Archive » 2004 » August

Over at The Corner, former federal prosecutor Andrew McCarthy notes that the use of the RICO statute in the latest Hamas indictments is historically significant. The indictment can be downloaded here.
This is the second Hamas indictment in less than one month.

Bernadette Malone rightly excoriates NYC mayor Michael Bloomberg for playing nice with anti-Bush demonstrators.

According to an Associated Press article describing a new addendum released by the 9/11 Commission, two of the 9/11 hijackers “lied on their applications ‘in detectable ways’ but were not questioned about those lies. And all 19 of the hijackers’ applications had data fields left blank, or were incomplete in some other way.”
Columnist Joel Mowbray [...]

There is a wonderful new effort by the folks at The Command Post to create a network of bloggers “who raise awareness of ‘micro charities’?charitable opportunities that are simple, personal, non-bureaucratic, and inspiring.”
The charitable campaign is called Strengthen the Good. Alan Nelson has posted links to charities helping victims of Hurricane Charley in Florida here.
Bloggers [...]

Here’s an interesting letter from a former Olympic oarsmen, who reports that the international governing body of rowing is trying to diversify the sport by lowering competitive standards for ethnic minorities:
I retired from competition after the 1988 Olympics. But I was vaguely aware that they’ve tightened things up quite a bit since I quit racing, [...]

The Associated Press reports in a story headlined, “Bush’s Nephew, in Mexico, Calls Arming of Border Guards ‘reprehensible’:”
President Bush’s nephew, campaigning for overseas votes in Mexico on Saturday, called the federal policy of arming U.S. Border Patrol agents with plastic pellet guns “reprehensible.”
Speaking in a mix of English and sometimes-halting Spanish, George P. Bush said [...]

Jane Chastain challenges the White House on its own problems with political correctness and raises concerns about how open borders Republicans will affect the writing of the GOP’s immigration platform. Jane is right on.

Thanks to Brad for sending this Day by Day cartoon along.
To borrow a phrase from Instapundit: Heh.

Just wanted to send a big thank you to all those who have e-mailed kind words over the past few days. Won’t be able to respond to everyone, but each note has meant so much!
The profanity-laced and racist-filled hate mail has been most amusing. Many are suggesting that I go kill myself. Or burn in [...]

Later today, I’ll be appearing on the Northern Alliance Radio Network at 2 pm eastern time. The interview will air live on the Net.
I’m scheduled to debate law professor/blogger Eric Muller twice next week: on Wednesday August 25th at 10 am eastern on WHYY “Radio Times” with Marty Moss-Coane and on Thursday [...]

We’ve all heard about the travel travails of Sen. Edward Kennedy, whose name was placed on a watch list. Now comes word that Rep. John Lewis of Georgia has had a similar problem. Neither Kennedy nor Lewis has been barred from flying, but in Kennedy’s case a supervisor had to overrule a ticketing agent and [...]

The Northridge Hospital Medical Center survived the Great Depression and the Northridge earthquake and everything in between, but it announced this week that it will be shutting down its Van Nuys campus due to the high cost of treating uninsured patients.
The announcement follows the closure of five other Los Angeles County emergency departments in the [...]

Am scheduled to appear on C-SPAN Washington Journal this morning at 9 am eastern. Tonight, I’ll be on Tucker Carlson’s new PBS show, “Unfiltered.”

Here’s a peek behind the cable TV curtain. It’s not pretty.
So, my publicist arranges for me to go on MSNBC’s Hardball with Chris Matthews on Thursday night to talk about my recent columns on the FBI and national security profiling and my new book. Despite the show’s basement ratings, we figure it’s a good opportunity [...]

The blogosphere has been teeming with great stuff on the Swift Boat Veterans, Kerry’s Vietnam War record, and related matters. A few that stand out:
Captain’s Quarters. Ed Morrissey raised questions about Kerry’s first Purple Heart claims and the Washington Times editorial board picked up on the angle, asking “Was Kerry in combat on Dec. [...]

The Department of Defense inspector general has finished a report on Lt. Gen. William Boykin, a top-ranking intelligence officer, who raised the ire of Muslims by
giving speeches in uniform in which he described the war on terror as a Christian battle against Satan. According to Reuters, Boykin violated Pentagon rules requiring him to clear the [...]

E.J. Perkins of the Arizona Republic (who served as a tank platoon commander in the U.S. Marine Corps, 1976-80) has compiled a helpful chart. Check it out.
Update: The Perkins chart inspired Jeff Quinton to compile a list of bloggers who have served or are serving in the military.

Update II: The Mudville Gazette has an [...]

ABC News has a disturbing report on al Qaeda’s possible use of ambulances in the U.S. for terror attacks:
On Aug. 1, U.S. officials warned that al Qaeda terrorists could be planning attacks on financial institutions in New York City, New Jersey and Washington, D.C.
ABC News has learned that in the wake of that alert, authorities [...]

Adnan G. El Shukrijumah is a Saudi terror suspect with a $5 million bounty on his head. The FBI has been hunting him for nearly a year. He has been billed as the “next Mohammed Atta.” Only unlike Atta, he isn’t flying in and out of our airports. He’s apparently dancing around the southern border, [...]

My latest column is up. Excerpt:

The New York Times, American Civil Liberties Union, anti-Bush protesters and Muslim activists are all apoplectic over the FBI’s efforts to prevent violence and terrorism. Agents are — gasp — knocking on doors and asking questions. Based on these basic intelligence-gathering actions, the civil liberties alarmists are convinced that the [...]

Aaron at Untergeek ruminates on the New York Times‘ story about charter school test scores. I agree that there may be a selection thing going on. Kimberly Swygert is away from the office, but I’ll be interested in her take when she gets back. Also want to hear what charter school expert and edublogger extraordinaire [...]

The indispensable Command Post is keeping on top of the terror charges filed today against suspected al Qaeda arrested last week. Excerpt from Sky News:
Charges laid against some of the men related to plans to attack major financial landmarks in the USA.
The men were among those seized in a series of raids in London, the [...]

Shelley Powers doesn’t think much of me, but she has a beautiful blog and some interesting thoughts on women, sex, media and blogging. Plus, some great photos. Go drop by.
Update: Shelley and I do agree on one thing–the blogging excellence of Michele Catalano. Her thoughts on Cutler-y here.

Who needs Norm Mineta? Jonathan O’Keefe sends a link to this new citizens’ effort to take individual responsibility for airline security: Check it out.

GOP U.S. Senate candidate Alan Keyes (formerly host of MSNBC’s “Alan Keyes is Making Sense”) announced yesterday that he now supports slavery reparations. The Chicago Tribune (registration required) reports:
Speaking at a news conference at the Hotel InterContinental in Chicago, Republican Keyes added to his now familiar talking points his stance on slavery reparations.
Prompted by a [...]

Daniel Pipes notices an important admission from President Bush: The “War on Terror” is a misnomer.
“We actually misnamed the war on terror. It ought to be [called] the struggle against ideological extremists who do not believe in free societies and who happen to use terror as a weapon to try to shake the conscience of [...]

Tom Ridge made a splash yesterday with news that al Qaeda is recruiting non-Arabs. He used the opportunity to deride racial and ethnic profiling as an effective counterterrorism tool. Here’s a piece I did today in response. The fact that al-Qaeda is using some non-Arab recruits does not render racial/ethnic/religion/nationality profiling moot. As long as [...]

From the Boston Globe: Police see surge in gang attacks using machetes

The Globe is too P.C. to actually report it, but the rise is due to uncontrolled illegal alien gang activity. See Heather Mac Donald for the real scoop.
Meanwhile, the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms comments:
“When are politicians going to [...]

American journalist Micah Garen and his Iraqi translator were apparently abducted in Nasiriyah on Saturday while walking in an open market.
Garen, a founder of an independent photo/documentary company, Four Corners Media, was investigating archeological sites in Iraq. His portfolio of images from southern Iraq is here. He published a report in Archaeology magazine on specialized [...]

Vanessa Kerry has won a Fulbright scholarship to study medicine in London. According to the Fulbright web site, the federally funded grants for the international exchange program generally provide round-trip transportation; book and research allowances; maintenance for the academic year, based on living costs in the host country; supplemental health and accident insurance; tuition, in [...]