Sarah Palin wasnt REALLY pregnant its her daughters child.
This popped up on a Daily Kos diary and has unfortunately been repeated by bloggers who should know better. The rumor is a weird reversal of the John Edwards story, only this time, critics refute Palins maternity. Supposedly, so the story goes, the baby really was their eldest daughters (currently in high school), and not hers. The proof? At six months, Palin didnt look pregnant, and supposedly her daughter had mono and took some time off from school. Thats it.
This is, simply, despicable. See also: "pathetic", "unimaginative"
Babies born to teen mothers rarely have Downs Syndrome anyway, whereas the possibility for that with a mother in her 40s is about 1 in 20. Athletic women sometimes do not show until late in the pregnancy. The whole rumor rests on the notion that the states most visible woman could carry out a fake pregnancy in front of the press while simultaneously hiding her daughter, and then pull a switcheroo and for what possible purpose? To cover up a teen pregnancy, in this day and age? Give me a break.
Posted by: Mike ||
08/30/2008 13:31 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[5 views]
Top|| File under:
#1
As a 19 year Alaskan, that's just plain stupid. Palin has other issues (e.g., Trooper-gate), but that's just stupid.
#2
Aliens in Area 51, Second Shooter on the Grassy Knoll, and Halliburton Eathquake Division - all high up on the Kos Kiddies list.
Posted by: Bobby ||
08/30/2008 15:04 Comments ||
Top||
#3
As a 19 year Alaskan, that's just plain stupid. Palin has other issues (e.g., Trooper-gate), but that's just stupid.
anymouse, does that mean u r 19yrs old or have lived in Alaska for 19 yrs?
Or, r u just an Obot doing his 30 hour @ $7.50 an hour stint for the Messiah.
#6
You gotta love it when Kos's kids let their imaginations run wild. Helps convince some political savants that Daily Kos folks aren't simply out in left field somewheres, they're way the h**l out of the ball park.
Posted by: Richard of Oregon ||
08/30/2008 16:12 Comments ||
Top||
#7
Tipper - "Troopergate" is out there (there's a legislature investigation that will go... nowhere), and hiding it, like BHO's hiding of Ayers, Wright, etc., doesn't help. Addressit and get past it. She says she didn't do anything directly but could easily add: "He threatened the life of my parents, shot his son with a Taser,and he shouldn't be fired?? You're right, he should be in jail". Let the MSM and lefties choke on that, but don't hide it. Mouse undoubtedly feels the same, as does McCain's vetting crew, apparently. Flopping Aces has the "whole story", such as it is
Posted by: Frank G ||
08/30/2008 17:33 Comments ||
Top||
NEW ORLEANS, Aug 30 (Reuters) - City officials will order a mandatory evacuation of New Orleans starting early on Sunday if Hurricane Gustav holds to its current course, New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin said on Saturday.
"If it continues on its current path we will start the mandatory evacuation process first thing in the morning at 8 a.m. (1300 GMT)," Nagin told reporters at City Hall. "We will make the call for the definitive mandatory evacuation."
Hurricane Gustav strengthened into a dangerous Category 4 storm on Saturday with winds of 145 mph (230 kph) as it surged toward western Cuba, the U.S. National Hurricane Center said.
From the NHC Forecast Diuscussion (the ALL CAPS is theirs, not mine)
THE FORECAST NOW CALLS FOR A PEAK AT [160 MPH] CATEGORY FIVE INTENSITY OVER THE SOUTHERN GULF WHERE OCEAN HEAT CONTENT WILL STILL BE HIGH. COASTAL STORM SURGE FLOODING OF 18 TO 23 FEET ABOVE NORMAL TIDE LEVELS...ALONG WITH LARGE AND DANGEROUS BATTERING WAVES
INTERESTS IN THE GULF OF MEXICO AND THE NORTHERN GULF COAST SHOULD CLOSELY MONITOR THE PROGRESS OF GUSTAV. A HURRICANE WATCH COULD BE ISSUED FOR PORTIONS OF THE NORTHERN GULF COAST LATER TODAY.
Note: the above is for Cuba today. Storm track as of this post time have Gustav hitting Central Louisiana's gulf coast, which is well west of New Orleans (meaning not as bad as Katrina in NO but worse elsewhere). It may be a Cat 5 depending on how the loop current affects it. Cuba is going to take it in the shorts first though.
#1
The irony escapes them that if there was a 'fence' [strong border enforcement] a lot of the drugs which fuel all of this wouldn't be making it in along with their diaspora of their under class. No money, no power games. They are reaping what they sowed.
#2
Much of the instability that has long haunted Latin America is the "old Europe disease". This is the belief in "elites" ruling the "proletariat". The only argument is which "elites", based in might makes right.
This translates to "the most powerful bandito is el Presidente", and all the other banditos are revolutionaries. Practically speaking, it means vacillating between strong man dictatorship and socialist dictatorship, led by a strong man.
The one idea that has never penetrated their thick skulls is that wealth is just as enjoyable if many have it, as if only a few have it and everyone else lives in grinding poverty.
Truly, for many of them, wine is vinegar and steak is sour gruel if others enjoy it as well. They cannot enjoy life unless others are miserable. It is a sickness of the soul, and why Latin America, and old Europe, are cursed.
#3
The one idea that has never penetrated their thick skulls is that wealth is just as enjoyable if many have it, as if only a few have it and everyone else lives in grinding poverty.
Incorrect. Wealth is MORE enjoyable if many have it. The more, the merrier!
Truly, for many of them, wine is vinegar and steak is sour gruel if others enjoy it as well. They cannot enjoy life unless others are miserable. It is a sickness of the soul, and why Latin America, and old Europe, are cursed.
It's called jealousy/envy. One of the Seven Original hangups Sins.
#4
The one idea that has never penetrated their thick skulls is that wealth is just as enjoyable if many have it, as if only a few have it and everyone else lives in grinding poverty.
It's also a hell of a lot SAFER if many have it. That haves/have nots dichotomy when the economic gap is too wide eventually guarantees violence from the have nots. Even if the haves successfully suppress it, it's deeply disquieting to society to wade ankle-deep through the blood of its slaughtered poor.
Want a stable society? Keep the real wealth gap from getting too broad, have a big middle class and make sure no one actually starves.
Evo Morales, the Bolivian president, has set the date for a referendum on a new constitution that allows presidential re-election and aims to empower a the country's indigenous majority.
Flanked by dozens of supporters at the presidential palace on Thursday, Morales issued a decree setting the date for the vote as December 7. "We must advance in the re-founding of Bolivia to guarantee a state for multiple ethnic groups," said Morales, who received a 67 per cent vote of confidence in a recall referendum early in August. "We are talking about profound democratic change."
Morales made implementing a new constitution a pillar of his agenda when he took office in 2006. But his proposals have been opposed by several powerful regional governors who argue that the proposed constitution does not represent all Bolivians and have called the constitutional draft "racist" and "illegal".
Posted by: Fred ||
08/30/2008 00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[3 views]
Top|| File under:
#1
Evo's little powergrab will result in civil war
Posted by: Frank G ||
08/30/2008 9:01 Comments ||
Top||
Russia will have to close its embassy in Tbilisi after Georgia decided to cut diplomatic ties with Moscow, Russia's RIA news agency quoted a Foreign Ministry source as saying on Friday. "We regret this step from the Georgian side. It will not assist our bilateral relations," Russian foreign ministry spokesman Andrei Nesterenko said. "When diplomatic relations are cut, the embassy closes," an unnamed source said. "What are we to do? Yes it (the embassy) will close and only the consulate will remain."
"Within the coming days, Georgia will withdraw all diplomats from its embassy in Moscow," the head of the foreign ministry's press department, Khatuna Iosava said. "Consular relations with the Russian Federation will be maintained," she said. "It is a downgrade of diplomatic relations, not a complete cut."
Russia said the move would not help ease the crisis between the two caused by the five day war earlier this month.
Georgia's parliament on Thursday called for the government to cut diplomatic ties with Moscow over Russia's "occupation of Georgian territory." Lawmakers unanimously approved a resolution that "orders the executive power to cut diplomatic ties with the Russian Federation."
It also said that "Russian armed forces, including so-called peacekeepers, are declared as occupying armed forces."
Georgia had already pulled all but two of its diplomats from its embassy in Moscow earlier in the week.
Posted by: Fred ||
08/30/2008 00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[3 views]
Top|| File under:
#1
FREEREPUBLIC Poster(s) > collec opine that iff Russ is keen to accept and recognize the formal independence of South Ossetia + Abkhazia from Russ-recognized sovereign Georgia, then MUSLIM CHECHYANS may demand the same fomral rights also vv RUSSIA ITSELF, NOT TO MENTION OTHER MOSTLY MUSLIM REGIONS/AREAS JUST OVER THE BORDER FROM GEORGIA AS STILL INTEGRATED INSIDE RUSSIA???
Also, ISLAMIST INSTABILITIES, TENSIONS RISE THROUGHOUT ASIA.
RUSSIA'S EMBASSY IN THAILAND IS REPORTEDLY WORKING OVERTIME, SO RUSS CAN'T CLAIM THEY'RE NOT AWARE OF THE PAN-ASIAN ISLAMIST THREAT NOR OF SAME AGZ RUSSIA PROPER.
#2
I'm surprised Russia didn't blow up their embassy in Georgia--after all, for all practical purposes, Georgia will, once again, become part of Russia so there'll be no need for an embassy!
Russia has accused the Group of Seven nations of "bias" in a new attempt to counter condemnation of Russia's actions in Georgia that has included talk of sanctions. Responding to a statement by G7 foreign ministers that condemned the Kremlin's decision to recognize South Ossetia and Abkhazia, Russia's foreign ministry said it was "biased and aimed at justifying the aggressive actions of Georgia".
Georgia's separatists
South Ossetia is a territory of about 70,000 inhabitants, the majority of whom are Orthodox Christians, located in the Caucasus mountains.
Referendums held in 1992 and again in 2006 demanded independence, but were not recognised internationally.
Abkhazia has about 250,000 inhabitants, most of whom have a Russian passport. The region makes up about 12 per cent of Georgian territory and the majority of Abkhazians are Muslim.
Abkhazia unilaterally proclaimed its independence in July 1992 and separatists pushed Georgian troops from the Kodori Gorge on August 12, 2008 - the only part of the region Georgia had controlled.
But a senior French diplomat has been quick to assure that the EU would not pass sanctions against Russia at Monday's EU summit meeting on the Georgia crisis. "The time to pass sanctions has certainly not come," the diplomat, who did not want to be named, said.
European diplomats said that Moscow had sent a clear signal it would retaliate if the EU imposed sanctions to punish the Kremlin for its intervention in Georgia at an emergency summit next week.
A day earlier, in a sign of growing Russian frustration with Western criticism, Vladimir Putin, the prime minister, accused the United States of orchestrating the conflict in Georgia, and linked the row to Russia's cooperation with the West on issues like trade and nuclear non-proliferation.
Moscow has expressed alarm at what it calls a Western naval build-up in the Black Sea, an area normally dominated by its own southern fleet.
Russia mounted a huge counter-attack on land, sea and air after Georgia sent in troops in a failed attempt to retake its breakaway region of South Ossetia three weeks ago. The Kremlin said it acted to prevent Georgia wiping out the South Ossetian population but Western states accused Russia of using excessive force.
They are also concerned that the presence of Russian troops deep inside Georgia could compromise the Nato aspirant's role as a transit route for oil and gas supplies between the Caspian Sea and world markets.
Posted by: Fred ||
08/30/2008 00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[2 views]
Top|| File under:
#1
Bias against what? Against thugs? Yep.
Posted by: Richard of Oregon ||
08/30/2008 8:36 Comments ||
Top||
PARIS - The European Union will not impose sanctions against Russia at Monday's emergency summit on the Georgia crisis, backing away from an economic confrontation with its largest energy supplier, officials said on Friday.
Moscow has for days taunted the 27-nation EU over its failure to match tough verbal condemnations of Russia's intervention in breakaway South Ossetia with action, arguing that any breakdown in relations would hurt Europe more. EU leaders are instead due to state that ties with Russia are 'under observation' and emphasise their readiness to help Georgia with reconstruction, to offer Tbilisi a free-trade deal and ease visa restrictions on its citizens.
'At the current stage, we do not expect any sanctions to be decided by the European Council,' a senior French diplomat, whose country holds the rotating EU presidency, told reporters ahead of the half-day summit in Brussels.
It remained unclear, however, whether a second round of negotiations on a wide-ranging new partnership between the EU and Russia would go ahead as planned on Sept. 15-16, with some countries saying it made sense to postpone the talks. Yet with a solid core of states including France, Germany and Italy resisting sanctions, even previous backers of a tougher line such as the ex-Soviet Baltic states, Poland and Britain were softening their tone for the sake of EU unity.
'We should not be looking for ways to punish Russia,' Lithuanian Foreign Minister Petras Vaitiekunas told reporters in Vilnius. 'The most important thing is to have a unified EU position, as the conflict is obviously not going to end soon,' said Vaitiekunas, who only last week insisted Russia should face consequences for its actions.
The EU depends on Russia for about a third of its oil and gas, with individual countries even more tied to its supplies.
Posted by: Steve White ||
08/30/2008 00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[4 views]
Top|| File under:
#1
Let that be a lesson to all of us---having tyrants control your sovereignty by threatening to shut off your energy spigot.
Posted by: Alaska Paul back from Interior Ak ||
08/30/2008 1:18 Comments ||
Top||
#2
WORLD NEWS/TOPIX > BEING RUSSIA'S NUMBER ONE ENEMY IS GOOD FOR GEORGIAN BUSINESS?; + RUSSIA MAY BUILD NAVAL BASE IN ABKHAZIA + RUSSIA MILITARY BASE IN TAIJIKISTAN A FORCE/FACTOR IN STABILITY + NATO MAY BUILD UP FORCES AROUND BELARUS.
(AKI) -- Italian general Giuseppe Emilio Gay on Friday took over the command over the NATO-led international forces in Kosovo (KFOR) from his French colleague Xavier de Marnhac. Gay is the 13th commander of KFOR since Kosovo was placed under United Nations' control in June 1999.
The 16,000-strong international force is under NATO command. It has maintained peace in the province for the past nine years since Serbian police and army withdrew.
At a ceremony in Kosovo's capital, Pristina, attended by local and international officials, President Fatmir Seidiu thanked the NATO-led force for its contribution to peace and expressed hope this would continue under Gay's command.
"KFOR will continue to contribute to the maintenance of peace and stability, which will contribute to economic development and prosperity of a free, democratic society," said General Mark Fitzgerald, US commander of a joint NATO force in Naples. Fitzgerald presided over Friday's official ceremony.
Posted by: Fred ||
08/30/2008 00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[3 views]
Top|| File under:
I wouldn't doubt it. Obamalamadingdong never met a marxist he didn't love.
Posted by: Barbara Skolaut ||
08/30/2008 18:06 Comments ||
Top||
#3
I suddenly had this wee hope that we might see a landslide.
With Palin's husband being a native american (eskimo), any chance that New Mexico and perhaps even Washington State come back into play?
Also I would think with her rugged individualist stance, it might bring Colorado and Oregon back on the table as well.
Add in a percentage of angry PUMA (stands for "party unity my a##) in every state as well as an increased vote by women (and men) moderates and libertarians and I think Obama is riding on the River of No Return without a paddle.
#1
I worked on the Tony Knowles gubernatorial campaign 2 years ago that Sarah emerged from with a huge portion of the vote
Sarah is a shark. She is smart, and she is shrewd. However, she comes across as extremely personable; you can't help but like her in person. She is a good public speaker, I've seen better from her in Alaska, and considering how little time she had to prepare for today's speech, I think we'll see much better from her in the near future.
The people that know her and have run against her all seem to agree that "Sarah-cuda" is a serious campaigner whose looks belie a hard edged fighter.
I hope the urban hipster-doofus web lefties keep "misunderestimating" her -- and slagging her with all kinds of crude sexist crap. They're doing a great job of driving undecideds and independant females to the GOP side. And they are inadvertently setting the bar low for her, so that any modicum of success against Biden will be viewed as a huge upset victory.
I say.. Never interrupt your opponent when he is making a mistake.
#3
They're doing a great job of driving undecideds and independent females to the GOP side.
There are Trunks who'll only vote Trunk. There are Donks who'll only vote Donk. There are Blacks who'll only vote on the color of the skin. There are Whites who'll only vote on the color of the skin. Then there are women who'll vote only because its a woman. The Donks have always taken the latter for granted. Today is a new day and those ladies are headed elsewhere. It adds to their panicked tone in the response so far.
#4
And the "Big Oil" crap Obamessiah's minions try to fling?
Due to her actiosn and pressure and ethical reforms laws: the Alaska Legislature has repealed an oil and gas severance taxation system that Murkowski had negotiated behind closed doors with BP, ExxonMobil, and ConocoPhillips, replacing it with a slightly higher tax structure negotiated transparently and at arms' length.
The Obamanuts are not only stupid, they appreantly are blind as well, and incapable of reading, or else are bettign on the MSM to stifle the truth and spread the falsehood for them.
#5
My Mother and Sister are Dems, they supported Hillary. Being Catholics was suborned to pro-Hillary. I sent them an email and said "here's a smart woman running for VP, declined an abortion and is raising a Downs Syndrome baby, will you switch your vote?" To my dismay, neither will respond. They (not just Mom and sister) are screwed up. We could be seeing a real crack in the Dem bloc
Posted by: Frank G ||
08/30/2008 18:57 Comments ||
Top||
#6
They're Dems. They're thinking. It's probably a new experience. Give them time.
#7
I am, NS, but I'm certainly not taking any shit from them..well, actually, I never did..
(I expect that most RBers aren't shy about expressing your opinions, that's why we're here)
Posted by: Frank G ||
08/30/2008 19:16 Comments ||
Top||
#8
Remind them of several Archbishops words on abortion and politicians that support it like Obama.
Archbishop Chaput:
So can a Catholic in good conscience support a pro-choice candidate? The answer is: I cant and I wont. But I do know some serious Catholics people whom I admire who will. I think their reasoning is mistaken.
These issues [war, deth penalty] are different in kind, not merely degree, from the violence involved in abortion. Anyone rooted in Scripture and Catholic tradition will understand the distinction if he or she reasons honestly. Genocide, euthanasia, abortion, and deliberately targeting civilians in war these things are always grievously wrong. But in Catholic thought, war and capital punishment can be morally legitimate under certain carefully defined circumstances. Abortion is never morally justified.
The first principle of Christian social thought is: Dont deliberately kill the innocent, and dont collude in allowing somebody else to do it. The right to life is the foundation of every other human right. The reason the abortion issue is so foundational is not because Catholics love little babies although we certainly do but because revoking the personhood of unborn children makes every other definition of personhood and human rights politically contingent
We should see ourselves as Catholic first not white or black, or young or old. or Democrat or Republican, or labor militant or business owner, but Catholic first as the main way we identify ourselves. Our faith should shape our lives, including our political choices. Of course, that demands that we actually study and deepen our Catholic faith. The Catholic faith isnt a set of clothes that we can tailor to a personal fit. We dont invent our faith, and we dont own it. If we really want to be Catholic, then well live by Catholic teaching. Otherwise were just fooling ourselves and abusing the belief of other Catholics who really do try to practice what the Church teaches.
Faithful Catholics want to live their faith fully and one of the principles of Catholic social teaching is that we can never deliberately kill innocent human life. Abortion always, deliberately kills an innocent unborn child. Nobody can honestly claim to be a faithful Catholic and then support a false right to abortion; its just an elegant way of evading the brutality of what abortion actually does.
If we say were Catholic, we need to back it up with proof. Our faith needs to be the North Star of our lives. Our behavior needs to match our words, including in our political choices.
"The 'choice' in abortion always involves the choice to end the life of an unborn human being," Archbishop Chaput wrote. "For anyone who sees this fact clearly, neutrality, silence or private disapproval are not options. They are evils almost as grave as abortion itself."
Ask them if they are genuinely Catholic, or are they just fooling themselves and trying to fool God with their evasions. Ask them to decide what means more - their faith and religion or their politics.
#9
Just to reiterate, I'm happy as I can be with Gov. Palin. Not only am I happy with her as VP, I strongly suspect I'll be happy with her as President in 2012 or 2016. Brilliant strategic stroke by Johnny Mac!
#11
Archbishop Charles Chaput is pretty special. An utterly fearless man of God (in the literal sense - you meet him, you innately KNOW he has handed himself fully to God, which scares a lot of the lukewarm types).
I'd say you'd might put more than a little faith in Charlie if you ever had a chance to meet him and get to know him as I have. I can safely say he'd rather you put the faith in God.
Suddenly appearing among the Google search results for sarah palin gay, a web site titled: Sarah Palin Supports Gay Rights.
Sarah Palin (GOV-Alaska-Republican), supports gay rights, says Anchorage Daily News.
Quote "Gov. Sarah Palin vetoed a bill Thursday that sought to block the state from giving public employee benefits such as health insurance to same-sex couples."
. . .
Coghill said hes interested in a new plan that would allow state employees to designate one person maybe a same-sex partner, but also possibly a family member or roommate who would be eligible for state-paid benefits. But the employee would have to pay to add that person to his or her benefits."
Sarah Palins veto gave gays the same rights as married couples in Alaska.
A vote for McCain/Palin is a vote for gay marriage.
Interesting. Theres nothing else on the page. This sure looks like the work of the dastardly right-wing anti-gay attack machine, doesnt it?
But look whos really behind this.
In the Linux console, if you enter the following commands, you can learn the secrets of a political dirty trick. First, look up the host of sarahpalingayrights.com to get the sites IP address.
host sarahpalingayrights.com
sarahpalingayrights.com has address 74.208.74.232
Then use the same command to look up the domain name pointer of that IP address.
host 74.208.74.232
232.74.208.74.in-addr.arpa domain name pointer obamadefense.com
Well, well. Obamadefense.com, eh?
And what happens if you enter obamadefense.com on your browsers address line?
Why, youre redirected to none other than FightTheSmears.com, the official Barack Obama site thats supposed to be defending him against smears.
Looks like they may have a second purpose: to generate a few smears of their own.
(Hat tip: sk.)
UPDATE at 8/30/08 11:14:12 am:
Here's another site that traces back to obamadefense.com: ObamaTaxCut.com.
UPDATE at 8/30/08 11:24:46 am:
Two more web sites that share the IP address of obamadefense.com:
Rantburgers who have your own blogs, r who regularly comment in other places on the net: please do what you can to spread theword about this. Imagine the hilarity that will ensue if Obama has to explain on TV why his campaign web server is being used for gay-bashing false-flag propaganda operations.
Posted by: Mike ||
08/30/2008 15:12 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[4 views]
Top|| File under:
#1
FightTheSmears.com
It's the same newspeak Orwellian concept of -
War is peace. Freedom is slavery. Ignorance is strength.
It's in the scorpion's nature. It just can't help itself.Socialism: Because 100 million dead in the 20th Century was not enough
#2
Looks like littlegreenfootballs.com just hit a home run. Thank you, Charles Johnson. If this is true, Obama will need to make more room under the bus for another body.
Posted by: Richard of Oregon ||
08/30/2008 16:27 Comments ||
Top||
Her parents Chuck and Sally were trying to reach the abandoned gold mine that serves as their hunting camp when their son-in-law called them Thursday to tell them to tune in to the radio when they got there. A flooded creek turned them around for home.
"I should have put two and two together," her dad said. "I'd rather go moose hunting than be involved with politics."
#11
As a respectably married lady, I don't see that Mrs. Palin's sex life is any concern at all of itinerant trolls. On the other hand the fascination with such things says a lot more about Beauzeau's thought processes than about Mrs. Palin. But nobody's surprised, because that's the level of discourse we expect from the left, isn't it?
Posted by: Fred ||
08/30/2008 8:35 Comments ||
Top||
#12
the Palin pick seems to have resulted in a disturbance of the force on the left side....heh.
/Panic!!111!!!
Posted by: Frank G ||
08/30/2008 8:41 Comments ||
Top||
#13
Must have been Viking night at the Great Alaskan Bush Company.
#14
Frank, I truly believe they're about to drown in flop sweat right now. They've been so sure for so long that this election was locked up, the thought of actually losing it has never occurred to them. The only lefties that aren't absolutely terrified now are the Hillary supporters who are seeing Palin as a candidate they can happily support until Clinton gets another shot in 2012.
Bumper sticker I liked (on a Dem site): "NObama '08: Keep The Change!"
#15
The best thing about Palin, aside from the fact that she still wears her glasses and remains drop dead gorgeous, is that she at once reconciles the right wing of the trunks to McCain without offending, in fact she appeals to, a lot of folks in the middle and even donks. Look at the Hillary Clinton Forum. The comments over there are over 90% pro McCain-Palin and they've had 50,000 hits, and 500 comments.
As I've said before, if the debates go as well as I expect, this could be McGovernesque and in February every body will be wodering why people were so entranced by somebody named Barrack Osama, or whatever it was.
Also looking at the response at the HCF and her family, history, etc., I would not be surprised to hear that they are no longer called Reagan Democrats, but now Palin Democrats. The donks could be in real trouble after this election, especially if Palin's main job becomes cranking up the '12 campaign for the trunks. All those '06 donk wins will be up for grabs in '12.
In addition to being well inside Barrack's OODA loop, McCain is playing very long ball.
#19
Finally, if Bush is seen as a Lincolnian president as I expect he will, McCain will be seen as TRian, even to the point of being disappointed with where his veep takes the country. The difference is that McCain will be too old to do anything about it and the Palin-Jindal ticket will have done too much to change the rules.
#21
Don't see a fat lady in the pic. She must be warming up to sing for the Obama/Biden ticket.
Posted by: Abu Uluque6305 ||
08/30/2008 10:26 Comments ||
Top||
#22
Kirsten Powers (No GOP fan) in the NY Post:
"I can't help wondering if this is a trap. The McCain camp watched and learned as Obama supporters offended Hillary supporters by their treatment of her. The McCainiacs had to know that this group is incapable of behaving, that Palin would bring out their worst instincts.
One top Republican said to me: "Just wait until she is debating Joe Biden and he starts attacking or condescending to her. Hillary voters are going to say, 'Oh yeah, I remember this.' "
yep, the frothy 'bats will be hitting the burg and every other site. They are apoplectic, and will only demonstrate their incivility and crazy rage as the election gets closer. Next week, the Mods better keep the "dump" button handy
Posted by: Frank G ||
08/30/2008 10:43 Comments ||
Top||
#23
Barack is really a weak candidate. His only credential is his "cool" factor. He hired stuffy Biden because he realized that some people actually look at the resume.
Now she comes along and is waaay cooler than he is.
Obama's response when Palin was announced was to stomp his foot and say that she wasn't experienced. I don't think that in a million years McCain realized that Barack and his team would respond by calling ATTENTION to her lack of experience when she has more experience than Obama. I suspect McCain never dreamed he would be THAT foolish.
But McCain understands how weak and vain Obama is and he's playing him like a fiddle.
#25
She comes from the land of the ice and snow,
From the midnight sun where the hot springs blow.
The hammer of the gods
Will drive our ships to new lands,
To fight the horde, singing and crying:
Obama, I am coming!
On we sweep with threshing oar,
Our only goal will be the White House door.
Posted by: Mike ||
08/30/2008 11:04 Comments ||
Top||
#26
His only credential is his "cool" factor.
No, he was the anti-Hillary factor. And he organized his campaign around the operation of that clan. However, he 'assumed' that McCain was just another senatorial jerk pol like most of the others he has had contact with.
I doubt they taught at the Ivy League schools the admonitions of Sun Tzu -
"If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat. If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle."
John McCain's team has the O'teams number. As demonstrated, the O'team doesn't have McCain's.
#27
Nimble Spemble, your vision of a 2012 Palin-Jindal ticket just makes me wild with excitement. What a wonderful thought.
Posted by: Richard of Oregon ||
08/30/2008 11:08 Comments ||
Top||
#28
Wudja?
Posted by: Mike N. ||
08/30/2008 11:21 Comments ||
Top||
#29
Before we tout a Palin/Jindal ticket, first she has to win.
History is not kind to losing vice-presidential nominees. Edwards. Liebermann. Kemp. Quayle. Ferraro. Mondale. Dole. Eagleton. Muskie. Miller. Lodge.
Any of those folks become President?
Nope, they didn't, and some sunk out of sight quickly (though in Edwards' case, not quickly enough). Some had successful careers otherwise, but none grabbed the big prize.
So first, Sarah Palin has to help John McCain win. After that we can talk Palin/Jindal.
Posted by: Steve White ||
08/30/2008 11:17 Comments ||
Top||
#30
I'm guessing these vikings could teach the Minnesota Vikings a thing or two about how to party without breaking a gaggle of laws.
Posted by: Mike N. ||
08/30/2008 11:40 Comments ||
Top||
#31
lets get her in one of those metal breast cup corset things.
#34
I admire Palin. She's everything every strong woman wishes that she was... a strong, sexy super-hero with a beautiful family and a stud for a husband.
And don't get me wrong, I get a laugh out of the good-natured "hot" jokes just like everyone else does.
But when I see her opponents "looking for naked pictures" or morphing her head onto a hot body in a political effort to paint her a bimbo.....
.....well, as a woman, it just downright pisses me off. I think the dems better pull in their attack dogs on that subject cause I suspect most women are like me: Taking notes and feeling the steam rise in the kettle.
#37
Power Line has some great photos of Sarah Palin in the linked article. The one of her as a candidate for Miss Alaska shows she has a beautiful face.
Posted by: Old Patriot ||
08/30/2008 12:35 Comments ||
Top||
#39
My wife works at Mat-Su schools, and many of her colleagues personally know Sarah Palin. She is just a regular person, interested in her children, an active participant in her children's school and activities. She ain't yer typical eastern elite politico. And that is where the political establishment feels threatened, so they will initiate personal attacks to discredit her.
The principal at my wife's school gave her teachers the option of watching Palin's speech on TV, as they have such a close relationship with her. Pretty cool.
Posted by: Alaska Paul ||
08/30/2008 12:45 Comments ||
Top||
#40
Truman, Johnson, Nixon, Bush. But, yes VP is not a great place to launch from. But unlike all those, Palin has been a Governor first. There is another very important undiscussed factor, generation.
John Sidney McCain III (born August 29, 1936)
Joseph Robinette "Joe" Biden, Jr. (November 20, 1942)
Barack Hussein Obama II (born August 4, 1961)
Sarah Louise Heath Palin (born February 11, 1964)
Using Strauss & Howe's classifications, McCain is a solid Silent, Biden a very late Silent, almost a Boomer. Obama is a late Boomer. And Palin, early Gen X. McCain will make this an implicityly anti-1968-Boomer election. And Obama is a solid 1968-Boomer, not so much by date, but by ideology and action. He is a direct, but younger, brother of the Clintons, striving to follow in their footsteps. That is why the Ayers connection will come out and will make this a referendum on the elite of the 1968-Boomer generation.
By picking Palin, McCain has dissed the 1968-Boomer elite and handed the torch to the next generation. There are plenty of boomers who are fed up with the elite 1968-Boomers and will be happy to support John and Sarah in throwing the ME generation out of power.
#41
There are plenty of boomers who are fed up with the elite 1968-Boomers and will be happy to support John and Sarah in throwing the ME generation out of power.
#42
The communists left are acting like a bunch of rabid dogs over Senator McCain's selection because she is a strong Pro-Life advocate. The fact she is a woman is totally ignored and set aside for the... greater issue. The woman and "glass ceiling" thing has been a convenient cover-for-action for the left for many years. It's all about the continuation of infanticide. Just my humble opinion.
#45
I think it's great. Obama picks Joe Biden, and then McCain goes and finds someone from the auditioning room at "Deadliest Catch." And she's apparently been endorsed by the Vikings!
#46
Truman, Johnson, Nixon, Bush. But, yes VP is not a great place to launch from.
"People noticed the next vice president. Cowboy, scholar, naturalist, impetuous enthusiast for numerous ideas and causes, Theodore Roosevelt owed his nomination to the desire of New York state political bosses to get him out of the state's politics[P2K-Heh]. The former Rough Rider held presidential ambitions and worried that the job could be "a steppingstone to . . . oblivion." He also felt that he lacked the financial resources needed to entertain on the grand scale expected of his immediate predecessors. Roosevelt argued in vain that the party should find someone else, but Republican leaders wanted him, believing he would bring a new kind of glamour and excitement to President McKinley's candidacy. When his magnetic presence at the national convention fired the enthusiasm of his partisans, the nomination was his. Roosevelt then defied conventional practice by waging an active national campaign for the ticket, publicizing the Republican cause in a way that President McKinley could not. Had not an assassin's bullet in September 1901 propelled Roosevelt to the White House, his impact on the vice-presidency during a four-year term would most likely have been profound. In 1904, Theodore Roosevelt became the first vice president who succeeded to the presidency to be elected president in his own right." source
biden who? our own political establishment has set the table for the peak oil creeps, putin at the helm, democrats in the house and senate.....god do we need this woman.
#50
Pailin will disarm Biden in the debates. Biden will come off like an attack dog and Sarah will come off like Reagan in those "There you go again" refrains.
By the way...that picture is quintessential Alaskana. You have to live here to understand.
#52
I don't think that in a million years McCain realized that Barack and his team would respond by calling ATTENTION to her lack of experience when she has more experience than Obama.
Actually I think that was likely precisely what Team McCain had in mind. At some point voters lose interest in hearing a candidate recite the same criticisms over and over and the argument loses its potency. McCain can ride that horse a bit longer himself but in Palin he has set out what appears to be a very effective tar baby that Obama and his surrogates won't be able to resist. It's downright Machiavellian.
The past month or so but particularly the past couple of weeks McCain's team has been so far inside Obama's decision loop that it seems as if McCain is actually driving the direction of the Obama campaign. It's a bit like watching a group of ancient hunters stampede a herd of bison over a cliff.
Cows are some of the stupidest creatures on this earth (IMHO) - but at least they don't attempt to believe two contradictory things at the same time - which is a regular for leftest.
You won't hear a cow say things like "Capitalism is evil - here buy this Che Shirt!" (even if they could speak).
#59
Just the announcement of Sarah Palin as McCain's veep took the oxygen out of BO's acceptance speech the night before. When I see BO's masses of teary eyed fawning fans hanging on his every word, I begin to worry about images of history's demigods and messianic figures.
Former Democratic presidential candidate and New York Senator Hillary Clinton responded to the pick, saying, "We should all be proud of Governor Sarah Palin's historic nomination and I congratulate her and Senator McCain. While their policies would take America in the wrong direction, Governor Palin will add an important new voice to the debate." I didn't expect her to be publicly happy about this, but you know she's got to be loving the fact that Obama and the rest of the good ol' boys in the DNC are squirming...
Posted by: Swamp Blondie in the Cornfields ||
08/30/2008 00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[4 views]
Top|| File under:
#10
I suspect the Hildebeast and Slick have pocketed the democratic convention bribe honorarium and have now moved on to anxiously await the November defeat of Thee One.
#11
Interesting development for Hillary: Having Palin as VP and considering McCain's age the CW that he is one termer - isn't this a double whammy for Hillary? Lets assume in 2012 that Palin is Rep. nominee and lets also assume the economy grew, housing crisis resolves, there is more domestic drilling and refining (ie lower gas prices), Iraq is an irrelevant side show, we find OBL's skeleton, etc. - would the Dem's really turn to Hillary to run against a female Presidential nominee now with more experience?
Posted by: Jack is Back! ||
08/30/2008 10:18 Comments ||
Top||
#12
My guess: Hil will have a long and powerful presence in the Senate. period.
#13
Damn...old Johnny Mac really is inside the Messiah's OODA loop! AzCat said it best yesterday:
"Is it just me or is McCain running one of the canniest campaigns in recent memory over the last month or so? If I didn't know better I'd swear that Bill Clinton and Karl Rove were holed up in an office somewhere calling the shots."
Posted by: Ricky bin Ricardo (Abu Babaloo) ||
08/30/2008 10:50 Comments ||
Top||
#14
And the quasi-endorsement from Hillary made me think of some old NGFS terminology: "No change, no change...fire for effect!"
Posted by: Ricky bin Ricardo (Abu Babaloo) ||
08/30/2008 10:52 Comments ||
Top||
#15
Damn...old Johnny Mac really is inside the Messiah's OODA loop!
Proof positive: that gracious 'Job Well Done, Senator' ad he ran on the last day of the DNC convention.
#16
McCains Job Well Done ad is likely to be the best ad we'll see this election. Grace with a touch of humor. It was the political version of whipped cream with a cherry on top.
Posted by: Mike N. ||
08/30/2008 11:27 Comments ||
Top||
#17
McCain is a cruel cruel man. (lol) He already KNEW what was to come "tomorrow" when he spoke those words.
#20
Proof positive: that gracious 'Job Well Done, Senator' ad he ran on the last day of the DNC convention.
That was masterful. McCain's criticism of Obama built to a crescendo just prior to Obama's speech, finally reaching "dangerously inexperienced" the day before The One gave his sermon at the temple. And just as Obama reveals himself as more of the same by going after McCain hammer-and-tong we're treated to a smiling McCain congratulating Obama on his historic achievement. Then the next day McCain drops the one candidate the Dems have no effective means of dealing with into the race.
McCain has always been known as a closer but I've never really paid close attention to his campaigns before. It's obvious that his ability to close is no accident, writ large on a national stage it appears downright poetic. At least thus far.
Why is Kandhamal Ground Zero in Orissa's communal maelstrom, burning for the second time in eight months?
Though the latest spark was the murder of saffron leader Swami Laxmanananda Saraswati, the underlying cause is the battle between Hindus and Christian converts over reservations in educational institutions and government jobs.
Of the 6.48 lakh people in the district, 3.36 lakh (52 per cent) belong to scheduled tribes (STs), while another 1.05 lakh (17 per cent) are scheduled castes (SCs).
Of the 1 lakh Christians, 60 per cent are converts from SCs, locally known as 'Pana Christians'. This group's demand for ST status, and the ensuing reservations in jobs and educational institutes, is what has fuelled tensions between the local Kondh community and the Pana Christians.
Under the rules, STs who convert to Christianity continue to enjoy reservations, but not SCs who convert.
Adding to this explosive mix in one of India's poorest states is the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), which is also opposed to reservations for Pana Christians as it would eat into the benefits meant for Hindu tribals.
"If Pana Christians are demanding ST status simply because they speak the local Kui language, then there are people from general castes in the same areas who speak it too. If speaking Kui is the yardstick for according ST status, then it should be uniformly applied to all," said VHP state chief Gouri Prasad Rath.
Though the fight for reservations ignited the communal clashes of 2007, victims say the administration is to blame to some extent for the recent mayhem.
Father Alexander of the church at Sankarakhol told Hindustan Times, "The authorities were aware that there would be trouble after Swami Saraswati's killing. Yet, they allowed the body to be brought in a procession from Tumudibandha to Chakapada, a distance of over 200 km. The sight of the body incited passions and led to attacks on churches and Christian homes."
The 8,021 sq km Kandhamal is poor, even by Orissa's standards.
While the per capita income in the state is Rs 5,264, it is a mere Rs 4,743 in Kandhamal. While employment opportunities in other tribal districts like Keonjhar have brightened due to Arcelor-Mittal's plans for a 12-million-tonne steel plant with an investment of Rs 40,000 crore, Kandhamal is devoid of any industrial investment.
The police deal with its tough terrain every time they need to rush to a crime scene. The entire district has just 15 police stations with a sanctioned strength of 647 personnel looking after 6.48 lakh people.
Since habitations are scattered and most roads run through jungles, they can be blocked by cutting just one tree. The attacks, both in 2007 and now, were possible only because the roads were blocked with felled trees.
Even though forces were mobilised in time, they could not get to the riot spots in time, said a senior police officer.
Posted by: john frum ||
08/30/2008 00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[6 views]
Top|| File under:
#1
Affirmative action, the gift that just keeps on giving....
Posted by: john frum ||
08/30/2008 7:41 Comments ||
Top||
NEW DELHI - Ahead of the crucial meeting of the 45-nation Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) in Vienna next week, India on Friday made it clear that it will only accept a clean waiver without any conditions from the cartel that controls global export of nuclear fuel and knowhow.
We have made it quite clear that we are interested in a clean waiver from the NSG, External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee told reporters here on the sidelines of a meeting of foreign ministers of a seven-nation regional grouping. We have presented our case, we have made our position quite clear to our interlocutors, he replied when asked whether he was confident about the NSG clearing an exemption for global nuclear commerce with India.
Mukherjees assertion came amid speculation about changes in the draft exemption which the NSG will be discussing at its meeting Sep 4-5 in Vienna before taking a decision on resuming global nuclear trade with India.
The last meeting of the NSG, held in Vienna Aug 20-21, ended on an inconclusive note with some sceptical countries in the NSG raising objections about some aspects of the India-US civil nuclear deal that they suspect can adversely affect global non-proliferation regime. In between we have directly contacted some NSG countries.
We shall have to wait for the final outcome, he said. Some NSG members like Austria, Switzerland, Ireland and Norway are pushing for adding extra conditions like the termination of nuclear cooperation in case of India conducting a nuclear test and periodic review of Indias compliance with non-proliferation norms before granting a waiver to New Delhi from the existing rules of nuclear trade.
Atomic Energy Commission chairman Anil Kakodkar, a key Indian interlocutor on the nuclear deal, also underlined that New Delhi will not accept any conditions outside the July 18, 2005 civil nuclear understanding between India and the US. We have done everything that was possible. We cant accept any more conditionalities, Kakodkar said on the sidelines of a lecture he delivered on Managing Atoms for Human Welfare at Institute of Defence Studies and Analyses (IDSA), Indias premier strategic think tank. He was responding to reporters queries about about likely changes in the proposed waiver in the NSG.
The whole thing has to be within the parameters of the July 18, 2005 civil nuclear understanding, he underlined. Language may change but the substance will not change, he emphasized when asked about speculation about likely changes in the language of the draft of the NSG exemption.
The country has all along a standing policy and it remains, he said while referring to Indias volunatary moratorium on nuclear testing. I am an optimist. I am a realist. I always keep my feet on the ground, he said when asked whether he was confident on a clean waiver.
Posted by: Steve White ||
08/30/2008 00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[7 views]
Top|| File under:
BANGALORE - India is preparing to conduct the third trial of its advanced interceptor missile in November from the Chandipur- on-sea interim test range in coastal Orissa, a top defence official said on Friday. Preparations are on to conduct the interceptor missile test for building an indigenous defence shield in early November.
It is aimed at intercepting and destroying ballistic missiles from a long range, defence scientist V.K. Saraswat told IANS here. We have already conducted a test in the atmosphere at a distance of 48 km. We are aiming atmuch higher altitude in exo-atmosphere, which is 50-75 km above the earth, said Saraswat, chief controller of research&development of the missile programme at the Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO).
The configuration of the upcoming trial will be different from the previous one, conducted in December 2007, as the attempt this time is to approach higher kill altitude, with accurate interception. The 7.5-metre interceptor missile will be fired within seconds after an incoming missile is launched from the test range
Posted by: Steve White ||
08/30/2008 00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[7 views]
Top|| File under:
Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani said that deposed Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry was the 'Imam' of all deposed judges and he would be reinstated soon along with other judges. He, however, gave no timeframe for the restoration.
He was talking to newsmen at his chamber in the Parliament House here on Tuesday after meeting a delegation of minority MPs. "The restoration of the judges has been on the agenda of the PPP government from the very first day and even our Shaheed leader Benazir Bhutto had made a commitment, so we will fulfill this commitment to restore the deposed judges," he added.
He reminded that the first thing he did after getting elected as leader of the house was to order the immediate release of the detained judges. Asked whether the deposed judges would be restored before or after the presidential election, the prime minister did not give any timeframe and left the matter to parliament to take a decision. "Let parliament decide whether to restore them before or after the presidential election as parliament is sovereign," he said.
"We have achieved 90 per cent democracy by removing Pervez Musharraf and the remaining 10 per cent will be achieved with the restoration of all the deposed judges, including the chief justice," he said.
He also hinted at a major reshuffle as well as expansion of the federal cabinet after the presidential election. The prime minister said it was because of the joint struggle and cooperation of all the democratic forces, including the PML-N, that the biggest hurdle in the way of the democratic process was removed with the resignation of Pervez Musharraf.
He was hopeful of the PML-N's return to the coalition, saying after the restoration of the deposed judges we would request Mian Nawaz Sharif to reconsider his decision. Appreciating Asif Ali Zardari's gesture of apologising to Nawaz Sharif for not honouring his promise on the judges issue, he said Zardari did not make it an issue of ego.
Asked about the fate of the controversial 17th Amendment, the premier said the PPP never accepted the 17th Amendment and both the PPP and the PML-N are committed to repealing this amendment. He said there should be no ambiguity in this regard.
Asked about the political relations with the PML-N the prime minister said the PPP enjoyed a good working relationship with the PML-N and the two parties were committed to repealing the 17th Amendment, the independence of the judiciary, strengthening of institutions and the supremacy of parliament.
He ruled out any confrontation between the federal and Punjab governments saying in a democracy governments formed by different parties at the federal and provincial levels can co-exist.
Asked about the possibility of cooperation with the PML-Q, he said nothing is final in politics. Regarding the MQM, he said the PPP has a coalition arrangement with them in Sindh and it is working well. Earlier, the prime minister gave a cheque of Rs500,000 to the father of the Christian boy murdered in Islamabad.
Speaking on the occasion, he said the government would provide the fullest possible security to the minorities and their rights would be fully protected.
Posted by: Fred ||
08/30/2008 00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[7 views]
Top|| File under: Govt of Pakistan
(AKI) - Up to 50,000 Catholics were reported to be hiding in the jungles of India's strife-torn Orissa on Friday as thousands of Christian schools and institutions across the country were closed to observe a day of prayer.
The Catholic Bishops Conference of India, the highest body of Catholic Bishops, issued the directive for the schools' closure as peace rallies were held in various cities. Archbishop Raphael Cheenath (Photo), from the diocese of Cuttack-Bhubaneswar in Orissa, told Adnkronos International (AKI), that 80 priests and nuns from his diocese were among 50,000 Christian refugees who had fled for their lives.
"There's a danger of attack and they are advised not to go home," Cheenath told AKI. "They have gone into hiding into the forests.
"There are 50,000 refugees in the forest. Their houses have been totally destroyed, they have no homes," he said. "Over 1,800 homes have been demolished and another 700 to 800 could have been destroyed."
The Christians sought refuge after deadly violence between Christians and Hindus claimed at least 11 lives following the murder last week of Hindu leader, Swami Laxmanananda Saraswati, in the state's Kandhamal district last Saturday. Several days of communal clashes have caused widespread chaos and authorities imposed a curfew and ordered security forces to shoot on sight in a bid to stop violent attacks Christians and their property.
Over 3,000 police have been deployed in the state but attacks on churches and Christians homes continued and there were reports of violent attacks against priests and nuns.
Bhubaneswar is the capital and largest city of Orissa, while Cuttack is the considered the commercial capital. Cheenath's diocese represents 24 parishes with nearly 50,000 Catholics.
Cheenath, who spoke to AKI from New Delhi, said he had been advised not to return to his parish because of the risk. On Thursday he joined a Catholic delegation who met India's Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for urgent talks to end the violence. Singh has described the violence as a "national disgrace".
Up to 30 churches and orphanages were reported to have been attacked in the violence that erupted after the killing of Saraswati last Saturday, allegedly by Christians. Bishop John Barwa, from the diocese of Rourkela in northwest Orissa 1,000 kilometres from the worst violence, told Adnkronos International (AKI) that many Catholics were afraid and his parish was being guarded by young Christians. "We have had threats, but they are only rumours," he said.
Posted by: Fred ||
08/30/2008 00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[11 views]
Top|| File under:
#1
This is just hard to beleive, but then again, Christians have been told to expect persecution for their beliefs.
Not really. When you consider that the bulk of India's approximately 1.1 Billion people are backwards, illiterate and uneducated this makes perfect sense.
#3
They are fighting over quotas for government jobs, places in schools and colleges and government contracts. This is a place where the per capita income is about 100 US dollars.
Posted by: john frum ||
08/30/2008 7:44 Comments ||
Top||
#4
Remember everything you've read about "root causes" over the past eight years? Well, a lot of it's true, and it's just as true about illiterate marginally-employed Hindu peasants in India as it is about illiterate marginally-employed out-castes in Pakistan.
#5
A lot of people in the West have been closing their eyes real tight and saying "The Problem is Just Islam, The Problem is Just Islam" to themselves over and over, without grasping that there's a lot of religion-neutrality built into fanaticism. It's virtually a religion unto itself.
(Thugee cult is a good example, look at how many 'practicioners' were devotees of other Hindu cults than Kali, or even Islam or the SIkh religion, during the light of day in their public life).
#6
This is a place where the per capita income is about 100 US dollars.
If you're talking $100/year. That's Rubbish! I pay my Bengali maid servant Rs.2,000/- a month. And she only works half days for me, and works elsewhere.
#8
The claim is made that the rioting started last week after a Hindu leader was killed. So why was there so much hatred between the groups that one violent death would ignite such a fire storm? Tribalism may be playing more of a part here than religion. What do you think?
Posted by: Richard of Oregon ||
08/30/2008 8:52 Comments ||
Top||
#9
Both groups are at the very bottom of the socio-economic ladder.
The Pani are classified as scheduled caste (SC) while the Kui are classified as scheduled tribe (ST).
Some Pani have converted and have lost their affirmative action quota place as a result (there is not supposed to be 'caste' in Christianity). They now wish to be considered ST. As true tribals, they will keep their affirmative action quotas (they remain tribal irregardless of religion). That would however cut into the quotas reserved for the Kui.
Posted by: john frum ||
08/30/2008 8:58 Comments ||
Top||
#10
While the per capita income in the state is Rs 5,264, it is a mere Rs 4,743 in Kandhamal.
Posted by: john frum ||
08/30/2008 9:00 Comments ||
Top||
#11
That's a per capita income of 108 USD as opposed to the overall Indian one of 978 USD
Posted by: john frum ||
08/30/2008 9:03 Comments ||
Top||
#12
Bertie... could please pass along her cellie number?
She doesn't have a "cellie", being illiterate, she doesn't know how to press the numbers.
#13
The claim is made that the rioting started last week after a Hindu leader was killed. So why was there so much hatred between the groups that one violent death would ignite such a fire storm? Tribalism may be playing more of a part here than religion. What do you think?
I think if a lefty moonbat(s) egged on by an intolerant and bigoted MSM and elite class offed George, John, or Sarah, we'd have interesting times here too.
#14
My old parish donated opver 100 bicycles for the priests and nuns and nurses to get around on, as well as building a clinic and small church building there, and helping to maintain the orphanage nearby. These peopel are grindingly poor. Yet they spend so much energy on killing those who would help them.
#15
The very best, highly effective defense against persecution of a minority by the majority is a combination of gun rights, cultural militarism, and deep economic and military connections.
By comparison, the Sikhs have long lived in India and been the target of persecution by both Hindus and Muslims, yet they still prosper. This is because they are middle class entrepreneurs, and the Indian military is officered by Sikhs.
The Hindus may get the upper hand for a while, but the Sikhs have guaranteed their survival.
And there is no reason whatsoever that the Catholics could not follow in the Sikhs footsteps. In fact, were they to do so, they might even accomplish an entente with the Sikhs for their mutual benefit.
#16
It's probably too late in the day to ask, but what part of India do you live in, Bertie Flaish8024? One of the big cities like New Delhi or Mumbai, where there are many members of the call-center/professional middle class, or out in the villages where English is not yet spoken? I ask because when Mr. Wife worked in Bombay and Bhopal, around 1990, something like 70% of the population was described as economically uninvolved. I realize that has improved significantly in recent years, but there are a great many poor Indians even yet who are not qualified to work as maids in computerized households. Certainly my expat friends in similar countries used to pass their servants on when they went back home, because English-speaking ones trained to Western habits were very hard to find... and earnt considerably more than those acceptable to the locals.
Swiss judicial authorities said on Tuesday they had closed a money-laundering case against Pakistani presidential candidate Asif Ali Zardari and released $60 million frozen in Swiss accounts over the past decade.
$60 million would cover Rantburg hosting at $100 a month for approximately ... ummm... [carry the 9, divide by the square root of 97... ] 600,000 months. That's 50,000 years, right?
Daniel Zappelli, Geneva's chief prosecutor, said that he had no evidence to bring Zardari, 55, the widower of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto, to trial. Pakistan's government recently dropped out of all related cases it had initiated in Switzerland, saying the couple could not be accused of corruption, he said. Zappelli said the full $60 million in assets, seized at the request of the Pakistan authorities, had been released.
Now if only Mr Zadari could explain the source of this wealth
Posted by: Fred ||
08/30/2008 00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[7 views]
Top|| File under: Govt of Pakistan
#1
Heh. With $60 mil, Fred, you could stick it in a bank at 4%, make at least $1.2 mil/year after taxes, gold-plate your web servers, and still have enough left over for a nice night out with Ethel...
The killing of women for honour is a demand of the tribal traditions, Balochistan Senator Israrullah Zehri informed the Senate on Friday.
Zehri was responding to Senator Yasmeen Shah's statement in which she had drawn the House's attention towards reports that five women had been buried alive in Balochistan in the name of honour. She called it a sheer violation of human rights. Zehri asked the members not to politicise the issue, as it was a matter of safeguarding the tribal traditions.
Zehri asked the members not to politicise the issue, as it was a matter of safeguarding the tribal traditions.
Leader of the Opposition in Senate Kamil Ali Agha condemned the killing of women in the name of honour and demanded the issue should be referred to the Human Rights Standing Committee of the House.
Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid Senator Nisar Memon drew the attention of the Senate to a research article written by Michael Chossugovsky published in "Global Research of Canada". He said that the article warns how some foreign elements were planning economic, political and military disruptions to declare Pakistan a failed state.
Memon said the article stated how certain foreign powers were first planning to create chaos in the country through economic crisis followed by an unprecedented price-hike, and an eventual intervention of the International Monetary Fund in the economic affairs of the country. "The ultimate objective of all these conspiracy theories is a territorial break-up and dismemberment of the country," Memon warned.
A disintegration of the country on racial and linguistic lines would be another tool against the country, followed by a military disruption similar to that of Yugoslavia, Memon feared.
Senate Chairman Jan Muhammad Jamali said that it was a serious matter and Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani should brief the House on national security and territorial and strategic threats faced by the nation.
Leader of the House Raza Rabbani said the government would not allow anyone to harm the integrity of Pakistan.
Posted by: Fred ||
08/30/2008 00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[6 views]
Top|| File under: Govt of Pakistan
#1
Since in the tribal tradition...the MAN...is the responsible agent. The MAN should kill himself to save the family's honor...since he is ultimately responsible.
But not islamic society where "men" hide in burkas, and behind their own wives, mothers, and children.
Police questioned Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert on Friday for a seventh time in connection with one of the multiple corruption probes that have driven him to announce his resignation.
Olmert was questioned for 2 1/2 hours over a house he bought in Jerusalem before becoming prime minister in 2006, police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said.
The premier is suspected of having received the house at a discount in exchange for promoting a Jerusalem construction project while he was the city's mayor. Police suspect irregular building permits were granted.
Rosenfeld said Olmert's wife, Aliza, was also questioned for the first time in connection with the probes targeting the Israeli leader. He said he did not know whether she would be questioned further.
The prime minister denies any wrongdoing in any of the cases and he has not been charged. Olmert has said he plans to step down after his Kadima Party holds leadership elections next month so he can fight the allegations -- all of which concern events that predated his premiership.
The main probe concerns tens of thousands of dollars in cash he allegedly took from Jewish-American businessman Morris Talansky. Olmert's lawyers will continue cross-examining Talansky on Sunday and Monday, in an effort to refute his accusations. But Talansky's Israeli lawyer, Jacques Chen, said Friday that a Jerusalem court has put off the questioning until an undetermined date.
Talansky's U.S. lawyers had recommended that he refuse to testify again before an Israeli court because the Israeli investigation mirrors a probe in the U.S., and by testifying further in Israel, Talansky could incriminate himself.
Posted by: Fred ||
08/30/2008 00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[3 views]
Top|| File under:
A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
dominated Mexico for six years.
Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
NEW ORLEANS, Aug 30 (Reuters) - City officials will order a mandatory evacuation of New Orleans starting early on Sunday if Hurricane Gustav holds to its current course, New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin said on Saturday.
Russia will have to close its embassy in Tbilisi after Georgia decided to cut diplomatic ties with Moscow, Russia's RIA news agency quoted a Foreign Ministry source as saying on Friday. "We regret this step from the Georgian side. It will not assist our bilateral relations," Russian foreign ministry spokesman Andrei Nesterenko said. "When diplomatic relations are cut, the embassy closes," an unnamed source said. "What are we to do? Yes it (the embassy) will close and only the consulate will remain."
PARIS - The European Union will not impose sanctions against Russia at Monday's emergency summit on the Georgia crisis, backing away from an economic confrontation with its largest energy supplier, officials said on Friday.
In any case, it will be amusing to see how O's attack dog reacts to her. 
NEW DELHI - Ahead of the crucial meeting of the 45-nation Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) in Vienna next week, India on Friday made it clear that it will only accept a clean waiver without any conditions from the cartel that controls global export of nuclear fuel and knowhow.
Swiss judicial authorities said on Tuesday they had closed a money-laundering case against Pakistani presidential candidate Asif Ali Zardari and released $60 million frozen in Swiss accounts over the past decade. 
The killing of women for honour is a demand of the tribal traditions, Balochistan Senator Israrullah Zehri informed the Senate on Friday.
Police questioned Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert on Friday for a seventh time in connection with one of the multiple corruption probes that have driven him to announce his resignation. 
