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What do the candidates eat?
In the photo above, we can see that John Kerry had what appears to be a medium Frosty. In a prior report, I had wondered whether he ordered a small Frosty off the Value Menu. Apparently he had not.
Also, in front of him you can see the chili.
The Edwards appear to have ordered burger combos; the exect burger configuration cannot be determined from the photo. Here is a better photo of their selections, shot in a product-up-front way that would make a Wendy's professional proud. And, here's a closer shot with Kerry's chili in the foreground. I would appreciate the input of any Wendy's aficionados who could identify John Edwards' sandwich.
Now, from this longer shot of the entire table, one can see the apparent sparsity of THK's selection. It appears she is just dawdling over tea or some such. Apparently, Wendy's selection of American food disagrees with her delicate continental palate. Of course, she also appears to be reaching for something. Could it be food, or just a napkin?
In non-Wendy's related pictures, here's John Kerry emoting, and here he is emoting again. And, here's a stylistic shot of the candidate.
And, here's a shot of close Kerry family friend Ben Affleck with a Wendy's drink in his hand. Mr. Affleck is, of course, no stranger to product placements!
And, here's a picture of John Kerry with some Marines.
Which all brings us to "Teresa Plugs Heinz Foods in First Post-Convention Outing":
The Heinz Kerrys were dining with John and Elizabeth Edwards at a Wendy's in Newburgh, N.Y., when the quirky ketchup heiress told reporters that the dish she ordered was surprisingly good. [This does not necessarily mean the disproval of the above theory. At this moment there is no proof - pictoral or otherwise - she ordered her own chili. She could simply have tasted a bit of John Kerry's chili. --LW]
"It's good chili," she announced. "It could even be made by Heinz."
Photos of the episode show Kerry, Edwards and Edwards' wife smiling as they toast the would-be second couple's 27th wedding anniversary with Wendy's sodas, while Mrs. Heinz Kerry looks on without joining in...
The [Marines linked to above], stationed at nearby Stewart Air Force Base, replied tersely, then later complained to reporters that Kerry had "imposed" on their lunch to burnish his credentials as a friend of veterans.
"He imposed on us and I disagree with him coming over here and shaking our hands," one of the Marines told the New York Post. "I'm 100 percent against [him]."
Previous coverage of the visit to the Newburgh Wendy's starts here. Previous coverage of Newburgh itself starts in "Where can I buy crack in the mid-Hudson River Valley region of New York State?"
UPDATE: Glenn "Instapundit" Reynolds is all over this story, and he directs our attention to this article:
[...non-Wendy's coverage deleted...]
[Kerry paid the bill]
Edwards and his wife had hearty meals of burgers and fries and shared a chocolate Frosty. Teresa Heinz Kerry pointed at a picture of chili on the menu and asked the cashier what it was before ordering a bowl. Her husband had the same, along with a Frosty...
YET ANOTHER UPDATE AND THIS ONE DOESN'T INVOLVE INSTAPUNDIT: VRWC operative "self" has paved the way for Kerry's upcoming visit to Dubuque, Iowa:
After a little research, it seems that the best restaurant in Dubuque seems to be a place called Mario's Italian Restaurant. It is a three and a half star restaurant and it should make for a decent meal after pretending to eat at some grubby Dubuque diner. Look, you have to take a bite at Wendy's or at Philly cheese steak stand, but then you have to really eat
Here is the address:
Mario's Italian Restaurant
1298 Main Street
Dubuque, Iowa 52001-4729
ph: 319.556.9424
Posted to Politics at 11:40 AM | Comments (2)
ABC News: "Officials Fear Terrorists Could Try to Enter U.S. Through Mexico"
A national source finally picks up on the story:
The U.S. government has become increasingly concerned that al Qaeda might try to exploit security gaps at the nation's borders, especially the Mexican border, ABC News has learned.
Concerns about border security were highlighted on July 19, when officials at McAllen-Miller International Airport in southern Texas arrested a woman suspected of having ties to al Qaeda...
The arrest is one reason why U.S. officials are increasingly concerned al Qaeda may try to smuggle terrorists into the United States from Mexico.
"Al Qaeda has recognized that one of our vulnerabilities is our [in]ability to completely seal and control access through Mexico," said ABC News consultant Jerry Hauer, former director of New York City's Office of Emergency Management...
"It's easy for anyone, including a terrorist who really wants to get into the United States to do so by crossing the Mexican or Canadian border," said ABC News consultant Richard Clarke, former chief of antiterrorism in the Bush and Clinton administrations.
Since Sept. 11, 2001, the U.S. has been trying to improve security at both borders with unmanned surveillance aircraft, increased vehicle searches and X-ray devices that scan vehicles for hidden illegal weapons or people.
Along the U.S.-Canada border in the woods of Vermont, sensors hidden in the ground trigger surveillance cameras that zero in on anyone trying to enter the United States illegally.
But it may be impossible to fully police the more than 5,000 miles of U.S. border with Canada and Mexico.
ABC News has finally noticed that our nearly-open borders are a security risk? Well, duh. There's years of backstory involved here that ABC has largely ignored until now.
Our administration officials have become "increasingly concerned?" So, they just noticed that their open borders policies have created a security risk? And, these are the Keystone Kops we put in charge of preventing another 9/11?
The problem here is not that the idea of terrorists coming over the border is a new thing. The problem is our "leaders'" willful attempts to ignore the danger. While 90-year-old grannies are strip-searched, the Racial Identity groups of the left and the serf labor lobby of the right have steadfastly ignored the very real probability of terrorists coming over the border.
Certainly, the administration has been "trying" to increase border security with the use of drones. At the same time, they've been trying to encourage as many illegal aliens as possible to come here via talk of amnesties and new giveaways for illegal aliens.
We've got over a million people coming illegally over the Mexican border each year. If that number were reduced to just thousands, those illegal crossers would stand out. Our present forces are able to handle thousands each year, especially when augmented with sensors, drones, cameras, and human intelligence. Our deserts provide a natural defense, as anyone who's attempted to hike even a few miles through one can attest.
The way to reduce the number of crossers is to - surprise - crack down on illegal immigration. Instead of doing just a dozen workplace sweeps each year, there should be hundreds, and companies that violate our immigration laws should receive heavy fines.
Those companies would be forced to hire citizens and legal residents. That would reduce the major incentive to come here illegally. Together with ending financial incentives to live here illegally, that would be good for American workers and it would make border control a great deal easier.
Previous coverage starts here.
This site contains dozens of examples of the Bush administration's unwillingness to enforce our immigration laws. Just one very blatant example can be found here. That post reports how a Bush administration official cynically and dismissively laughed when it was suggested that Bush enforce our immigration laws.
Posted to Immigration_terror at 08:40 PM | Comments (0)
Ah, Newburgh!
John Kerry, John Edwards, wives, entourage, hangers-on, and the press visited Newburgh NY today:
Kerry fielded questions about foreign policy, presidential politics, abortion and the death penalty in a 12-minute interview at a Wendy's fast-food restaurant in this GOP-leaning Hudson Valley community.
After polishing off a bowl of chili and a Frosty, the newly minted nominee took Bush and his Republican allies head-on...
[...ironic coverage deleted...]
A brief report from the Poughkeepsie Journal is here, and the MidHudsonNews weighs in with their own brief mention. Neither apparently were granted the same access as the AP reporter.
My experience of Newburgh happened at night during my Blogging Across America tour. You might be able to guess the tenor of my post from its title: "Where can I buy crack in the mid-Hudson River Valley region of New York State?"
UPDATE: The more I think about John Kerry's choices, the more questions I have. Was that a small frosty, or one of the larger sizes? Because, both the chili and the small frosty are on Wendy's Value Menu. Was Mr. Megabucks so cheap he just picked a couple of items from the Value Menu? Why not one of their more expensive items, like a triple burger with cheese and bacon, or - if he wanted something slightly more healthy - a grilled chicken sandwich? Or - even better - a salad? Did he deliberately choose from the cheap slate in order to send a subconscious message that he would govern this great land with the same New England parsimony?
And, what did the Edwards' select?
What about Teresa? Was her delicate European palate offended by American fast-food? Did she take umbrage at the fact that Wendy's uses Serv-a-Portion generic ketchup instead of the gen-u-wine Heinz brand?
ANOTHER UPDATE: If you can correctly identify the line "How's that Frosty[TM] treating you, Cecil?" you're a moke who falls for blatant product placements.
Posted to Politics at 12:24 PM | Comments (0)
"Second passenger saw suspicious behavior" ("Terror in the Skies" Part #382)
From the WashTimes:
The second passenger, a frequent business traveler who asked not to be identified, provided a copy of her itinerary confirming she was on the June 29 Northwest Airlines Detroit-to-Los Angeles Flight 327...
The passenger, who was riding in first class, said the constant foot traffic and strange behavior she witnessed in the front cabin frightened her as much as it did Annie Jacobsen...
"I thought I was going to die," the second passenger told The Washington Times...
...[She] said the men were "up and down the aisles of the plane the entire time," and that one of the men pushed other passengers as he rushed toward the front lavatory. She said the man did not appear to be ill, and remained in the lavatory during her entire meal...
"There was more activity up and down the aisle through first class than I have ever experienced on any flight, including international flights," the second passenger said. "The most unusual part was that the flight attendants seemed to ignore what was going on..."
Posted to Terrorism at 11:15 PM | Comments (0)
"What if?!?!"
"What if? What if?"
He sounds like William Shatner just before he breaks into song.
What's this deal about one America, and ending divisions? Does that mean the Democrats are going to stop being the party of race and class baiting?
And, how are the delegates going to come down after the speed required to stay awake during the 46 minute screed?
UPDATE: Here's what Kerry said:
And that's why Republicans and Democrats must make this election a contest of big ideas, not small-minded attacks. This is our time to reject the kind of politics calculated to divide race from race, group from group, region from region.
Ohhhkaayyy. Maybe he should tell that to - just for a start - Al Sharpton and his own campaign co-chairman. The latter is the former president of the UCLA chapter of the racial separatist group MEChA.
Balloons! Give me the balloons! Go balloons! Go balloons!
BALLOON BOSS BLOWS HIS #@¢*ING TOP
It was planned with the precision of a military operation — but the drop of 100,000 red, white and blue balloons for John Kerry went so horribly wrong that the convention producer screamed out the F-word over national TV.
"Balloons. What's happening, balloons? There's not enough coming down. All balloons. Where the hell — there's nothing falling. What the f- - - are you guys doing up there?" shrieked the producer, Don Mischer.
The live feed was carried over CNN...
The balloons bit is just funny and no more. As I said on a post to VRWC-l, I would urge my fellow VRWC members to treat it as just a joke and not try to make a big deal of it. Anyone who's ever put on a show can identify with his top-blowing.
Posted to Politics at 06:57 PM | Comments (0)
Now, let's play Guess The Country
From Reuters' report "'Fahrenheit 9/11' Shown on Prime Time TV in [______]":
U.S. director Michael Moore's anti-Bush documentary "Fahrenheit 9/11" was shown on prime time [______] television on Thursday after playing to packed cinemas for a week...
"We hope this film will lead Americans to see the reality of their government, and not only deny Bush reelection but put him on trial for the harm he has done to humanity," said [a] retired worker...
"The film is a work of love for humanity. It confirms what many of us believe, that George W. Bush is a real threat to the world," said [a university professor]...
Your answer is here.
Posted to Politics at 05:59 PM | Comments (0)
Let's play guess the state!
In the following news excerpt, you need to guess the mystery state:
[____]'s agriculture commissioner was arrested Thursday on charges of taking payoffs to protect a cockfighting ring...
Cockfighting is illegal in [____]...
Wayne Pacelle, president of the Humane Society of the United States, called cockfighting barbaric and called for [the commissioner's] resignation.
"In exchange for thousands of dollars, he has allegedly used his connections and his stature not only to enrich himself, but also to provide protection for an organized criminal network of cockfighters," Pacelle said...
Your answer is here.
Posted to WackyHumor at 11:30 AM | Comments (2)
Schwartzenegger wants to know: do you oppose driver's licenses for illegal aliens?
Gov. Arnold Schwartzenegger is conducting a poll on "hot button issues," one of which is driver's licenses for illegal aliens.
To vote in the poll, call 1-916-445-2841 then enter 5, 2, and 2 at the prompts.
Posted to Immigration_dls at 11:21 AM | Comments (1)
Fanboys and fangirls at the convention
Can you spot what's wrong with the following TalkLeft post?
Wednesday night, just before John Edwards spoke, a group of bloggers were invited to interview Senator Richard Durbin (D-IL). We jumped at the chance since we think Durbin has introduced some of the best legislation in the past year and opposed some of the worst...
Here were the questions I wanted to ask him:
1. How will a Kerry Administration be better than a bush administration on civil liberties?
2. On the detainees--are you satisfied with the Bush Administration's proposals for military tribunals? Can the detainees get a fair trial?
3. What qualities will a Kerry Attorney General have that John Ashcroft lacks?
There'd be more spirited questioning at a StarTrek convention.
"Mr. Spiner, wouldn't you agree that Captain Kirk laid down the rules for future Starfleet captains and engaged (twitters from audience) new civilizations in ways that led to the Prime Directive that Captain Picard was simply forced to abide by? In summation, can't we all agree that Captain Kirk was a much more important captain in the broader Starfleet context?
In other fanboy news, Glenn "Instapundit" Reynolds alerts us to a blogger supposedly having been fired by the DNCC because he wasn't fawning enough to Barack Obama.
Here is the offending post:
Barack Obama came in and gave a little speech to the bloggers at the Blogger breakfast. To be honest, I don't get the big deal. I've seen him speak a few times. He seems very charismatic, but I have yet to cross that bridge with him where I feel like he's saying anything really interesting or useful. He's a lot like Edwards - charismatic and demographically useful for the Democrats. But is there there there?
At this later post, the blogger says:
I am a volunteer and I didn't get fired. We decided that after the Convention started I wouldn't post to the DNCC blog (I had been using it somewhat to help coordinate the blogging component) so that I could post freely to my own. I'm a bit puzzled by the whole story, actually because we still have a great relationship and I'm still helping out the credentialled bloggers...
Geez Louise, all they had to do was just top up his Kool-Aid and he would have been fine.
UPDATE: TalkLeft partially redeems herself with some reportage. Regarding the other photo collection linked to in the first comment: the photos are OK, but the comments provided are just the flip-side to the trick some non-"liberal" bloggers use of going to "peace" protests and only taking pictures of the freaks. You know who you are.
Posted to Bloggage at 09:28 AM | Comments (0)
"Potential terrorists released due to lack of jail space, congressman says"
From the 7/23/04 Brownsville TX Herald:
Middle Easterners with possible terrorist ties have been detained after entering the country from Mexico but released for lack of jail space, said U.S. Rep. Solomon P. Ortiz, the ranking Democrat on the House Armed Services Subcommittee on Readiness.
“It is true. It is very reliable information, from the horse’s mouth, and it’s happening all over the place,” Ortiz, D-Texas, told The Herald on Thursday.
“It’s very, very scary, and members (of Congress) know about this. We have contacted several agencies, and I have talked to some people, but I can’t say who...”
Culberson’s spokesmen Tony Essalih and Jeff Morehouse told The Herald on Thursday that U.S. Attorney Michael T. Shelby of the Southern District of Texas told Culberson that several Middle Easterners have used Hispanic surnames to enter the country undetected.
“This was during a meeting in Houston May 25,” Essalih said.
The Middle Easterners are from Yemen, Essalih said.
Shelby is not issuing any statements, said Executive Assistant U.S. Attorney Nancy Herrera of the Southern District of Texas, noting that the office is prohibited from confirming or denying any investigation...
I searched news.google.com for Solomon Ortiz, and I'm surprised I didn't spot this earlier. I also called Culberson's Washington office last week and, unlike the Brownsville Herald, they weren't able to offer me additional information...
In any case, earlier coverage of this subject is in "South African woman's passport prompts federal investigation" and "Congressman: Terrorists are infiltrating the U.S. via Mexico".
UPDATE: And, here's yet another report, "South African Woman Confirmed on Watch List":
NEWSCHANNEL 5 confirms that the name of a South African woman taken into custody while trying to board an airplane in McAllen last week appears on an FBI watch list.
A senior Homeland Security official confirmed that 48-year-old Farida Goolam Mohamed Ahmed is a “person of interest.” This information follows on the heels of Rep. Solomon Ortiz (D-Texas) telling NEWSCHANNEL 5 Wednesday in Brownsville that Ahmed is “on a list of persons (investigators) wanted to talk to and possibly on a list of terrorists.”
..."She is a person of interest,” Ortiz said. “Thank God for the professionalism of these people from the border patrol, the customs officials who were able to detain this lady."
Investigators are trying to confirm Ahmed identity and nationality, while attempting to determine whether she has any ties to terrorism. Government officials said that name is on an FBI watch list and that it was put on the list after it surfaced during an investigation of an overseas terrorist incident...
Posted to Immigration_terror at 07:06 PM | Comments (0)
"Fattest Cat: Officials: Democrat's Biggest Money Man Has Mob Connections"
From ABC News:
...Stephen Bing, a wealthy film producer who, with little fanfare, has managed to steer a total of more than $16 million of his money to Democratic candidates and the supposedly independent groups that support them...
...Democratic Party officials said they knew nothing about the man who law enforcement officials tell ABC News is Bing's friend and business partner... a New York [mob] figure currently in federal prison on racketeering charges.
"[His] main activity was murder. No question about it... He was one of the top hit men in the New York area," said... a former NYPD investigator.
Posted to Politics at 05:56 PM | Comments (0)
Are you searching for a reason to believe, Lauren Tewes?
"Hello everybody, this is Brad Williams! Welcome to Fantabulous Offers! You might remember me as Lorbock from Battlestar Gallactica. I have a question for you...
Are you searching for a reason to believe in John Kerry?
Join with us today as we explore all the reasons you should believe! And, with me to help in this quest is former Love Boat actress, Lauren Tewes!"
"Thank you Brad! It's good to be here supporting John Kerry!"
"I've got a surprise for you Lauren!"
"Oh, Brad, you know how I love surprises! So, what's in the box?"
"It's a new special offer from MoveOn Productions Bahamas Offshore Registry Ltd.! It's a brand spanking new Kerry Kit!"
"Wow! A Kerry Kit! What's in it?"
"Well, Lauren, The Kerry Kit shows you the John Kerry you have never seen before through exclusive, never-before-seen video, revealing articles, and literature that cuts through the spin!"
"Wow! What's on the DVD?"
"Featured on the DVD are excerpts from acclaimed director George Butler's forthcoming documentary, Going Upriver: The Long War of John Kerry!"
"Is that all? Don't you have another surprise for me?!?!"
"Yes, that's right Lauren! Your Kerry Kit also includes a booklet containing insightful and informative articles from David Corn (The Nation), Paul Krugman (The New York Times), and David Kusnet (former speechwriter for President Clinton)."
"Wow! But, with all that and more, how much is the Kerry Kit going to cost me?"
"Because we're desperate and overflowing with cash from George Soros, the first 100,000 Kerry Kits are completely free of charge!"
"Cut!"
Posted to Politics at 01:55 PM | Comments (0)
"Anti-War Activist Dragged off DNC Floor in Handcuffs"
Behind veneer of unity, Democratic leadership works to squelch anti-war sentiment
Boston -- As Teresa Heinz Kerry gave her prime-time address at the Democratic National Convention on Tuesday night, Medea Benjamin of CODEPINK: Women for Peace attempted to bring an anti-war message onto the convention floor. She unfurled a pink banner that read "End the Occupation of Iraq" -- a sentiment that is shared by the majority of Americans and vast majority of Democrats -- and was promptly dragged out of the Fleet Center by the police...
Inside the convention, the DNC has banned anything but "officially printed" banners and signs from the convention floor, and several anti-war delegates from the Kucinich campaign have been told to take off scarves that say "delegate for peace." Outside the convention, those who oppose the Democratic Party position on Iraq are relegated to a "protest pen", which is actually a cage surrounded by fencing and barbed wire...
Posted to Politics at 12:05 PM | Comments (0)
"Randi Rhodes (Air America) Banished From Demo Convention Floor By Al Franken???"
This is a second-hand report by a listener to South Florida's Steve Kane Show. I couldn't find anything at the second link about this, so apparently it's radio-only:
I just heard Brian Craig (and Steve Kane) discussing the incredible humiliation of Randi Rhodes at the Democrat Convention yesterday. What happened was that some political comedian on the air invited Randi to walk among the delegates on the floor. Randi replied that she wasn't allowed on the floor and had to stay in the upper reaches of the hall. Brian and Steve were speculating as to whether Randi's floor pass was lifted by either a VERY JEALOUS Al Franken or nervous Democrats.
BTW, it was also mentioned that Randi is NOT allowed in the studio anytime Al Franken is there. Plus she is NOT allowed to talk to any of Franken's guests even off the air.
Apparently Al Franken has some major JEALOUSY problems concerning Randi Rhodes. I do remember when Air America first went on the air, the reviews for Franken were horrible but they also said that Randi was INTERESTING even though she is s WHACKO.
I don't know what they could be worried about... [Am I telegraphing this enough?] There are no Christmas trees at this year's convention.
[You might be wondering: what's all this about the Christmas tree thing? Your confusion is because this was originally posted to Randi Rhodes and her Christmas tree, and you'll need to go there and find out. Keep the above images in your mind, it will help the effect.]
Posted to Politics at 10:51 PM | Comments (0)
Hold up there, Johnny boy. I saw her first
"And the Lord! Yeah, the Lord! Yahweh gave me this giant hand which I will use to smite all heathen Republicans throughout this great land! Amen, amen! And, with my giant hand I will sign all manner of social legislation! Amen! Can I hear an Amen?"
Posted to Politics at 08:51 PM | Comments (0)
Kerry reveals his plan for Earth
"John Kerry, minion finalize their plan to enslave Mankind."
More details on Kerry's plan here.
(Props to Glenn "Instapundit" Reynolds)
Posted to Politics at 08:23 PM | Comments (0)
"South African woman's passport prompts federal investigation"
There's a minor update to the previous post "Woman With Possible Terror Ties Arrested" [smuggled in from Mexico]. From the AP:
U.S. Rep. Solomon Ortiz of Corpus Christi, the ranking Democrat on the House Armed Services Subcommittee on Readiness, said "very credible" people told him Ahmed has traveled within the United States more than 250 times, and that federal authorities were investigating whether she had ties to terrorists.
The Associated Press reported earlier Tuesday that authorities believed crime syndicates operating within the South African government were believed to be selling illegal passports for as little as $77 apiece.
While it's believed the passports mostly go to poor people hoping to get into Europe or the United States a little easier, the director general of South Africa's Department of Home Affairs said South African passports had been found in the hands of al-Qaida militants and other terrorists traveling through Europe.
Eddie Rios, a spokesman for the U.S. Border Patrol in McAllen, said the agency had not been told that South African passports were being used by terrorists...
See also the earlier post "Congressman: Terrorists are infiltrating the U.S. via Mexico".
(BugMeNot is your friend)
UPDATE: AP has a report from SA that doesn't mention the U.S. border, just SA and Europe:
Barry Gilder, director general of the Department of Home Affairs, said he has come across a number of instances in which South African passports were found in the hands of al-Qaeda suspects or their associates in Europe... They sell mostly to economic migrants... but terrorists appear to be tapping into these networks, Gilder said...
And, from Federal News Radio (apparently a private company owned by WTOP that covers the feds), we have this:
A South African woman picked up in Texas almost 10 days ago may turn out to be a key, high-level al-Qaida operative... Government sources tell FederalNewsRadio.com that capturing this woman could be comparable to the arrest of Khalid Sheik Mohammed, the alleged mastermind of 9/11. It was revealed in court Tuesday that she was on a watch list and had entered the U.S. possibly as many as 250 times.
ANOTHER UPDATE: The News24 (SA) report SA woman 'on US terror list' ends with this:
"It is certainly true that this case has not been handled in the manner that normal immigration cases are handled," [her court-appointed attorney] said, adding he doesn't know why.[U.S. Rep. Solomon] Ortiz said Ahmed's arrest has increased his concerns that terrorists could enter the United States along the southern border.
He noted that many undocumented people who are not from Mexico are routinely released because of a lack of detention space.
The NewsChannel 5 TV network reported that Ahmed had visited the US before, but that her visa had expired in 1996.
It added that she had, however, remained in the country for three more years.
YET ANOTHER UPDATE: A newly-discovered article from last week with more information in is this later post.
Posted to Immigration_terror at 07:08 PM | Comments (0)
Please make it stop
I posted an ad for a small, low-value job to losangeles.craigslist.com, asking people to send me URL examples of their work. I have an idea for an anti-Kerry bumper sticker.
I get 63 frigging replies.
That wouldn't be a problem, except now I gotta sort through all these goshdarn HTML-formatted emails trying to differentiate between the artists' URLs and the spam URLs inserted by their mailing software. I did a grep for http, but I'm sure I didn't get all the URLs. So, I need to search through each frigging message.
Once again, Tim Berners-Lee should be sent the bill for all the productivity lost courtesy of his "brilliant" idea.
Posted to Miscellania at 02:55 PM | Comments (0)
"Bill Jones speaks out against voting rights for non-citizens"
From Terence Chea of the AP:
Republican Senate candidate Bill Jones railed on Monday against a ballot measure that would grant non-citizens here the right to vote in school board elections, calling it a "slap in the face" to U.S. citizenship and the country's immigration laws.
Speaking on the steps of San Francisco City Hall, the former secretary of state said the charter amendment would violate the California Constitution and erode public confidence in the electoral process. He said encouraging immigrants to become citizens is the best way to expand voter participation...
Oddly enough, Barbara Boxer also opposes the measure.
Whether Terence Chea would characterize Barbara Boxer as "railing" about something is an open question.
Posted to Immigration2003 at 01:26 PM | Comments (1)
Sell Your Body to Science
Received via spam:
Easiest $20k You'll Ever Make.
Donate your body to science and profit while you are still alive. It's incredibly easy and perfectly legal.
Get your money immediately and enjoy life!
That's right. You can make $20,000 per year by donating your body to science while you are still alive. You make the money now and help advance science. It is good for mankind and great for your wallet.
Harvard educated instructor [name deleted --LW] ED.M shows you how. Tips and tricks and places to avoid, it is all included.
Be one of the first to capitalize on these secrets. It will never be this easy again after everybody knows how to do it.
If you don't agree this is the easiest money you have ever made, we will give you your money back.
Ha ha, that's funny. Let's see if their hosting company, webcrossing.com gets the joke too.
I did a search on this guy's name, and he has been mentioned in a few legit newspapers. But, not here.
IMPORTANT UPDATE, PLEASE READ: I will not email anyone any information on this program. If you're interested, please continue your google search, I'm sure you can find his site.
Posted to WackyHumor at 11:40 AM | Comments (147)
Hillary: 'Secure our borders'
During the Clinton administration, the INS became a virtual recruiting drive for the Democratic party, as described here.
So, when Hillary Clinton remarked in her speech yesterday that we should secure our borders, I laughed a bit. However, there's always the possibility that if they say it enough, they might actually mean it. Unfortunately, the non-liberal media will not press her to fully explain her comment and provide details of what we should be doing.
WND comments on that part of her speech here:
Hillary Clinton surprised a few people around the country and turned a few heads when she talked about how John Kerry would make America safer.
In a nationally televised speech from the Democratic National Convention in Boston, the New York senator and former first lady said, "We need to secure our borders."
Posted to Immigration2003 at 10:54 AM | Comments (0)
"Politicians Snub Latinos' Real Wishes"
I was working on a similar post, but Dan Stein of FAIR says it much better:
Ranking right up there with the proverbial "Dog Bites Man" headline, a new opinion poll released last week by the Pew Hispanic Center finds that Latinos in the United States are most concerned about education, jobs, the state of the economy and access to affordable healthcare � just like everyone else in the country. Eleventh on the list of things that Latinos are concerned with � several notches below the vague notion of moral values � is immigration...
With the stroke of Bush's or Kerry's pen, millions of illegal aliens can be instantly transformed into guest workers or green card holders, and the man holding the pen can take credit for having "delivered" something to Latinos, even if it is only the 11th item on their wish list. Ironically, in making item No. 11 come true, the politicians who are pandering to them will make their other wishes even more difficult, if not impossible, to attain. Because neither Congress nor the president possesses the authority to repeal the law of supply and demand, amnesty for millions of illegal aliens and their families, expanded guest worker programs and still higher levels of legal immigration would only exacerbate the very problems that most Latinos (and everybody else) worry about...
My post, however, would have wondered whether the "Hisp" part of "Hispandering" is accurate or not. Are Bush's and Kerry's "outreach" to Latinos via Open Borders initiatives really intended to get the "Hispanic vote" so much as to appease those who desire cheap labor at any cost?
And, in Bush's case, could he be looking to demographically change the U.S. in order to make a presidential bid by his nephew possible?
Or, are Bush and Kerry's plans part of their general globalist, NWO agenda? (Not that I believe in any of that black helicopter, Skull & Bones, Bilderberger stuff, mind you.)
In any case, a newly-enspined John Kerry could follow up on Hillary Clinton's remarks of yesterday (see the next post). He could announce a flip-flop on the Kerry Amnesty. Rather than attempting to flood the U.S. with low-wage workers, he could decide to use immigration to America's benefit. By doing so he would enrage the "Latino" "leadership." But, where would they go? And, how many Latinos who are not a member of far-left Racial Identity groups could he attract to his campaign? And, how many disatisfied conservative voters could he bring on board? And, by pledging to increase border security and decrease illegal immigration, he could point out Bush's glaring weaknesses in those areas.
I think he'd come out ahead, all things considered. But, that would require him to show true leadership and take a risk, rather than sticking with the safe bet of playing the usual Democratic race game.
Posted to Immigration2003 at 10:44 AM | Comments (0)
Partying down with the enemies of the proletariat
Far-lefty Marc Cooper on a DNC party:
Follow the money, they say. So I did. And it led right to the Wellfleet oysters and mango lobster cakes. And the grilled swordfish. And the stuffed figs and sushi. As well as the ham, turkey, pasta, grilled vegetables, smoked duck, jumbo shrimp, fresh clams, cream puffs, napoleons, and éclairs. And to the gourmet wine bar and two or three other free-flowing bars. Also to a couple of jazz bands, a handful of performing human mannequins, a spectacular view from the top of Boston’s highest skyscraper. And lapping all this up late last night, the California Congressional Delegation and much of the cream of Democratic “progressivism” – including Doctor Dean and House minority leader Nancy Pelosi.(see the pictures in the posting below) By day they rail against special interests. By night, they party down with them.
While this blog has provided a wealth of Pelosi coverage, if I had to choose just one favorite Pelosi post it would be: "Nanci Pelosi, supporter of sweatshops, opponent of citizens and laws".
(Via this)
Posted to Politics at 10:15 AM | Comments (0)
Maybe Open Borders advocates should read the 9/11 Commission Report
Here are a few excerpts that mention immigration, borders, or visas:
Page 213
Between late March and September 2001, the Intelligence Community identified numerous signs of an impending terrorist attack, some of which pointed specifically to the United States as a target:
...In May, the Intelligence Community obtained a report that Bin Ladin supporters were planning to infiltrate the United States by way of Canada to carry out a terrorist operation using high explosives. This report mentioned without specifics an attack within the United States. In July, this information was shared with the FBI, the Immigration and Naturalization Service, the Customs Service, and the State Department and was included in an intelligence report for senior government officials in August.
ADDITIONAL VIEWS OF REPRESENTATIVE MIKE CASTLE (R-DELAWARE)
...The State Department's Bureau of Consular Affairs and the Justice Department's Immigration and Naturalization Service have joint responsibility for the management of our visa program, yet this program's administration has been characterized by poor management practices, uneven enforcement policies, and inadequate coordination between these agencies and other elements of the U.S. intelligence and law enforcement communities. The majority of theSeptember 11th hijackers were wrongly admitted to the United States -- in violation of U.S. immigration laws -- as a result of decisions made and errors committed by responsible State Department and Justice Department officers. The fact that many of them entered and operated in true name, further emphasizes the extent to which the current system is broken...
...I strongly believe that significant legislative changes are urgently needed to redirect and reorganize our national visa policies.
JOINT INQUIRY STAFF REPORT/ADDITIONAL VIEWS/SENATOR JON KYL, SENATOR PAT ROBERTS
...The failures that led to 9/11 occurred not only in the intelligence community. The JIS was selective about what threads of inquiry it was willing to follow beyond the intelligence community. Failure to examine the State Department’s visa-issuance process must rank as the most glaring of these omissions because the answer to the question – could 9/11 have been prevented -- is yes, if State Department personnel had merely followed the law and not granted non-immigrant visas to 15 of the 19 hijackers in Saudi Arabia.
We repeat: If our own laws regarding the issuance of visas had been followed by the State Department, most of the hijackers would not have been able to obtain visas, and 9/11 would not have happened. Because the entire culture of the State Department is geared toward facilitating smooth relations with foreign governments, State Department personnel have tended to ignore the potential effect of their practices on national security.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
(link) Neither the State Department's consular officers nor the Immigration and Naturalization Service's agents and inspectors were ever considered full partners in a national counterterrorism effort. Protecting borders was not a national security issue before 9/11...
(link) ...Set standards for the issuance of birth certificates and sources of identification, such as driver's licenses.
See, for example, the earlier post "Congressman: Terrorists are infiltrating the U.S. via Mexico". Due to political correctness and a desire for serf labor, are we doing all we can to prevent another attack?
Posted to Immigration_terror at 10:00 PM | Comments (0)
Fill in the PC blanks
Here's the blogosphere's latest craze. Can you fill in the blanks in the following quote from the COUNTERTERRORISM ORGANIZATIONS WITHIN THE INTELLIGENCE COMMUNITY section of the 9/11 Commission Report?
The [________] Extremist CT Operations Group, the CTC operational arm, tracks al-Qa’ida and other [________] radical groups. In 1996, the CTC created [the Bin Ladin Issue] Station to target Bin Ladin and his network, [________________________]. The CTC’s [________] Extremist Branch also follows a range of radical [________] groups...
Posted to Terrorism at 09:50 PM | Comments (0)
John Kerry, civil libertarian. Part 2
The liberaltarians at Reason provide a run-down of Kerry's record on civil liberties:
Then it was Sen. John Ashcroft (R-Mo.) who argued alongside the ACLU in favor of the individual's right to encrypt messages and export encryption software. Ashcroft "was kind of the go-to guy for all of us on the Republican side of the Senate," recalls David Sobel, general counsel of the Electronic Privacy Information Center.
And in what now seems like a bizarre parallel universe, it was John Kerry who was on the side of the FBI, the National Security Agency, and the DOJ...
Although the encryption fight appears to be over, similar battles are being fought today. For instance, as with encryption, the FBI now wants preemptive design mandates so it can have an automatic mechanism to tap into Voice over Internet Protocol, the fledgling technology that allows people to make phone calls online. Once again, law enforcement wants tech firms to build a "back door" for the police. Wayne Crews, director of technology studies at the pro-market Competitive Enterprise Institute, notes that Kerry has been silent on the FBI's efforts. "The only thing I've heard from Kerry on technology regulation is continued investment from the federal government," Crews says...
Posted to Politics at 07:35 PM | Comments (0)
Snopes on "Terror in the Skies"
From Snopes:
Claim: Reporter encounters terrorists on airline flight who are making a dry run at assembling a bomb on-board.
Status: False.
Really. As I wrote in a letter to Snopes, does that mean that the Snopes organization has done a thorough background check on the musicians and determined that they were in fact innocent musicians and had no relation to terrorism?
If not, there's no way Snopes can call this "false."
I suggested that they change the status to "undetermined," or at least provide a note saying that the cover story provided by the musicians checked out. Feel free to use their feedback form to suggest the same.
Posted to Terrorism at 07:23 PM | Comments (0)
Is there anything the miraculous John Kerry can't do?
If I had gone to Boston to cover the DNC, right about this time I would be looking for the nearest exit. Sated with the stream of groups to which Kerry will grant benefits and the good that he will do, I would seek a breath of sanity.
Exiting the hall, I would attempt to find, photograph, and interview protesters from across the spectrum as well as colorful locals. If I could find politicians or members of the press behaving badly, that would be a bonus. If I could entrap a member of the press into admitting liberal bias, that would be a big bouns. Fully cognizant that the mainstream press is trying to feed mainstream bloggers, I would mercilessly chomp into that hand.
That said, let's see what the official bloggers are saying:
TalkLeft is as giddy as a schoolgirl: "The crowd is electrifed. We knew Bill Clinton would be worth the wait, and he is! We're trying to type but we keep jumping up off our stool to cheer and clap for him. What a giant..."
Dave says: "This is Dave from Boston. I missed Gore's speech because I was being interviewed for the Daily Show on the Comedy Channel. Look for it!"
Pandagon intones: "Okay, so one of my worries was that bloggers would embarass themselves by posting on the banal and silly as opposed to things that, even if funny, at least were of some import..."
Matthew Gross takes a trip to the cage where they keep the free speech.
Dave Winer alerts us that They're giving out these cool blogger visors.
The Stakeholder reports: "It will mean nothing if we elect John Kerry president, but leave Tom DeLay and his "Rubber Stamp" Republicans in the majority! ...That was the provocative and incredibly timely message that House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi and DCCC Chairman Robert T. Matsui delivered to a meeting of Labor Union presidents this morning..."
BOPNews says: "On CNN Jeff Greenfield anchors a throw to David Sifty (in the bloggers' booth?) to find out what the blogosphere thought of Al Gore's speech."
Etc. etc. etc.
You had your chance, blogdom. All I wanted was $3000 and I could have covered the shindig in the patented Lonewacko style. But, no. You want this instead.
Meanwhile, there are a few local Boston blogs listed here. See, for instance, the picture collection here.
Posted to Politics at 07:03 PM | Comments (0)
Our artist made a mistake! Can you spot the error?
Help! We told our artist to draw an artist's conception of a car that can show feelings. But, our offshore artist made a mistake. Can you spot it?
In other Drudge-related news, Kevin Drum is trying to downplay Teresa's latest outburst (the "Shove it" remark).
Posted to WackyHumor at 10:48 PM | Comments (4)
"Additional [Border Patrol] roundups planned"
From this:
U.S. Border Patrol sweeps to round up and deport undocumented immigrants will continue in San Bernardino and Riverside counties, officials said Saturday.
A newly formed unit at the Border Patrol's Temecula station has arrested 505 illegal immigrants in Southern California since June 4, including a total of 154 in Ontario and Corona. The rest were arrested in Temecula and San Diego County...
"I know they have future operations planned and they have received the support of Washington, D.C. for future operations,' said Richard Kite, senior patrol agent for the Border Patrol's San Diego sector...
Kite would not disclose when or where the sweeps will occur...
Sean Isham, a Border Patrol supervisor, said "an intelligence folder' has been approved for an upcoming operation.
"Whether it's based on citizen calls or agent experiences going out and surveilling a certain area, they compile that intelligence into a folder,' said Isham, who is based in San Diego. "That folder is sent to Washington for approval.'
Hmmm. Window dressing or for real? Will the Bush administration cave in to Racial Identity groups and the Mexican government again, or will they, er, stay the course? Stay tuned.
Previous coverage of the raids starts here.
Posted to Immigration2003 at 09:38 PM | Comments (0)
John Kerry, civil libertarian
Talk radio favorite Matt Drudge is playing a recent interview ESPN did with John Kerry. Apparently the interview was done in relation to the Yankees-Red Sox game Kerry attended earlier today. ESPN has a report on the game, but it doesn't mention the most interesting part.
What's not featured in that report is where the interviewer asks Kerry what he thinks of the massive security precautions in Boston.
Kerry responds "that's fine." Kerry doesn't say much, other than to express that security precautions like that currently in Boston need to be carried out occasionally. Kerry is apparently OK with security precautions such as barbed-wire cages for protesters, bomb-sniffing dogs sniffing everything in sight, and all the rest.
When and if there's a written report, I'll post a link to it.
Posted to Politics at 08:22 PM | Comments (0)
Yes, it does hurt quite a bit
My left ankle looks like it has a golf ball embedded inside it.
Earlier today, I hiked up the Old Mount Wilson Trail above Sierra Madre. On the way up, I dropped one of my water bottles over the side of the trail, and it skittered down into the bushes. I decided to pick it up on the return trip since I had a liter of some Gatorade-style thing. I also ran into a group from the Sierra Madre Search & Rescue on the way up; apparently one of a group of three had become dehydrated and had had to be airlifted. They were escorting the two other members of the party down.
Proceeding onward, I hiked up about two miles and 1300', then, since I was wet, it was hot, and the green Gatorade-thing was over half done, I decided to turn around.
Shortly after starting a moderate jog down, I spotted a (too) young lady coming up the trail. Momentarily distracted and jogging through a small gravel slide, my left foot twisted inward about 50 or 60 degrees.
Seemed OK. For about a second. Then, the massive pain began.
The young lady offered to walk me back down, perhaps to meet up with the Search & Rescue team. I had to sit down the pain was so intense, but, after assuring the young lady that I'd be OK, I was able to hobble down the trail towards "civilization," Jack London style. Walking down the rocky sections was a bit painful, but on the dirt sections I was able to achieve a slightly faster hobble.
On the way back, a young rattler slithered across the trail just two feet from where the water bottle had gone over. I decided not to go for it.
Needless to say, there could have been much worse places for something like this all to happen.
Posted to OutdoorSports at 08:13 PM | Comments (0)
Susan "Medea" Benjamin is (partially) right (for once)
Susan "Medea" Benjamin on the "free speech zones" at the DNCC:
"We don't deserve to be put in a detention center, a concentration camp," said Medea Benjamin of San Francisco. "It's tragic that here in Boston, the birthplace of democracy, our First Amendment rights are being trampled on."
Two fellow protesters from the anti-war group Code Pink, who dressed in pink Statue of Liberty garb, taped their mouths shut. Some activists said while they understand the need for security, organizers went overboard.
"We are on high, high red alert for the protection of our civil liberties," said Claryce Evans, national coordinator for United Peace and Justice. American Civil Liberties Union and National Lawyers Guild attorneys asked a federal judge to open up or move the zone...
The ACLU? The NLG? The guy on my left shoulder says they should go back to Russia. The guy on my right shoulder says they should be allowed to protest in such a way that both safety and their First Amendment rights are protected. Right-shoulder-guy wins. I just wouldn't call it "a concentration camp."
Posted to ThePeaceMovement at 12:22 PM | Comments (1)
"The Fastest Way To [profit from illegal immigration]"
FirstData is the parent company of Western Union, and they're now a major processor of credit card transactions in addition to their original business of money transfer.As described here, they've also decided to attempt to unseat U.S. Rep. Tom Tancredo, who represents the district in Colorado where their headquarters are based.
They've been in the news recently because of this article: "Heckling, fistfight mar forum on immigration":
Organizers who brought together a panel of national experts for a forum on immigration reform sponsored by First Data Corp. on Thursday night billed the event as way to foster dialogue on a critical policy issue...In February, First Data held a "debate" moderated by former CNN Washington Bureau Chief Frank Sesno. The panelists were:
Halfway through, a fistfight broke out, and police arrested a woman friends described as a Hispanic activist after she struck a heckler on the head.
"All the other events have been perfectly calm," said Wendy Carver-Herbert, a slightly shaken First Data Corp. vice president, referring to similar panels in Washington and Chicago.
"We intended this to be a very thought-provoking forum on an important topic that needs to be debated," she said...
...critics blamed the organizers for staging a forum they said was one-sided and shut out the opinion of immigration opponents...
Harry Pachon, president, Tomas Rivera Policy Institute * Cecilia Munoz, vice president, National Council of La Raza (NCLR) * Arturo Vargas, executive director, National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Educational Fund (NALEO) * Sal Gomez, board member, Denver Hispanic Chamber of Commerce * Raul Hinojosa, Ph.D, North American Integration & Development Center/UCLA * Robert Deposada, president, The Latino CoalitionDoesn't sound like there was much debate involved.
They've also created a $10 million "Empowerment Fund," as described in "First Data/Western Union and Latino Advocacy Organizations Call For Action on Immigration Reform"
But, the bottom line is the bottom line here.
At their site, First Data provides the article "The Fastest Way To Make Money" from Time Magazine:
About 100 miles south of Mexico City, in a valley framed by towering pre-Columbian ruins, sits Coatetelco, population 15,000, which has a beauty parlor but no bank. A few people grow maize, chilies and fruit, but remittances--mostly from agricultural or construction workers in Georgia and the Carolinas--account for a staggering 90% of the villagers' incomes. Patricio, 49, who stopped working in the U.S. three years ago, says sending money to Coatetelco has become more convenient and less expensive since his return. At the end of each month, he gets a call from his two sons, who are working illegally in Georgia....Obviously, there's big money in enabling illegal immigration.
Witness the Bush administration trying to continue allowing banks to accept Matricula Consular cards:
Yesterday that amendment was sustained in the full committee by a vote of 26-25, despite major arm twisting by the Bush Administration to remove the provision. Treasury Secretary Snow wrote Appropriations Committee Chair, Rep. Bill Young, "The Administration believes as a general matter that Americans are better protected if consumers of all nationalities are invited into the financial mainstream."Shouldn't Presidents support our laws, rather than helping them be broken?
Posted to Immigration2003 at 04:02 PM | Comments (1)
Wanted: Bloggers who were rejected by the DNCC
If that's you, leave comment. I have a... plan.
Posted to Bloggage at 01:47 PM | Comments (3)
"Al-Qaida May Have Had Network in California Long Before 9/11"
Or, they may not have. The L.A. Times spends an article offering speculation but no real scary bits.
The first visit to the U.S. by two of the 9/11 hijackers was to Los Angeles. Their first two weeks here are a mystery. However, they appear to have made acquaintances at the King Fahd mosque in Culver City. A former prayer leader at the mosque (and a Saudi consular official) was expelled last year because of links to terrorists. However, the article doesn't mention any direct connection between them and the prayer leader.
If you were from, say, Morrocco, and you went to the Morroccan district of a city, there's a good chance you could meet up with Morroccans who would take newcomers under their wing. Especially if they were from your part of Morrocco. As others in the article point out, that may have been all that was involved. Speculating...
Posted to Terrorism at 09:52 PM | Comments (0)
Arizona hospitals to get reimbursed a fraction of money spent on illegal alien healthcare; employers will not be charged
The Feds are giving Arizona hospitals $42 million a year for four years to help reimburse the costs of (free) healthcare for illegal aliens.
In the past year, the University Medical Center in Tucson lost ten times that amount providing free healthcare for illegal aliens.
The employers of those illegal aliens could not be reached for comment, as they were on their way to the bank.
Posted to Immigration2003 at 08:40 PM | Comments (0)
" Bali bombers may be freed by ruling"
The convictions of dozens of Islamists involved in the Bali bombings two years ago could be overturned after Indonesia's highest court ruled that the laws under which they were tried were unconstitutional.
The constitutional court in Jakarta yesterday declared that the terrorism legislation was invalid as it had passed into law months after the bombings, in which 202 people died, including 28 Britons.
There is, of course, the possibility that covert state or private enforcement might occur if they are indeed released.
Posted to Terrorism at 08:36 PM | Comments (1)
"What are the mainstream bloggers thinking?"
In case you want to find out what the mainstream bloggers are thinking, head on over to Dave Winer's new "joint," Convention Bloggers. It's a "community site for bloggers participating in the DNC, July 26-29."
(Link via Glenn "Instapundit" Reynolds)
Indeed. Heh.
Posted to Bloggage at 08:01 PM | Comments (0)
"Border watch group claims to sneak fake WMD into US"
I almost put this into the WackyHumor category because of the last bit, but this is indeed a serious demonstration of how our lack of border enforcement could lead to tragedy:
A border watch group claims it successfully sneaked into the United States carrying a fake weapon of mass destruction.American Border Patrol spokesman Glenn Spencer told a Tucson newspaper the test was intended to show how easy it would be for terrorists to sneak deadly weapons across the border...
The Mexican government is checking a videotape and may enter a formal complaint with the United States government.
"If the incident can be confirmed," said Miguel Escobar, Mexico's consul in Douglas, "a formal letter of protest will be submitted to the U.S. government."
Note that despite that being an AP report that was filed yesterday, so far it's only appeared on three news sites...
Now, let's compare how the Bush administration deals with complaints from our own congressmen about Mexico violating our own laws.
From this 1/03 post:
The Mexican government, despite concerns by U.S. law-enforcement authorities and immigration officials, is handing out thousands of identity cards ["Matricula Consular cards"] to Mexican nationals in this country, including those here illegally...
Last week, in a letter to Secretary of State Colin L. Powell, 12 House members questioned the propriety of the cards, describing them as an "issue of enormous significance that has massive implications for the nation..."
"While the issuance of national identification cards is nothing new, providing them with the express purpose of evading U.S. law is something entirely different," the lawmakers said. "The active lobbying of local and state governments by consuls of foreign countries is, at least, a breach of international protocol deserving of a serious response by our government."
This week, we have the administration trying to block Congressman John Culberson's attempts to prevent banks from accepting those Matricula Consular cards:
Yesterday that amendment was sustained in the full committee by a vote of 26-25, despite major arm twisting by the Bush Administration to remove the provision. Treasury Secretary Snow wrote Appropriations Committee Chair, Rep. Bill Young, “The Administration believes as a general matter that Americans are better protected if consumers of all nationalities are invited into the financial mainstream.”
Note that the Matricula Consular cards are only of use to illegal aliens.
Posted to Immigration_terror at 01:54 PM | Comments (0)
"Who's Getting the New Jobs?"
Bob Herbert of the New York Times finds out:
A startling new study shows that all of the growth in the employed population in the United States over the past few years can be attributed to recently arrived immigrants...
Those most affected by the influx of new immigrant workers are young, less well-educated American workers and so-called established immigrants, those who have been in the U.S. for a number of years...
Simply stated, there are not enough jobs being created to accommodate the wide variety of demographic groups in need of work. With that being the case, and with some employers actively recruiting new immigrants, the inevitable result has been the displacement of previously employed workers, especially in the less skilled and lower-income categories...
Someone should alert Kerry's base to the effect the Kerry Amnesty would have on their lives. JumboJack90040 is working on that, but he needs your help. Moby-lize!
Posted to Immigration2003 at 11:35 AM | Comments (1)
How many didn't get caught?
According to Bill Gertz and Rowan Scarborough:
U.S. border agents since October have picked up five Arabs trying to cross into the United States illegally from Mexico, according to U.S. officials. The arrests are raising new concerns that al Qaeda terrorists are trying to enter the country from Mexico.
However, officials at the Homeland Security Department's Customs and Border Protection section — formerly the U.S. Border Patrol — were quick to dismiss as erroneous an Internet report this week that said a "flood" of Middle Eastern men were caught recently trying to sneak into the United States across the Mexican border with Arizona.
[...they were Oaxacan Indians...]
Here's the report Gertz' sources are presumably referring to:
However, seasoned Border Patrol field agents have shared some disturbing information with the [Tombstone AZ] Tumbleweed...
The Tumbleweed has verified information that a flood of middle-eastern males have been caught entering the country illegally east of Douglas, Arizona. The increased patrols in the Huachuca Mountains area of Cochise County, seems to have diverted the flow of OTM’s, “other than Mexicans” east to the Chiricahua Mountains.
Adame, who says many of the agents in the area are “green”, questions why they would have shared the information with the Tumbleweed or any other source. “Our policy is to turn any OTM’s over to the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security,” Adame said in a phone call made to the Tumbleweed Wednesday morning.
For reasons of National security, Adame said his agency cannot talk about the origin of nationaity, however Adame says that since October 1, 2003, the beginning of the fiscal year for Border Patrol, agents in the Tucson sector have apprehended 5,510 illegals from countries other than Mexico or other central or South American countries. Adame described them as “people from all over the world”.
In the last month, the Tumbleweed has confirmed at least two documented accounts of Border Patrol agents encountering large groups of non-Spanish speaking males in the Chiricahua foothills and on trails along the high mountain areas.
On or about the early morning hours of June 13, 2004 Border patrol agents from the Willcox station encountered a large group of suspected illegal border crossers, estimated to be around 158... 71 suspected illegal aliens were apprehended; among them were 53 males of middle-eastern descent.
According to a Border Patrol field agent, the men were suspected to be Iranian or possibly Syrian nationals. “One thing’s for sure: these guys didn’t speak Spanish and after we questioned them harder we discovered they spoke poor English with a middle-eastern accent; then we caught them speaking to each other in Arabic…this is ridiculous that we don't take this more seriously, and we’re told not to say a thing to the media, but I have to,” said the agent, who spoke to the Tumbleweed with the promise of anonymity.
Adame confirms the groups of illegals were apprehended on those dates in the same area but stated, “There were no middle easterners in the group. Every single one of them was Mexican.”
Posted to Immigration_terror at 10:48 AM | Comments (2)
"Woman With Possible Terror Ties Arrested" [smuggled in from Mexico]
From KRGV (near Brownsville,TX):
Federal agents believe a South African woman they have in custody may have ties to terrorists.
Farida Goolam Mahomed Ahmed was taken into custody Monday when she tried to board a plane at McAllen Miller International Airport. The Federal Bureau of Investigation would not release any information Thursday, but NEWSCHANNEL 5 obtained court papers filed by an FBI Special Agent assigned to the bureau's Joint Terrorism Task Force...
Investigators found travel itineraries showing that Ahmed flew from South Africa to London, via the United Arab Emirates on July 8. Six days later, Ahmed flew from London to Mexico City. After initially claiming her VISA was left in New York, Ahmed later admitted that she was smuggled into the United States through the Texas border...
See also the earlier post "Congressman: Terrorists are infiltrating the U.S. via Mexico".
Posted to Immigration_terror at 10:19 AM | Comments (0)
"Bush Urges Blacks to Consider What Dems Have Done for Them Lately"
From this:
President Bush came right out and asked African-Americans for their vote on Friday. In his address to the National Urban League, Bush said he understands that the "Republican Party's got a lot of work to do." And he urged Democratic voters to consider some questions.
"Does the Democratic Party take African-American voters for granted?" It's a fair question, Bush said. Do Democrats earn your vote and deserve it, he asked?
"Is it a good thing for the African-American community to be represented mainly by one political party?
Another question Bush could ask: "The Kerry Amnesty will bring millions of low-wage earners here. What effect will that have on low-wage-earning blacks?"
Oh, wait.
Posted to Politics at 08:56 AM | Comments (0)
Manchurian Candidate due to be released
I suggest you see the original version of the Manchurian Candidate instead. The Manchurian Candidate is a great film for those interested in the Manchurian Candidate.
Posted to Politics at 06:35 PM | Comments (1)
Air marshals: Annie Jacobsen, husband overreacted
From Eric Leonard at KFI:
Undercover federal air marshals on board a June 29 Northwest airlines flight from Detroit to LAX identified themselves after a passenger, "overreacted," to a group of middle-eastern men on board, federal officials and sources have told KFI NEWS.
The passenger, later identified as Annie Jacobsen, was in danger of panicking other passengers and creating a larger problem on the plane, according to a source close to the secretive federal protective service...
"The lady was overreacting," said the source. "A flight attendant was told to tell the passenger to calm down; that there were air marshals on the plane."
..."In concert with the flight crew, the decision was made to keep [the men] under surveillance since no terrorist or criminal acts were being perpetrated aboard the aircraft; they didn’t interfere with the flight crew," Adams said.
The air marshals did, however, check the bathrooms after the middle-eastern men had spent time inside, Adams said...
"We have to take all calls seriously, but the passenger was worried, not the flight crew or the federal air marshals," she said. "The complaint did not stem from the flight crew."
Posted to Politics at 01:57 PM | Comments (0)
Gallup poll: 49% want immigration decreased
Here's the main findings of a new Gallup poll:
only 14% of Americans wanting to see immigration increased; another 33% want it kept at the present level while 49% want it decreased.
In a more detailed question:
Gallup asked respondents to rate the impact immigrants have on six different aspects of life in the United States. In all but one dimension, more Americans think that immigrants make the situation worse rather than better. This is especially true with respect to taxes and crime, on which close to half the public thinks immigrants make the situation worse. Immigrants are also viewed more negatively than positively in the areas of the overall economy, job opportunities, and social and moral values...
Only 6% think immigrants make the crime situation better, and only 22% think they make the economy better.
It would be helpful if Gallup would include questions about illegal immigration in their polls; I'm sure the numbers would be strongly opposing that form of immigration.
Posted to Immigration2003 at 01:19 PM | Comments (1)
"Foreign labor: for US, too much of a good thing?"
The CSMonitor crunches the numbers:
More than one-third of all people who ever immigrated to the US have come in the past three decades. Most have been men looking for jobs, legally or illegally, who compete directly with native- born men. George Borjas, a Harvard University economist and expert on immigration economics, estimates that between 1980 and 2000 immigration reduced the average annual earnings of native-born men by $1,700, or roughly 4 percent.
Because most immigrants in those 20 years had relatively little education, the impact of their arrival was greatest on natives who didn't graduate from high school, Borjas found. By adding to the supply of less-educated labor, immigration reduced their wages by 7.4 percent...
Immigration also exaggerates the gap between the rich and poor, Borjas determined. For example, while the poor and less educated in the US see their wages fall sharply because of the influx of new workers, the well-to-do and some businesses benefit from the cheap supply of gardeners, house cleaners, factory workers, day laborers, and so on. So wealth - in the "tens of billions of dollars" a year - is redistributed from labor to buyers of immigrant services, he estimates...
Then there's the drain on government budgets. Providing immigrants with things such as welfare, education, criminal justice, and emergency medical care costs taxpayers a net $11.4 billion to $20.2 billion, a 1997 National Research Council (NRC) report found. That's the total after accounting for the added taxes that immigrants pay into the system. And it surpasses the NRC estimate of $1 billion to $10 billion in benefits to natives - primarily the well-to-do - accruing from having so many immigrants in the labor markets...
A more recent Columbia University study pegs the net cost of immigration at $52 billion a year, or about half of 1 percent of gross domestic product, the nation's total output of goods and services.
"Generally, people don't want to hear these results," says David Weinstein, economist and coauthor with Donald Davis of the Columbia study...
Posted to Immigration2003 at 01:12 PM | Comments (1)
"Anti-migrant initiative backed"
Ah, the Arizona Republic outdoes itself yet again. "Anti-migrant initiative backed" is their report on a new poll showing overwhelming support for the Protect Arizona Now initiative.
First of all, PAN is not "anti-migrant." It simply attempts to limit illegal immigration. The opponents of the measure will certainly attempt to smear it as anti-migrant, and the Arizona Republic is just doing its part.
Also, considering that 74% of those polled support the initiative, the word "backed" is quite an understatement.
If the Arizona Republic were a supporter of PAN, they would, of course, highlight its broad support in the headline, instead they attempt to minimize it.
About 13% of the respondents were Hispanic, and they were evenly split on the initiative; the pollster (an ASU professor) expects 35% or 40% of Hispanics will support the initiative.
If you'd like to suggest that the Arizona Republic use the correct terminology and refrain from false and inflammatory headlines, click here to send various editors an email.
For a counterexample, the more balanced Douglas Daily Dispatch report "Poll shows voters would deny public assistance to illegals" never once uses "undocumented," and it has a far less inflammatory headline that doesn't attempt to downplay the poll results.
Posted to Immigration2003 at 12:50 PM | Comments (1)
I'm one of the good humans
I would like to make it perfectly clear that I have supported Primate Rights for decades now. I have marched; I have written protest letters; I not only fully support the Monkey, Macaque, and Gorilla Agenda, I also support the Orangutan Movement in all its forms. I support your attempts to reconquer Africa, Asia, and parts of Europe. However, I believe it should be pointed out that the weather in Southern California is rather hot and dry. It is quite unlike the tropics or the jungle. You are, of course, welcome to come here. However, I don't think the weather would suit you very much.
Posted to WackyHumor at 10:41 PM | Comments (3)
Socksgate is about to reverse its spinning direction
Br'er Drudge alerts us to this WaPo report:
After Berger's previous visit, in September, Archives officials believed documents were missing. This time, they specially coded the papers to more easily tell whether some went missing... Archives employees determined that that draft and all four or five other versions of the millennium memo had disappeared from the files, this source said...
Lonewacko predicts: the "wacky, absent-minded, always-buried-in-papers-that-lovable-absent-minded-professor" will change into "we had no idea." As I type this, Berger's name and likeness are being airbrushed out of Democratic archives and a show trial is being scripted.
Posted to Politics at 08:59 PM | Comments (0)
"Aliens hiding in plain sight"
The Washington Times just ran a series of articles that offers an overview of the illegal immigration problem. They concentrate on our problems with enforcement, and they offer a stark contrast to the usual media blather featuring happy smiling serf laborers:
Outnumbered in a hunt for aliens
Posted to Immigration2003 at 07:35 PM | Comments (0)
"'Perfectly Logical' Anti-Voter Fraud Bill Faces Tough Road, Says Lawmaker"
From this:
A Colorado congressman is praising a bill recently introduced in the House that would curb voter fraud by requiring voters to actually prove their citizenship.
It is called the Federal Election Integrity Act of 2004 (H.R. 4530). Introduced by Illinois Republican Henry Hyde, it is designed to amend the National Voter Registration Act of 1993, also known as the "Motor Voter Bill." That Clinton-era legislation has been criticized because it provides no safeguards from illegal aliens being able to register to vote.
That is why one of the stated purposes of Hyde's legislation is to prevent fraud in federal elections. Tom Tancredo of the Congressional Immigration Reform Caucus says illegal alien voting has been a serious problem...
Posted to Immigration2003 at 07:23 PM | Comments (0)
Syrian musicians, casino located
The Mystery Of Flight 327 has been partially solved:
Annie Jacobsen's recent piece for WomensWallStreet.Com made waves. Her account of flying with her family while 14 Middle Eastern passengers acted in a threatening and apparently coordinated manner makes for a terrifying read...
...I am nominally the "news director" for Stanford University's student radio station, KZSU, and I figured I'd help the Times out. There aren't that many casinos in southern California, so I had my research assistant, Mr. Google, take a look at some. An hour later I was talking to the nice folks at Sycuan Casino & Resort, near San Diego...
"Oh, do you mean Arab music?" inquired Angie, who answered Sycuan's phone. Yes, they had had an Arab act perform on July 1, an artist named Nour Mehana. Terry, Angie's supervisor at Sycuan, confirmed that he was there and that there was probably a backup band brought in, since there's no house band at Sycuan. In fractions of a second, Mr. Google found a website for Sycuan's event promoters, Anthem Artists, whose archive confirms Nour Mehana performed at Sycuan on 7/01/04...
Posted to Politics at 06:56 PM | Comments (0)
Kansas City Star: Let U.S. citizens eat cake
The Kansas City Star has an editorial about FAIR's suit to prevent Kansas from making U.S. citizens pay greater college tuition than illegal aliens:
Despite the group's acronym, there's nothing "fair" about the attempt by [FAIR] to challenge a new Kansas law regarding college-age children of undocumented immigrants. Misguided and hurtful are more appropriate adjectives.
FAIR filed a lawsuit Monday in a Topeka federal court to block legislation that would allow immigrant students who meet certain guidelines to pay in-state tuition at Kansas colleges and universities... [The plaintiffs] argue that it is not right for them to have to pay out-of-state tuition while students in the country illegally pay less...
What the plaintiffs fail to acknowledge is that they had a choice in deciding to pay higher tuition. If they wanted to pay in-state tuition, they could have attended colleges and universities in their home states.
[The "immigrants" had no free will...] ...The immigrant students aren't replacing or jumping ahead of American-born students. There is plenty of room in Kansas' colleges and universities for those who wish to further their education.
These immigrant students have spent at least three years in Kansas schools. [Some were model students, the slow U.S. immigration system is really to blame... ends on hopeful note.
Those "certain guidelines" are that the students are "illegal immigrants," not "immigrants" as the editorial repeatedly states. The word "illegal" only appears once in the editorial ("... students in the country illegally pay less...") And, they even use "undocumented."
These (illegal) immigrant students are indeed replacing U.S. students. There is only so much money to go around, and the idea that money should be spent on an illegal alien before a U.S. citizen is a patently anti-American idea.
You can send a letter to the editor at: letters@kcstar.com
For more contacts, see this or this.
Their Editorial Page Editor is Miriam Pepper: mpepper@kcstar.com
There's background information about the suit in Suit challenges in-state tuition for illegal immigrants
Knight-Ridder reports on the suit in Suit seeks to prevent tuition break for illegal immigrants in Kansas. While the report is somewhat fair, note how a) the second paragraph uses "immigrants" instead of the correct phrase "illegal immigrants." And, note how only one plaintiff is featured, yet comments from two people on the other side are featured, and the comment from one of the people on the other side comes first. And, the second comments is from Emira Palacios of NPA. That's the group that surrounded Karl Rove's house a few months ago, banging on his windows in support of the DREAM Act.
The author of the Knight-Ridder piece is: Steve Painter at (785) 296-3006 or spainter@wichitaeagle.com
His editor might be Sherry Chisenhall: schisenhall@wichitaeagle.com
Posted to Immigration2003 at 10:35 AM | Comments (5)
Lonewacko wades into Socksgate
This has already been linked by a few more popular blogs, but not by the Pope. Thus herewith:
I have been cleared to reveal the following info. I'm not allowed to say where I got it.
I have a reader who is involved with the government's efforts to fight terror, and he has connections who tell him the big suspicion is that Berger took things he thought would help Kerry in the Presidential campaign. Also, the grapevine says not all of the documents taken were copies. Furthermore, I am told that an FBI agent described Berger as "a total asshole" who is not as cooperative as he claims.
Also, I am told that an effort is being made--either by the press or the Kerry/Berger camp; it's not very clear--to mount a sound bite campaign to put the matter to rest. The idea is to make it look like sloppiness, because the truth is that it was deliberate. And I am told that this scandal is much more serious than we have heard so far...
Of course, the reader is instantly reminded of Bubba's latest comments:
Former president Bill Clinton defends his embattled national security advisor as a man who "always got things right," even if his desk was a mess..."...all of us who've been in his office have always found him buried beneath papers...
...[Berger] has always been up to his ears in papers..."
Kinda like the Scarecrow from the Wizard of Oz. Except, instead of straw peeping out from his pants legs, it was documents.
That loveable wacky absent-minded former National Security Advisor!
Posted to Politics at 11:46 PM | Comments (0)
"Kinder, gentler deportation program might not work"
Under a new Bush administration program, we're flying deported illegal aliens back into the interior of Mexico rather than a border city. It's costing each of us at least $100 per alien.
The only problem is it looks like - in addition to education, health care, housing, and all the rest - we're subsidizing vacation pay for their employers:
"I will be going back in 15 days," said [a deportee]...
Seven of eight deportees interviewed within a half-hour period Monday said they would cross the border soon.
"I'll try again in a month," [said another deportee]...
"It remains to be seen what percentage of the thousands caught at the border each week will opt for a free ride home," said Wayne Cornelius, immigration expert at the University of California at San Diego. "But bus tickets are cheap in Mexico, and even from the southern part of the country it should cost only about $100 and take two or three days for the average migrant to get back to the border."
So, once again, here's what the Mexican government and those corporations that employ illegal aliens are taking us for:
- Free healthcare
- Free K-12 schooling
- College educations cheaper than some U.S. citizens receive
- Housing assistance
- Free vacation travel
- ...and much more...
Shouldn't those corporations that employ illegals be picking up those costs, rather than passing them on to the rest of us?
Shouldn't John "Corporate Responsibility" Kerry be calling these corporations to task, rather than proposing amnesties that will bring millions more illegal aliens here?
Posted to Immigration2003 at 08:37 PM | Comments (0)
"Undocumented workers file suit against car wash"
From the Las Vegas Sun:
Fifteen undocumented Mexican workers filed suit in federal court last week alleging their supervisors at Green Valley Hand Car Wash failed to pay them adequate wages as required by state and federal law.
According to the group's lawyer, Jeffrey Fisher, the workers who filed the lawsuit, all men, frequently had been required to work almost 80 hours a week washing and buffing cars by hand. They were not paid minimum wage for all of the hours they worked, and they did not receive overtime pay, their lawyer said...
[...he said, she said...]
While federal and state law requires employers to pay all of their workers minimum wage for every hour they are at work -- regardless of their immigration status -- exposing the alleged injustice to the courts also means possibly exposing the workers' illegality to immigration officials...
A few of them had purchased Social Security cards for about $100 at the swap-meet on Bonanza Road, the workers said. They had used these forged documents to apply for work at the car wash, they said.
But if any of the workers past or present were illegal, supervisors at the car wash said they did not know that.
"They're all legal," Scully said. "They presented their two forms of ID (when they applied)..."
Uh huh. No, it's not that I don't believe you, it's just that... well, I don't believe you.
The most favorable outcome of this will be a) the plaintiffs will win several thousands each, b) the plaintiffs will collect after having been deported, c) the car wash will realize they could have saved money overall if they'd just hired U.S. citizens instead of illegal aliens.
Keep those suits a-comin'; if there are enough of them employers might wise up to the TCO of serf labor.
Posted to Immigration2003 at 08:20 PM | Comments (2)
More fun with MoveOn
Now that their last publicity stunt was shot down, MoveOn moves on, offering a commercial entitled "Debate." It offers a preview of the upcoming Bush-Kerry debate, where cardboard cutouts of the blood rivals morph into who they really represent. (MoveOn has not heard about morphing being a bit outdated.)
As can be seen from the outtake above, Bush represents the interests of three corporate types, whereas humble, man-o-the-soil Kerry represents the interests of normal, everyday Americans like you and me.
The fact that all three corporate types are white guys of varying ages and the Kerryites are a white actor trying to portray a white blue-collar worker, a white female, and a young black male (disabled with his inhaler to boot) is just a coincidence. I'm sure in some markets MoveOn will be airing commercials where all or even some of the bad guys are Of Color. Stay tuned, those commercials will be available any day now.
Posted to Politics at 03:15 PM | Comments (1)
"Statement of Federal Trade Commission Chairman Timothy J. Muris on the Complaint Filed Today by MoveOn.org"
From the FTC:
I am not aware of any instance in which the Federal Trade Commission has investigated the slogan of a news organization. There is no way to evaluate this petition without evaluating the content of the news at issue. That is a task the First Amendment leaves to the American people, not a government agency.
Time for a Lonewacko flashback: "My prediction: Fox will threaten to sue the New York Times over the slogan "All the News That's Fit to Print." The unbiased NYT will tell their operatives to stop. But, it won't be necessary because the FTC will just consider it a juvenile publicity stunt."
Posted to Politics at 11:42 AM | Comments (0)
Santa Cruz is truly a special town
Exhibit #1: The Santa Cruz Sentinel article "U.S. Border Patrol denies stepped-up enforcement":
When U.S. Border Patrol agents arrested hundreds of undocumented immigrants in Southern California, they touched off a wave of fear and anger that rippled throughout the state and across the nation.
But the agency, bound by a federal immigration policy frequently at odds with public sentiment, denies the actions it took last month in the Temecula area have been duplicated elsewhere.
Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but I think the article's author, Donna Jones, is trying to state that the Feds are forced to pursue enforcement despite "public sentiment" being against it. That is, of course, completely wrong. The great majority of Americans want more immigration enforcement.
Unfortunately, quotes from Mario Villarreal, "spokesman for U.S. Customs and Border Protection," make it quite clear that Americans are going to get less enforcement, not more.
Villarreal said the Border Patrol had a "substantial" presence in the Central Coast area in the past, but no longer. The Salinas office, whose agents conducted random stops of suspected illegal residents as late as 2000, has closed.The nearest Border Patrol office to Santa Cruz County is Livermore, he said. The regional office, which is responsible for the territory between the northern edges of San Bernadino and Los Angeles counties and the Oregon border, has only a "handful of agents," and they are being reassigned in the near future, Villarreal said.
Well, that's a relief. He goes on to say that the border is protected, but the interior is not. Or, words to that effect.
Before reading the following, make sure you aren't drinking water or anything:
"We don’t make policy; we enforce the law," he said. "We are out there 24 hours a day, seven days a week protecting America from anyone who enters illegally and from anyone who wants to do us harm."
Posted to Immigration2003 at 07:29 PM | Comments (0)
"The Immigrant Gang Plague"
Heather MacDonald (author of the much-linked "The Illegal-Alien Crime Wave") has a new article entitled "The Immigrant Gang Plague". Too much to excerpt, but it's highly recommended. My most important recommendation, however, would be to somehow force community "leaders" and other apologists to read it. Or, even better, vote out of office those who support policies that lead to the situation described in her report. In fact, Santa Ana already did that. Unfortunately, Nativo Lopez still manages to get his name in the papers.
Posted to Immigration2003 at 09:10 PM | Comments (0)
"Now we have eyes everywhere"
Br'er Drudge alerts us to "Surveillance targeted to convention":
An unprecedented number of video cameras will be trained on Boston during the Democratic National Convention, with Boston police installing some 30 cameras near the FleetCenter, the Coast Guard using infrared devices and night-vision cameras in the harbor, and dozens of pieces of surveillance equipment mounted on downtown buildings to monitor crowds for terrorists, unruly demonstrators, and ordinary street crime...
An unspecified number of State Police cameras are also being installed, and more than 100 previously existing MBTA cameras will be used to monitor area subway and bus stations. Law enforcement officials will have as-needed access to as many as 900 cameras that have been operated for months or years by the Massachusetts Port Authority, the state Highway Department, and the Big Dig...
Live digital video from the State Police's new high-resolution, helicopter-mounted camera will be sent to the Multi-Agency Command Center, where law enforcement agencies will be coordinating their efforts. Boston, MBTA, and Coast Guard camera feeds will go to the command center. Several RV-sized mobile command vehicles also will tap into portions of the camera network.
On the water, the "hawkeye" technology is a vast improvement over the Coast Guard's old monitoring system, which relied heavily on what its vessels in the water were able to detect, said Andrew Shinn, a Coast Guard spokesman and petty officer. "Now we have eyes everywhere," Shinn said...
The picture is from a real ad campaign by the (London) Metropolitan Police. More on that here.
Posted to Privacy at 08:47 PM | Comments (0)
"Read MoveOn's FOX Complaint To The FTC -- Before It's Sent"
Cablenewser has the scoop:
In a document to be sent to the Federal Trade Commission Monday morning, MoveOn.org complains about "deceptive practices" allegedly used by FOX News. "The Commission should institute an enforcement proceeding against Fox News; order Fox News to cease and desist from using the slogan and mark “Fair and Balanced; and take such other action as may be appropriate to remedy the injury to consumers from Fox News’ deceptive practices." The petition complains about the "open partisanship of anchors and correspondents," "imbalance in guests and panelists," and "imbalance in selection of topics..."
He's got the PDF, and quotes from MoveOn's latest Whine-Across-America in the next post.
Here's part of the PDF:
The network makes no effort whatsoever to achieve any semblance of balance on its many interview shows. For example, a study of the interview show “Special Report with Brit Hume” for the last six months of 2003 concluded that conservative guests outnumbered progressive guests five to one; and a similar study of the program in 2002 concluded that conservative guests outnumbered progressive ones, 14 to one.
The networks’ coverage of current events is grossly distorted and biased. For example, a recent survey showed that much higher percentages of viewers whose main source of news is FNC have misperceptions about indisputable facts about the war, than do viewers of other news outlets...
"Progressives?" Why not "liberals?" Is MoveOn almost coming right out and admitting its Watermelon status?
After that excerpt, the whining and frothing even gets worse. They reference a few less-than-damning memos and the "unbiased" FAIR organization. Oddly Enough, the name "Al Franken" appears at several points in reference to Fox suing him over the title of his book; I wonder if he's involved in this in some way...
My prediction: Fox will threaten to sue the New York Times over the slogan "All the News That's Fit to Print." The unbiased NYT will tell their operatives to stop. But, it w