The Chairman has no Clothes.

deangoesmad2-thumb, originally uploaded by OC Chronicle.

I was watching Democratic Party Chairman Howard Dean babble incoherently on Hardball last night and it occurred to me: This guy is just D-U-M, Dumb!

"Now the president's trying to make this into a war on terrorism. It is a war on terrorism in the sense that there's certainly international terrorists in Iraq. The point is, there weren't any to speak of before we got there. The president made a big error in judgment, and he's now trying to combine what's going on in Iraq with the war on terrorism. There's a war on terrorism going on in this world, and we are a part of it, and I agree that we need to fight them over there before they get here. The problem is, the place that we need to fight those people are in Afghanistan, hiding over the border in Pakistan.

If you can even follow this Adult ADD train of thought, it will become clear that this guy just does not know what he's talking about.

To help him summarize his "point", I think he is saying: "Yes, there is a war on terror. No Iraq was not part of the war on terror. Yes it is better to fight with terrorists on their turf rather than ours. No, it's not preferable to conduct that war in Iraq even though that in so doing we also topple one of the world's most notorious and barbarous tyrants and help create a democracy in the Middle East, it is preferable to fight the worlds terrorists in their home training ground where they continue to evade us in the most treacherous mountains in the region rather than having them come to our force on what is now our base of operations and flush them out in a more manageable terrain and environment. (just think, there was a time when the majority of Democrats wanted to call this man commander-in-chief of the armed forces!)

It's ironic that for years Dan Quayle and George Bush, and even Ronald Reagan were frequently ridiculed as dumb but the most criticism you can get the MSM to hurl at Dean is that he is "controversial". Yes, if you define controversy as saying inane and outrageous things about Republicans, but I think it goes deeper than that.

Any Republican uttering the incoherent and imbecilic things this guy has said lately would be laughed off of the national stage. But Dean is considered a wise and tactical genius for the Democrats.

What began as an ego-trip, joke of a presidential campaign has become an embarrassment and burden for what was once a great political party.

Iran's Terrorist-in-Chief

Also from the Washington Times, a former hostage from the 1979 embassy takeover reflects on the new leader of Iran:

"As soon as I saw his picture in the paper, I knew that was the bastard," said retired Army Col. Charles Scott, 73, a former hostage who lives in Jonesboro, Ga.
"He was one of the top two or three leaders," Col. Scott said in a telephone interview. "The new president of Iran is a terrorist." (ht:Hugh Hewitt)

Considering Europe and the UN's love affair with Yasir Arafat, I would think that the election of this dirt-bag should relly help Iran's cause in the world.

For anyone wavering in their support of the war...

Bill Sammon in the Washington Times reports on a meeting between President Bush and the widow of a fallen service man in Iraq:

"I said: 'I know people are pushing you, but please don't pull the guys out of Iraq too soon,' " said Crystal Owen, whose husband, Staff Sgt. Mike Owen, was killed in Iraq last year.
"Don't let my husband -- and 1,700-plus other deaths -- be in vain," she added during a private meeting with Mr. Bush at the North Carolina base. "They were over there, fighting for a democratic nation, and I hope you'll keep our service members over there until the mission can be accomplished."

The Democratic leadership is constantly asking for an exit plan, or a gradual withrawl of troops, or in Sen Kennedy's case an immediate pullout. Do you think they consider Crystal Owen's feelings and Staff Sgt. Mike Owen's legacy before debating such a position?

Why is it that the TV talk shows can only find widows of service men who are bitter about the war?

Best of the Web Mention

OC Chronicle has not yet achieved the goal of being linked from James Taranto's great site: Best of the Web Today (Our only "Never-go-a-day-without-reading-it" web page. However, today's page does mention yours truly in the "Special Thanks" group at the bottom of the page: (emphasis added)

(Carol Muller helps compile Best of the Web Today. Thanks to Mark Van Der Molen, Chris Hairel, Stuart Creque, Paul Dyak, Tim Graham, Mordecai Bobrowky, Allen O'Donnell, Chris Stetsko, Michael Zukerman, Larry O'Connor, Bob Roenigk, Clark Perkins, Joe Seely, Kurt Alden, Michael Segal, David Eike, Ruth Papazian, Tom Episcopio, John Robb, Rod Pennington, Andrew Robinson, Dan Rorabaugh, Rosanne Klass, Christopher Fountain, Al Heithaus, John Forsberg, Bill Williams, Dana Nottingham, Dan Shepherdson, Joshua Weiner, Joseph Dispenza, Brendan Schulman, Joe Browne, Evan Slatis, Tom Wolf, George Brown and Leonora LaMantia. If you have a tip, write us at opinionjournal@wsj.com, and please include the URL.)

In fact, this troubles me a bit... My name is there, and true, I did send my take on the Rove brouhaha to Mr. Taranto, but none of my input was included... and when you look at that list of "Special Thanks" you can see that there are a lot more individuals than there are items in BOTWT.... Doesn't this make you wonder??

What does one have to do to get mentioned down there?

Is Mr. Taranto's dry cleaner among the names?

Are some of these names just made up?

WHO ARE THESE PEOPLE???

I thought they were "Progressives", not LIBERALS!

I don't get it... Karl Rove makes a comment criticizing Liberals' response to 9/11 and suddenly he's being condemned by Senators Schumer, Kennedy, Clinton, and Dodd... but aren't these the same politicians that are always running away from the term "Liberal". They would be the last to identify themselves as Liberal, yet as soon as Liberals are criticized they behave as though they were called out by name!

OOPS!

I guess they forgot the rules... whenever a Liberal is called a Liberal, they're supposed to say something like "Oh, I think that all of those labels are divisive and silly..." or "I don't embrace old-fashioned labels like 'Liberal' or conservative, I believe that my PROGRESSIVE agenda appeals to the vast majority of Americans regardless of what you call it...".

I guess this begs the question: Who, exactly was Karl Rove referring to? And who is Senator Clinton defending here, herself?

Methinks the lady doth protest too much.


UPDATE:

Martinipundit explores the issue even further... (don't forget the vermouth!)

OC Chronicle featured in the LA Times!

Daddy and Christian at Angels' Game, originally uploaded by OC Chronicle.

Just when I'd stopped reading the LA Times...

I've sworn off reading the LA Times, but after their Sports page had the good taste to feature my Christian as the Father's Day photo, I had to go out and buy a few copies.

Check out that smile! He is clearly the greatest little Angels' fan in the world! And this was at a game we lost!

Planned Parenthood agrees to parental consent rule....

...for a POSTER CONTEST!!

Dan at PeoplevsACLU links to a Concerned Women for America press release detailing the idiocy of Planned Parenthood requiring parental consent for any minors wishing to join a poster contest celebrating Roe v. Wade!

At least they have their priorities straight.

Is Moorlach considering a run..?

According to a cryptic comment from "Newsflash! on the OC Blog political round-up from this morning, John Moorlach may really be considering a run for the Cox seat. This would make for a very compelling race for conservatives to watch!

Rather evasive...

From last night's Larry King Live: Larry King interview Dan Rather about the forged document brou-ha-ha.

KING: Are you saying the story might be correct?

RATHER: Well, I'm saying a prudent person might take that view.

KING: Do you have that view?

RATHER: Well, I'm saying a prudent person might take that view.

Would Rather let any of his interview subjects get away with this dodg-duck-spin?

He has become nothing more than a characateur of himself at this point and his fall from the top is Lear-like.

OC GOP in the House is launched!

OC Chronicle has launched a companion blog:OC GOP in the House.

This blog is meant to track the upcoming GOP primary race to succeed Chris Cox, recently named as new Chairman of the SEC.

Political junkies interested in following what will surely be an intriguing race in one of the nation's "Reddest" counties are invited to chek us out.

The "Deal"

Who better than Hugh Hewitt to shed light on the winners and losers of the Senate's compromise.

Hugh:

1.  Nan Aron is unhappy --a very good sign indeed.


2.  John McCain  --a great American, a lousy senator, and a terrible Republican-- took himself out of serious contention in the GOP primaries of 2008.  The McCain Caucus showed itself last night, and is united not by "moderation" but by enormous, towering ego.


3.  Chuck Hagel did any presidential ambitions he nurtured enormous damage as well. He didn't sign the deal, but his public dithering for the last month fueled GOP confusion and encouraged the egomaniac caucus.


4.  It will be much easier to persuade GOP voters to abandon Lincoln Chafee and Olympia Snowe in 2006.  Worse than useless, defeating one or both of these incumbents will send a much needed message on how the party regards deals based on scissoring the Constitution.

It seems to us here at OC Chronicle that there some debate about how good or bad this deal is and who the winners are.

Bottom line: Harry Reid is happy, Bill Frist is not.

Ervin "Magic" Santana?

Ervin Santana 
I just witnessed a pitching performance I will not soon forget.

22-year-old Ervin Santana just made his Angel Stadium debut and threw a complete game, 5-hit shutout against the American League leading Chicago White Sox.

Most memorable image is the joyous smile on his face after at the end of the game. As his teammates came out to congratulate him, he had the most genuine, broad smile. And the reaction of the other Halos was really telling. They seemed so overjoyed with his success. They were hugging him and running over to congratulate him as if he'd just pitched a no-hitter. Lately, it's been rare to see such camaraderie and spirit among professional baseball players, especially in May!

That smile reminded me of another young player named Ervin who took the LA Sports scene by storm as a rookie... Maybe we should start calling this Ervin "Magic"??

I have a feeling about this kid. He was still throwing at 94-MPH in the ninth inning and he had great command. For a 22-year-old that's pretty impressive, especially against a line-up like the White Sox. This bodes well for the depth of the Angels, and considering our recent injuries, we need it.

Tomorrow is going to be a great game too: Bartolo Colon vs. Mark Buehrle. Who would have thought that a quarter of the way through the season, pitching is what's keeping the Angels in first place?

A must read for anyone doubting President Bush's Middle East Policy

OpinionJournal - Featured Article: "To venture into the Arab world, as I did recently over four weeks in Qatar, Kuwait, Jordan and Iraq, is to travel into Bush Country. I was to encounter people from practically all Arab lands, to listen in on a great debate about the possibility of freedom and liberty. I met Lebanese giddy with the Cedar Revolution that liberated their country from the Syrian prison that had seemed an unalterable curse. They were under no illusions about the change that had come their way. They knew that this new history was the gift of an American president who had put the Syrian rulers on notice. "

An article I wish I had written...

Jeff Jacoby on the perils of being pro-traditional marriage: "Time and again, I have been told that my views on marriage are morally equivalent to the views of a segregationist on race, or a Nazi on Jews. It is remarkable: Express the conviction that marriage should mean the union of male and female, and you are told that you are peddling hate."

USNews.com: John Leo: The media in trouble (5/30/05)

USNews.com: John Leo: The media in trouble (5/30/05):

"I once complained to an important news executive that he ignored certain kinds of stories. He said that he would like to do them but that his staff wouldn't let him. He admitted his staff had been assembled from one side--guess which?--of the political spectrum. This conversation hardened my conviction that the biggest flaw in mainstream journalism today is the lack of diversity. Much bean-counting goes on in regard to gender and race, but the new hires tend to come from the same economic bracket and the same pool of elite universities, and they tend to have the same take on politics and culture. Much of what they turn out is very good. But when they omit or mess up stories, run badly skewed polls, or publish front-page editorials posing as news stories, nobody seems to notice because groupthink is so strong."

I can't believe the newspapers and networks aren't FINALLY doing something to change this.

For those of you about to boycott Pepsi products...

Sustain, originally uploaded by OC Chronicle.

If you're like me, you want to get Pepsi's attention because of the ridiculous speech by their soon-to-be former CFO.

Pepsi is easy to replace with Coke, but what about Gatorade???? I suggest Sustain Sport, made by Melaleuca. It's better for you than Gatorade.

"This refreshing isotonic beverage is a home run hitter when it comes to rehydrating yourself while exercising or training. Sustain Sport is the only drink made with four key electrolytes - calcium, magnesium, sodium, and potassium - to give you maximum athletic performance. Grocery store brand sports drinks may contain one or two electrolytes - Sustain Sport contains twice as many! Make Sustain your first choice over sodas, fruit drinks, or other sports drinks. Sustain Sport comes in two delicious flavors, Berry Burst and Lemon Blast, and mixes instantly. Finally, a drink that works as hard as you do! "

It also has less suger than gatorade. I'm a distributor for Melaleuca so e-mail me and I'll get you set up!

The Pepsi Challenge

Hugh Hewitt has links to various articles and blog posts regarding the commencement address at Columbia Business School by Indra Nooyi, President of PepsiCo.

From One hand Clapping:

Basically, Ms. Nooyi said that America is the big finger of the world’s hand, and, said she, “You know what I’m talking about. In fact, I suspect you’re hoping that I’ll demonstrate what I mean.”

Charming. And Charmaine Yoest has this:

PepsiCo is trying valiantly to emphasize the "misconstrued" line. That word come up several times when I talked with them this morning. Terri Maini, a Consumer Relations Supervisor, told me, "I really think it was misconstrued." In response to my follow-up questions, Donna Leskowski, Manager for Public Affairs, said much the same thing.

Misconstrued? What is the proper understanding of "Now as never before, it's important we give the world a hand -- not the finger."?? Please, PepsiCo instruct me on the correct construal of this statement?

In the old days (I mean about five years ago) this is one of those cheap applause lines meant for the Ivy League, graduate school elite audience it was directed to. But how dense can this woman be? Has she not grasped the speed and access of the internet, the blogosphere and talk radio yet? Forget about how offensive this line is to Americans, she should be pink slipped for being so out of touch with the age we are in.

So... as Blogfather Hugh points out: "What to do if you are at Pepsi?"

That really is the Pepsi Challenge, isn't it. I'd start by killing this "misconstrual" line. It's never good to explain an obviously ignorant and offensive remark by blaming the audience for not hearing it correctly.

A photo for Roman Catholic blog

elev_host, originally uploaded by OC Chronicle.

Maximus at Roman Catholic Blog has a nice new banner. But I noticed the photo on the far right is from the pre-Vatican II rite. How about this one for those of us still in communion with the Vatican?

Keep up the great blog, my brother!

Filibuster Fun

Last night on Fox's Hannity and Colmes, the odd and creepy Dick Morris was giving some sound, political advise to Republican Senators on how best to handle the filibuster which he repeats in this article. All good and sound advise and it made for a good interview.

The best part was Alan Colmes final shot. As he was closing the interview, he reminded morris that "Jesse Helms held up every African-American nominee that came through his district by blue slipping them."

JESSE HELMS!?! This is the best they've got? They're still running against Jesse Helms? Hasn't he been retired for almost a decade? Why not some fleeting reference to Edwin meese? Or maybe James Watt?

This reinforces that there are very few new and fresh arguments or ideas coming from the left side of the political debate. Jesse Helms???!!!

Why the Koran is Different than the Bible.

Turkish 16th Century Koran, originally uploaded by OC Chronicle.

Some of the most respected commentators from the center-right of the spectrum have been commenting on the Newsweek/Koran flushing story from a very interesting angle. Ann Coulter eviscerates the rioting Afghans with these cutting points:

Come to think of it, I'm not sure it's entirely fair to hold Newsweek responsible for inciting violence among people who view ancient Buddhist statues as outrageous provocation — though I was really looking forward to finally agreeing with Islamic loonies about something. (Bumper sticker idea for liberals: News magazines don't kill people, Muslims do.)

Meanwhile, the always brilliant Jeff Jacoby goes even further:

No one recalled, for example, that American Catholics lashed out in violent rampages in 1989, after photographer Andres Serrano's ''Piss Christ" -- a photograph of a crucifix submerged in urine -- was included in an exhibition subsidized by the National Endowment for the Arts. Or that they rioted in 1992 when singer Sinead O'Connor, appearing on ''Saturday Night Live," ripped up a photograph of Pope John Paul II.

There was no reminder that Jewish communities erupted in lethal violence in 2000, after Arabs demolished Joseph's Tomb, torching the ancient shrine and murdering a young rabbi who tried to save a Torah. And nobody noted that Buddhists went on a killing spree in 2001 in response to the destruction of two priceless, 1,500-year-old statues of Buddha by the Taliban government in Afghanistan.

It is impossible to argue that Muslims are justified in their violence in response to a story about the Koran being flushed, but I think it is important to recognize that analogies to destruction of Jewish, Christian or Buddhist symbols are not exactly correct. Muslims believe that the Koran is a holy unto itself. They believe that it is the actual work of God, not divinely inspired, but actually written in Heaven and delivered to man by God. This is an important distinction and one that Christians should be able to appreciate.

For my fellow Catholics to closer understand the emotion behind the reaction to the Koran being flushed, imagine this: An adversary is trying to get an emotional reaction from you and takes a bible and flushes it down the toilet. Your feelings? I would suspect you may feel angered because of the attitude this action represents but the trashing of the bible is not equivalent to the destruction of a holy, sacred item that is a part of Heaven itself and cannot truly be restored in this world.

However, imagine that the same person takes consecrated communion host, the Blessed Sacrament, the actual body of Christ and flushes it down a toilet. Your feeling is quite different, is it not? I believe this is a more proper analogy. I don't think it would inspire bloody riots, but I think there would be greater outrage than we have seen over the silly and offensive "art" exhibits that are merely insulting to our faith.

None of this should take away from the truth of Jeff Jacoby's thesis:

Yes, Islam is disrespected. That will only change when throngs of passionate Muslims show up for rallies against terrorism, and when rabble-rousers trying to gin up a riot over a defiled Koran can't get the time of day.