You know, Gov. Huckabee has been taking a lot of heat from the folks on this blog.

Some of you say he's a big taxing, welfare state loving, liberal. Others say he is an overly intrusive, nanny-state, illegal immigrant loving liberal. Still more say he is a overly moralizing, soft on crime, big spending, slick talking liberal. Finally, the rest of you morons seem to think he is a John Edwardsian, two America's, protectionist, populist, criminal coddling, liberal.

Below the fold I offer the best defense I can to all these charges. After spending the last week closely examining Mike Huckabee's record, I think I am the best positioned of all of the bloggers here to comment on these allegations.

I know I'll catch heat from some of you, who think I'm being too easy on the guy. That's OK. Politics is a contact sport.

So here, for your consideration, are the arguments in favor of a Mike Huckabee presidency.

more...

Posted by: Jack M. at 10:46 PM | Comments (50)
Post contains 278 words, total size 2 kb.

Prime Minister Gordon Brown made a visit to Iraq and announced that everything was so shipshape in Basra and the rest of southern Iraq that British troops will be ending all combat operations within two weeks. After a few more months of training Iraqi forces they will leave the country entirely.

“The Prime Minister of Iraq has asked me to pass on his thanks to you for helping to rebuild the democracy of Iraq.

“This is because of the operations over the last month that you have been involved in.

“The security situation has not only improved, but he is able to tell me he will now be recommending a move to a provisional Iraqi control within two weeks.

Back in 2003 we heard a lot about how the Brits, with their soft power projection and soccer skills knew more about ‘nation building’ than those clumsy Yanks with their Kevlar helmets and vests, always shooting first like cowboys.

Well, it doesnÂ’t look like that worked out so well. It seems a group of wannabe Taliban like militia groups are terrorizing the locals on a daily basis.

On her first day at Basra University this year a man came up to Zeena, a 21-year-old Christian woman, and three other Christian girls and ordered them to cover their heads with a hijab, or Islamic headscarf.

“We didn't listen to him, and thought he might just be some extremist student representing only himself,” she said. The next day Zeena and two of her friends returned to class with uncovered heads.

This time a man in the black clothes of the Shia militia stopped them at the entrance and took them aside. “He said, 'We asked you yesterday to wear a hijab, so why are you and your friends not covering your hair?'. He was talking very aggressively and I was scared,” Zeena recalled.

The girls explained that they were Christians and that their faith did not call for headscarves. “He said: 'Outside this university you are Christian and can do what you want; inside you are not. Next time I want to see you wearing a hijab or I swear to God the three of you will be killed immediately',” Zeena recalled. Terrified, the girls ran home. They now wear the headscarf all the time.

The Brits have come a long way since General NapierÂ’s day. Or ChurchillÂ’s. Or ThatcherÂ’s.

Posted by: DrewM. at 07:42 PM | Comments (30)
Post contains 413 words, total size 3 kb.

This was originally supposed to happen in September but only McCain agreed to show up. For some reason they all caved, except Tancredo.

So if you speak Spanish, you may want to check out Univision. If you don’t, you’re out of luck.

UPDATE (DrewM.) The debate is over. The AP has a quick round up, mostly focusing on immigration.

No word of any real surprises or clashes.

It would have been nice if some of the candidates had taken issue with the premise that pro-enforcement supporters were fueling anti-Hispanic sentiment. Maybe some did but it's not in this story.

More [Gabe]: In case you were interested, here is Tancredo's letter explaining why he won't do the Spanish debate. A snippet:

The debate is being sponsored by Univisión, the country's largest Spanish-language network, and the candidates' answers will be translated into Spanish. Spanish-language news broadcasts and public-affairs programming is an expression of our First Amendment freedoms. I have given many interviews to Univisión as well as local Spanish-language stations. However, a Spanish-language presidential debate is a different animal altogether.

The question of bilingualism is not new to American politics. A former Republican president, Theodore Roosevelt, once spoke about the importance of new immigrants giving up their old languages and allegiances in order to become equal partners in American democracy:

"We freely extend the hand of welcome and of good fellowship to every man, no matter what his creed or birthplace, who comes here honestly intent on becoming a good United States citizen like the rest of us. . . . Americanism is a question of spirit, conviction and purpose, not of creed or birthplace. The politician who bids for the Irish or German vote, or the Irishman or German who votes as an Irishman or German, is despicable, for all citizens of this commonwealth should vote solely as Americans.''

By implication, he is calling the other candidates "despicable" for attempting to speak to and solicit votes from Spanish-speaking voters in their own language. Apparently, solicitation of votes in any language other than English is "pandering."

UPDATE: JACK M.: Actually, Tancredo is correct in slamming the GOP candidates for participating in this debate.

Participating in debates like this do nothing to foster "goodwill" or "unity" or any of the other diverse, touchy-feely, multiculti, kumbayah ends that appear to be so important to at least one main page poster.

Instead, they send the signal that those who demand to remain self-excluded from full participation in the American experience will see their poor decision ratified by the powers that be. Responsible leadership realizes that the goal is to foster assimilation; not lend support to those who wish to force America to conform to them on their own terms.

Tancredo is right on this one. I won't be voting for the guy, but I will give him his due for calling the others out.

Posted by: DrewM. at 04:24 PM | Comments (122)
Post contains 485 words, total size 3 kb.

This was originally supposed to happen in September but only McCain agreed to show up. For some reason they all caved, except Tancredo.

So if you speak Spanish, you may want to check out Univision. If you donÂ’t, youÂ’re out of luck.

UPDATE (DrewM.) The debate is over. The AP has a quick round up, mostly focusing on immigration.

No word of any real surprises or clashes.

It would have been nice if some of the candidates had taken issue with the premise that pro-enforcement supporters were fueling anti-Hispanic sentiment. Maybe some did but it's not in this story.

More [Gabe]: In case you were interested, here is Tancredo's letter explaining why he won't do the Spanish debate. A snippet:

The debate is being sponsored by Univisión, the country's largest Spanish-language network, and the candidates' answers will be translated into Spanish. Spanish-language news broadcasts and public-affairs programming is an expression of our First Amendment freedoms. I have given many interviews to Univisión as well as local Spanish-language stations. However, a Spanish-language presidential debate is a different animal altogether.

The question of bilingualism is not new to American politics. A former Republican president, Theodore Roosevelt, once spoke about the importance of new immigrants giving up their old languages and allegiances in order to become equal partners in American democracy:

"We freely extend the hand of welcome and of good fellowship to every man, no matter what his creed or birthplace, who comes here honestly intent on becoming a good United States citizen like the rest of us. . . . Americanism is a question of spirit, conviction and purpose, not of creed or birthplace. The politician who bids for the Irish or German vote, or the Irishman or German who votes as an Irishman or German, is despicable, for all citizens of this commonwealth should vote solely as Americans.''

By implication, he is calling the other candidates "despicable" for attempting to speak to and solicit votes from Spanish-speaking voters in their own language. Apparently, solicitation of votes in any language other than English is "pandering."

UPDATE: JACK M.: Actually, Tancredo is correct in slamming the GOP candidates for participating in this debate.

Participating in debates like this do nothing to foster "goodwill" or "unity" or any of the other diverse, touchy-feely, multiculti, kumbayah ends that appear to be so important to at least one main page poster.

Instead, they send the signal that those who demand to remain self-excluded from full participation in the American experience will see their poor decision ratified by the powers that be. Responsible leadership realizes that the goal is to foster assimilation; not lend support to those who wish to force America to conform to them on their own terms.

Tancredo is right on this one. I won't be voting for the guy, but I will give him his due for calling the others out.

Posted by: DrewM at 04:24 PM | Comments (123)
Post contains 491 words, total size 3 kb.

Alas I moved down to NYC two weeks too early, as my afternoon game will be, of course, the NY Jets.

Unbelievable: With 11 seconds left Dallas takes its first lead all day on a Romo to Witten pass. They beat the Lions. Jeeze.

SELFISH UPDATE [Dave in Texas]: Nice to see Witten make that play. A missed field goal, a fumble on the one. These things can go either way.

Oh, and Dallas clinches the NFC East, and the Giants and Eagles can suck my balls. I mean I wish them well.

ahem

Posted by: Ace at 01:58 PM | Comments (50)
Post contains 104 words, total size 1 kb.

TDL of "the Dicklist" sends this picture which I'm posting because of, um, the "dichotomy" presented, as he says. Right.

It looks like a hostage picture. I'm told in the video Natalie Portman's nipples are poking out the Morse code for "Help Me."

Posted by: Ace at 01:58 PM | Comments (91)
Post contains 51 words, total size 1 kb.

Big-daddy government goodies for all:

Small-government Republicans in Arkansas, who fought the governor over immigration, education spending and taxes, have long complained that he is really a closet welfare-liberal. As a presidential candidate, he has all but declared war on big-business Republicans, believing the standard GOP mantra of tax cuts and unfettered free markets has made the rich richer at the expense of ordinary Americans. At times he can sound like John Edwards, promising health care for low-income children and vowing to defend wage earners against Wall Street greed and runaway CEO pay.

Allah has video and analysis of Huckabee's appearance on Chris Wallace this morning. Needless to say he's unimpressed.

Most damaging is Allah's new stuff on Wayne DuMond, which Wallace didn't even get around to asking about. As had been thought, it appears the primary reason Huckabee sought to release DuMond was the fact that he had found Christ, though, it should be said, apparently he was still looking for Christ inside of the women he would later rape and kill.

Pastor Jay] Cole, meanwhile, was working to help DuMond. Cole said he talked to “probably a hundred people” about his hope of winning DuMond’s release, turning foremost to the evangelical community. He said many evangelicals were encouraged that DuMond had claimed a religious conversion, and that many joined Cole in writing to Huckabee about DuMond’s situation.

The clincher, he said, was their belief that DuMond had been “saved.”

What is this bullshit? Salvation has to do with your soul and the final judgment in the next life. Who decided it should come along with legal benefits in this life as well?

I'm finding this all a little creepy. I understand the injunction to lead a Christ-like life -- but does that apply to using the machinery of government (Caesar's thing, you know) to impose one's Christ-like impulses? Yes, Jesus says forgive, but does that mean that a Christian governor must forgive personally or impose that forgiveness via state action, forcing the public generally to "forgive"?

The same applies to his charitable/compassionate impulses. Is a Christian in elected office required to impose their Christian notions of charity and caring on the people they govern? Despite the fact that in doing so they rob the governed of the ability to show charity or compassion voluntarily?

I realize these are somewhat thorny questions. But Huckabee seems to think the state exists chiefly as a vehicle by which to enact his own personal good works on a grand scale with the public picking up the bill -- in terms of both money and victimization by supposedly "saved" criminals.

More Piling On: The victims of Huckabee's mercy aren't big fans.

Posted by: Ace at 01:41 PM | Comments (29)
Post contains 458 words, total size 3 kb.

The MSM should be ashamed. How the hell do you "report" on a massacre of which, it turns out, there is absolutely no evidence whatsoever?

One doesn't have to even talk about political bias here. We're talking basic competency. How did these "reporters" file reports of villagers slaughtered in their sleep and houses burned to the ground when there is apparently no visible or witness evidence of any violence?

The U.S. military could not confirm Saturday's attack, saying American aircraft searched the area for several hours and found no evidence of the killings.

Incidentally, Dwelah, near Baquobah, is less than 100 miles from Baghdad, up a major highway.

If reporters won't make a two hour drive to confirm a "massacre," what the hell is the point of even basing them in the Green Zone at all?

Thanks to CJ.

Posted by: Ace at 01:16 PM | Comments (23)
Post contains 153 words, total size 1 kb.

A bit of news from the British: part of a country's spycraft sometimes includes disinformation intended to be "intercepted" in order to mislead eavesdroppers.

The CIA is said to be "shocked" and "appalled" that a foreign nation would stoop to such deception.

But the more deadly charge -- apart from gross incompetency, which we've come to expect from our intelligence (chuckle) services -- is that they're simply lying about their true conclusions because they seek to influence American policy through "twisted" and "cherry-picked" intelligence.

Posted by: Ace at 01:09 PM | Comments (16)
Post contains 118 words, total size 1 kb.

Totally freakin' awesome.

I need one of these in my backyard.

Posted by: LauraW. at 12:56 PM | Comments (3)
Post contains 17 words, total size 1 kb.