hill
July 3, 2008

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And President Bush has been urging Americans to contact their Congressional Reps and ask them to vote to allow drilling here at home for lower-priced oil. According to The Hill:

Americans should contact Congress and tell their elected representatives to open up a part of the Alaskan wilderness and the area off the country’s coast to oil exploration, President Bush said Wednesday. “I fully understand why Americans are concerned about gasoline prices,” Bush told reporters. “But I want them to understand fully that we have got the opportunity to find more crude oil here at home in environmentally friendly ways and they ought to write their Congress people about it.” The president said Americans should tell Congress to open up the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) and the Outer Continental Shelf, as well as push for an increase in oil shale exploration. Bush argued that the Democratic Congress has “refused to budge” on these issues.

Note that legislative body mentioned in that last sentence. Therein lies our biggest obstacle to energy independence.

You can access the complete story on-line here:

Bush Urges Americans To Get Congress To Allow Drilling
Klaus Marre
The Hill
July 2, 2008

CNN's Glenn Beck: Your Gas Money For A Flat Screen?

I was watching Glenn last night when he had Rudy Giuliani on talking about the current oil crisis. Yes, I said "crisis" because that is what we are in. When the price of a barrel of oil has gone up so dramatically in the space of a year and a half, I'd say we are in a crisis.

Mayor Giuliani has the right ideas about what to do. Drill, drill, drill. There is no other solution. Right now, the Democrat controlled Congress seems to want to do nothing but wait and watch gas prices go higher, our economy sink lower and then sit back, enjoy their perks and privilidges while pointing the finger of blame in the wrong direction.

Glenn Beck has a few words to say about that. In fact, it is clear that drilling at home and producing domestically is the only rational solution. The alternative is to wreck our economy and turn the U.S. to chaos. But what about the standard stock arguments from the greens? What do those arguments really mean and are they even valid? From CNN:

"It's not going to help for another 10 years!" Here's the thing. America is a long-term plan for me. I don't know where these people plan to be in 10 years, but I plan to be here. This is, of course, the same argument heard around President Clinton's veto of ANWR drilling in 1995. Among other things, if we had started drilling ANWR then, oil would be already flowing. At its peak, ANWR could supply 1.45 million barrels per day, enough to tell Hugo Chavez and all his Venezuelan oil to shove it (with a little change left over). Of course, Clinton didn't have Chavez to deal with back then. If only he were thinking 10 years into the future.

And this:

"We can't drill ourselves out of this problem!" Maybe not solely, or forever, but it sure can help. With new technology, who knows what we can do over time? The government estimates that the outer continental shelf alone has 76 billion barrels of oil that are recoverable, and that's just with today's technology. To put that number into perspective, it's equal to every barrel of oil that we'd import from everywhere outside of North America for 31 years at our current pace. But instead of developing these resources, we throw up endless roadblocks. If you don't think that pumping more of our own oil would affect prices, ask yourself what would happen if we did the opposite. What if we announced today that we were turning all of our existing pumps off?

More:

"What about the environment?" This may surprise those who think I'm the pre-eminent murderer of the Earth, but the only real argument against owning our own oil destiny is an environmental one. Under this theory: High gas prices equal less gas usage, which equals a saved planet. Thomas Friedman, in a recent column, laid it out in an honest fashion: "Now that [gas] is $4 a gallon, the government should at least keep it there, since it is really having the right effect." He went on to describe Chrysler's promotion that guarantees cheaper gas as "the moral equivalent of tobacco companies offering discounted cigarettes to teenagers." Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nevada, apparently agrees, saying that coal and oil are making us sick along with "ruining our country" and "ruining our world." If you believe such nonsense, then it's perfectly rational to ignore our ample energy resources. (It's not rational to combine that with complaints about high gas prices, sorry Harry Reid.) For the rest of us, while visions of the Exxon Valdez may dance through your head, the National Academy of Sciences found that the offshore industry is among the safest industrial activities in the United States. And please, next time you hear someone complaining about environmental risks of drilling at home, remember this from a 2003 speech from the director of the US Minerals Management Services: "Imports present an environmental risk of spills about 13 times greater than domestic production" and "natural seeps account for 150-175 times more oil in the ocean than outer continental shelf oil and gas operations." NATURAL SEEPS? Now we know who the real polluter is -- that evil wench -- Mother Nature.

Some very profound words of wisdon in their. Domestic production is the way to go until the day comes when we do build cars, freight trains and ships that run on pixie dust and unicorn whiskers. But those technologies are years into the future, if they are even possible at all. Solar power, wind power and ethanol could only supply us a fraction of what we need. Right now, domestic production would supply us all that we need.

You can access the complete column on-line here:

Commentary: Your Gas Money For A Flat Screen?
Glenn Beck
CNN.com
July 3, 2008

An America First Energy Plan

One of the things that irritates me the most is when people repeat, like trained parrots, the idiotic line: "We are addicted to oil!" I know, even President Bush has repeated it, but it is still an idiotic thing to say.

How about this: "The human body is addicted to food!" It's the same thing, but on a much, much smaller scale. You see, saying that our economy and culture is addicted to oil is like saying that oil is some form of opiate that we get high off of. But, from my human body/food analogy you can clearly see that this is not the case.

We use the energy we get from oil to provide power for our industries and to power our everyday lives, just as our bodies use energy from the foods we eat to power our bodily functions (like heartbeat, breathing, locomotion, etc.). We are no more addicted to oil than we are to eating food.

Now do you see how idiotic that parroted line is?

So, why bring this up? There was a good column yesterday over at CNBC by Larry Kudlow. Here is an excerpt:

America First should be the rallying cry. We have the natural resources to become the Saudi Arabia of coal and the Saudi Arabia of oil. Lift the moratoriums. Stop attacking our own businesses. Put technology to work. Put venture capital to work, with rock-bottom capital-gains and corporate tax rates. Stop being mau-maued by the extremist greenies who have prevented energy production for over three decades. America First. Unleash our free-enterprise energy sector: 2 trillion barrels worth of shale; 90 billion barrels of offshore oil; at least 10 billion barrels up in ANWR and more throughout Alaska, both onshore and off. Politically, Sen. McCain must also understand how Hillary Clinton clobbered Barack Obama in the big state primaries: Blue-collar workers. They can be the key to victory for McCain. Guess who works in the energy business? Blue collar Reagan Democrats. They work on the rigs. They work in the fields. They drive the trucks. And they’re paid high wages -- substantially above the average hourly wage. Or McCain can sell it this way: American workers are worried about jobs going offshore to India, China, Vietnam, and Bangladesh. Well, a drill, drill, drill, America First energy plan would create millions of new domestic American jobs. Of course, there’s also a national security aspect to this. Worried about funding terrorist rogue states? Drill, drill, drill. A complete portfolio of oil energy sources in America -- that’s the answer.

These paragraphs give a very clear picture as to exactly how issues are all intertwined. Here we have energy prices, taxes, employment and national security. I really wish our Congressionaol Reps had this much sense and foresight.

More:

Sen. Obama is opposed to drilling. Opposed to nuclear. Opposed to coal. He and Harry Reid believe wind, solar, and ethanol are the answers. They’re not. It’s doubtful even at full development and commercialization that these alternative technologies will ever power more than 10 percent of our energy needs. We should go down this road as part of a full energy portfolio. But let’s not kid ourselves: These sources alone will never be sufficient. Sen. McCain has to make this case daily. He must contrast his America First energy plan with Obama’s declinist American vision. He must argue America First for fuel, power, jobs, wages, and national security. He must enlist the Reagan Democrats who may be out of work and are surely angry at $4 gas at the pump and $140 a barrel oil in the world market. Take a page from Ronald Reagan, Mr. McCain. Be optimistic about our future. Be clear, straightforward, and consistent. We can grow this economy and remain number one. This is how to do it.

I know Barack Obama will never listen to such common sense advice. But Senator McCain has the potential. Will he listen? Let's hope so.

You can access the complete column on-line here:

An America First Energy Plan
Larry Kudlow
CNBC.com
July 2, 2008

Jim Webb Embarrasses And Disappoints Virginia Yet Again By Showing His Complete Ignorance Of War Experience Issue

How many times is this guy going break his 2006 campaign promise of being an independent? Now he is sticking his nose in where it doesn't belong and making unsolicited comments about an issue on which he appears to be completely ignorant.

According to The Hill:

Webb, a Barack Obama supporter, was on MSNBC's "Countdown" to talk about his G.I. Bill to increase education benefits for returning veterans which is now law. Webb criticized both McCain and President Bush for not supporting the bill. Then, unprompted, Webb weighed in on the debate over retired Gen. Wesley Clark's remark that "riding in a fighter plane and getting shot down" isn't "a qualification to be president." "I think what we really need to work on over the next four, five months, and it goes back to the speech that Sen. Obama gave [Monday] and this little fight that I've been watching and that is, we need to make sure that we take politics out of service," Webb said. "People don't serve their country for political issues." He continued: "And John McCain's my long-time friend, if that is one area that I would ask him to calm down on, it`s that, don't be standing up and uttering your political views and implying that all the people in the military support them because they don't, any more than when the Democrats have political issues during the Vietnam War. Let's get the politics out of the military, take care of our military people, or have our political arguments in other areas."

And this shows exactly how ignorant Webb is. It is not the McCain camp who keeps bringing up John McCain's military service, it is the Obama camp that keeps bringing it up. You would think that Webb, as an Obama supporter, would know this. How he has deluded himself into thinking otherwise is a mystery. The only explanation that makes sense here is that the DNC is artificially pushing this issue to help sugar coat the fact that Barack Obama has no military experience at all.

But, let us remember that it was General Wesley Clark who started this firestorm with comments he made on CBS's Face The Nation. Here is what he said:

"In the matters of national security policy making, it's a matter of understanding risk," Clark said "It's a matter of gauging your opponents, and it's a matter of being held accountable. John McCain's never done any of that in his official positions. I certainly honor his service as a prisoner of war. He was a hero to me and to hundreds of thousands and millions of others in the armed forces, as a prisoner of war. "He has been a voice on the Senate Armed Services Committee and he has traveled all over the world, but he hasn't held executive responsibility," Clark said. "That large squadron in the Navy that he commanded - that wasn't a wartime squadron." Clark has said as much before, but drew little notice. CBS moderator Bob Schieffer cited Clark's earlier remarks and noted that Obama hadn't had those experiences either nor had he ridden in a fighter plane and been shot down. "Well, I don't think riding in a fighter plane and getting shot down is a qualification to be president," Clark replied.

But General Clark didn't hold that viewpoint in 2004 with Sen. John Kerry's Presidential Campaign. When Kerry made his wartime service a centerpiece, Gen. Clark and Jim Webb were perfectly okay with it. Now, whenever the GOP and McCain respond to the hypocisy of the Dems who have been attacking McCain's wartime record, they cry foul.

And if asked what experience Barack Obama has in those areas, the answer from Clark and Webb would be complete silence.

Clearly, Webb is positioning himself to go from campaign surrogate to Barack Obama's rubber-stamp, lapdog VP running-mate and is even offering unsolicited talking points to do so.

But Senator McCain has the best rebuttal to Webb and Clark:

McCain himself said, "If that's the kind of campaign Sen. Obama and his surrogates and supporters want to engage in, I understand that. But it doesn't reduce the price of gas by one penny. It doesn't achieve our energy independence or make it come any closer. Doesn't make any American stay in their home who's at risk of losing it today. And it certainly doesn't do anything to address the challenges Americans have in keeping their jobs, homes and supporting their families."

Webb is a typical Dem in that he does not want to discuss the real issues facing us.

We, the people of the Commonwealth of Virginia, were hoping for much better out of that man. He has been nothing but a colossal embarassment and disappointment to us.

You can access the complete articles on-line here:

Webb: McCain Should 'Calm Down' On Using Military Service
Walter Alarkin
The Hill
July 1, 2008

Obama Disowns Critique Of McCain's Military Record
Beth Fouhy
My Way News
July 1, 2008

Paul Begala's Disrespectful Attack: Calls Republicans "Dirtbags"

Imagine, if you will, what would the reaction be if, say, Karl Rove, had called Democrats "dirtbags." You certainly wouldn't be getting the silence from the Dems and Old Media that we are getting in this case.

Paul Begala recently sent out an email begging his fellow Dems for money. I happen to be on that email list so I know that this story is true because I recieved the email. Here is what Begala wrote about a recent GOP fundraiser:

You should have seen the joint: wall to wall fat-cats. The limos were lined up around the block. If you’d stood in the middle of the ballroom and yelled, ‘Hey dirtbag!’ a thousand necks would have snapped around.

No substance. No information. Just a widly emotional mass insult.

It shows clearly what level of respect the libs and Dems have for a) people with opposing viewpoints and b) debating the issues in an informed and civilized manner.

Paul Begala is simply a typical Dem doing what a typical Dem does.

You can access the complete story on-line here:

Begala Calls Republican Donors ‘Dirtbags’
Jackie Kucinich
TheHill.com
June 30, 2008

Obama Supporters Attacking McCain's War Record And Senator Jim Webb Embarrasses Virginia Again

Back in 2000 and 2004, the libs were all about the fact that their candidates had war records while President Bush had National Guard service only. Now, the libs have a candidate who doesn't even have National Guard service while the Republicans have war hero John McCain. You think the libs would respect that? Not in the least bit.

From The Politico:

The highest voltage third rail of this presidential campaign may not be race, sex, or age, but Senator John McCain's military service. McCain's campaign Sunday issued a pair of outraged statements after retired general and Barack Obama supporter Wesley Clark said he didn't think that McCain’s service as a fighter pilot and prisoner of war was relevant to running the country.

Wesley Clark, if you will recall, was a political appointee (by Bill Clinton) at NATO and damn near started a war with Russia because of his antics in Kosovo. The Brits stopped him from going over the edge.

More:

Obama and the Democratic establishment haven't challenged McCain's record. Indeed, even Clark's words came in response to a direct question from CBS's Bob Schieffer on the specific relevance of McCain's service to the presidency. West Virginia Senator Jay Rockefeller in April cut a bit closer, suggesting that McCain's days as a fighter pilot were themselves a critique of his character. "What happened when they [the missiles] get to the ground?" he asked. "He doesn't know. You have to care about the lives of people. McCain never gets into those issues." Rockefeller promptly, abjectly apologized, praising McCain's "honorable and noble service to our country" and deploring his own "inaccurate and wrong analogy." His apology reflected a conventional political wisdom that McCain's heroism is too well established, and a climate of respect for soldiers too strong, for attacks on his service to do anything but backfire.

But that hasn't been stopping Obama's surrogates.

David Fenton, a prominent progressive public relations executive who works for MoveOn.org and other groups, also inquired to old anti-Vietnam War circles about details of McCain's Navy sorties, a source familiar with the inquiries told Politico. Fenton declined to comment on the inquiries, and a person familiar with them said they were unconnected to his work for MoveOn. Some anti-war activists link McCain's current position on Iraq to his time in Vietnam. "I wouldn't characterize anybody who fought in Vietnam as a war hero," said Medea Benjamin, a co-founder of the theatrical anti-war group Code Pink. "In 23 bombing sorties, there must have been civilians that were killed and there's no heroism to that." "Anyone who can't look back and admit how wrong it was to be in Vietnam and be killing civilians deserves to be challenged," she said, though she stressed that her group is more focused on McCain's present support for the war in Iraq than on his past. ... A search of Obama’s community website, my.BarackObama.com, finds two posts calling McCain a “war criminal.”

If Obama truly wants to keep his promise about not criticizing John McCain's war service, he should also tells his supporters to refrain from criticizing as well.

You can access the complete column on-line here:

Some On Left Target McCin's War Record
Ben Smith
The Politico
June 30, 2008

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And Senator Jim Webb is still providing no end of embarrassment to the Commonwealth of Virginia. This time, he is using his Senatorial power for personal gain. When Nancy Pelosi became Speaker of the House, she insisted that she be given an entire Boeing 757 to transport herself, family and staff back and forth from San Francisco, despite the fact that the former Speaker only had a Gulf Stream jet to transport himself back home.

From Human Events Online:

According to Senate sources, Senator Jim Webb is now staging a similar struggle for family travel. Sen. Webb has “holds” on four Department of Defense nominees. The nominees are Hon. Nelson M. Ford to be Under Secretary of the Army; Mr. Joseph A. Benkert to be Assistant Secretary of Defense for Global Security Affairs; Mr. Sean J. Stackley to be Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Research, Development, and Acquisition; and Mr. Frederick S. Celec to be Assistant to the Secretary of Defense for Nuclear and Chemical and Biological Defense Programs. Their nominations can’t be voted on while the “holds” remain. Behind the scenes, Sen. Webb has told colleagues the holds are punishment for the Pentagon failing to provide him answers relating to Blackwater Worldwide, the security firm routinely used by the Pentagon. However, multiple Senate sources report the real reason for the hold is far different and very personal. Sen. Webb is expected to travel on a tax-payer funded junket to Southeast Asia. He wants both his wife and his 18 month old child to accompany him without having to pay reimbursement to the government. Unfortunately, according to a March 9, 2007, letter from Senators Harry Reid (D-Nev.) and Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), while spouses are permitted to go with the Senator, “relatives of Senators (other than spouses) will not be permitted to travel with Senate delegations.” While none of this controversy has been made public, a senior Republican aide provided a me with a copy of Defense Secretary Robert Gates’s letter of June 26, 2008 to Senator Webb. The letter “follow[ed] up on [their] recent phone conversation and respond[ed] to [Senator Webb’s] letter regarding a training facility proposed by Blackwater Worldwide in Otay Mesa, CA.” Senator Webb’s letter asked a number of questions about Blackwater Worldwide. Gates’ response curiously goes on to the real reason for Webb’s feud with the Pentagon, “You asked me about the differences between the Department’s policy on military air travel for DoD dependents and for family of members of Congress.” Senate sources say Senator Webb most likely made it clear on the phone, and not in writing to the Secretary of Defense, that his hold was as much related to personal travel as it was to Blackwater. Curiously, and relevant to the speculation, Secretary Gates felt the need to add a paragraph to his letter about travel of “relatives other than spouses” of members of Congress. A Senate Republican aide said, “Webb is suggesting that he is holding nominations as punishment for not getting answers back from questions relating to Blackwater, but in reality, it is leverage to get the Secretary to let his wife and eighteen month old both accompany him on this trip.” With the Secretary of Defense’s admonition to Senator Webb that “Senate travel is governed by a memo signed by the Senate leadership dated March 9, 2007, specifically stating that relatives other than spouses are not permitted to travel with Senate delegations” and “DoD Directive 4515.12 prescribes policy for DoD travel support for members of Congress” in a manner reflecting the Senate policy, Senator Webb has run out of legitimate reasons for his holds.

The really sad part is that Webb makes enough royalties from his pedophile themed books to cover this trip from his own pocket and doesn't need us hard-working taxpayers to fund it for him.

The Commonwealth of Virginia is looking forward to getting rid of this worthless waste of flesh in the next four years.

You can access the complete article on-line here:

Jim Webb Pulls A Pelosi
Erick Erickson
Human Events Online
June 30, 2008