Yesterday Ace blogged about Harry Reid taking credit for the victory in Iraq. Now, we all know HarryÂ’s main contribution to winning was working really hard for our defeat. Unfortunately history can be a fickle thing, especially when itÂ’s written by the left. ItÂ’s going to take vigilance to ensure that the true story of Iraq is told.

Thus Spake Ortner at This AinÂ’t Hell contributes to the cause (again) by reviewing, well smacking down, WINTER SOLDIER: Eyewitness Accounts of the Occupations.

To warm up, TSO quotes and then dissects a contribution by Iraq veteran Cpl Jason Washburn.

“I remember one woman walking by,” said Jason Washburn, a corporal in the US Marines who served three tours in Iraq. “She was carrying a huge bag, and she looked like she was heading toward us, so we lit her up with the Mark 19, which is an automatic grenade launcher, and when the dust settled, we realized that the bag was full of groceries. She had been trying to bring us food and we blew her to pieces.”

If I need to even tell you how ridiculous the story is above, you probably shouldn’t be here. Hey Jason, if you blew up the woman, and her groceries, who is the guy who did the post mortem and figured out she was delivering them to you? And if she was bringing it to you, why was she walking “by”? What day did this happen on? Who else was there? AND WHY THE F WOULD YOU USE A MK19 ON AN UNARMED LADY?

Washburn is full of crap, and so is the rest of this bookÂ…

IÂ’m not sure how old this book is and I doubt too many people have read it but I think itÂ’s important to smack the hell out of this shit wherever we find it. 35 years ago there wasnÂ’t a Rush Limbaugh show, a Fox News or the rightosphere. The narrative after Vietnam became those who served were broken men, men who were nothing but mind numbed baby killers. We shouldnÂ’t and canÂ’t let this happen again. Too many good men and women sacrificed too much to achieve victory when so many at home and abroad fought for their defeat.

The left needs to and wants to believe the worst about America, her soldiers and the success in Iraq. If they don't de-legitimize all three then their agenda of 'there are no enemies, just thugs we haven't hugged and caved into yet' will be exposed for the dangerous joke that it is. more...

Posted by: DrewM at 11:39 AM | Comments (60)
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So then we're on the hook for it -- for good or for ill -- along with himself and the Democrats.

This is a common reaction to Great Big Crises With Unpredictable Outcomes. No one wants to be left behind on the losing team when a crucial, era-defining vote comes up -- witness John F'n' Kerry voting in favor of the Iraq War.

So Obama's trying to get us on board with trillion dollar (Trillion!) deficits by offering some modest tax-cutting.

Here's the calculation on fiscal stimulus: If Obama gets his way, he's looking at massive, trillion dollars deficits, and much more government intervention in the economy. The public may tolerate this due to fears about economic crisis, but if it works out well and the US gets a relatively soft landing from the recession, then the costs will still be visible (deficit, intervention), but the benefits will be intangible (the crisis that didn't come).

What's more, the Democrats have only one possible solution to the massive deficits coming down the pike: increase taxes. (Object lesson: "We can spend more of your money" is the Democrats solution to everything)

If Obama passes the perfect progressive stimulus bill without much Republican help, he owns the spending, the deficits, the tax hikes and all of the pain that comes with it. Republicans will be happy to run against those problems in 2010 and 2012.

But if Obama buys significant Republican support for his bill, Republicans will own the deficits, tax hikes and intervention, as well. The stimulus bill will be for Republicans what the Iraq war was for Democrats - a policy they first supported, then regretted, then tripped over themselves to explain. The "they were for it before they were against it" ads would be inevitable and devastating.

Jon Henke then explains why Republicans are in such a bind.

They are in a bind, and they'll react predictably to this situation. They will take the route of cowardice, attempting to avoid a big disagreement on a huge issue by hugging Obama and the Democrats.

A few token conservatives will have the balls to say No to trillion dollar deficits, forever. Most will fairly jump at the chance to avoid taking a risk.

Posted by: Ace at 10:26 AM | Comments (76)
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Depends on the meaning of the word "weapon systems." Like, actual weapons, or like, you know, things which are not weapons?

If weapon means "not a weapon" then there's no error here.

This is pretty bad. They're either liars or stupid.

In related news, Israeli planes reportedly deployed circular, air-filled tubular weapons systems also called "wheels" as they landed on the ground.

Also deployed? Engine exhaust weapon systems.

Posted by: Ace at 09:46 AM | Comments (60)
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That didn't last long.

On Coulter's Web site she writes: "DRUDGE GETS RESULTS: TODAY SHOW CHANGES MIND — WED: 7AM HOUR -- THE TODAY SHOW 10AM HOUR -- THE TODAY SHOW 4TH HOUR."

If it wasn't clear already, Coulter is in the middle of a publicity tour promoting her new book, which came out today.

Coulter sells more books, NBC gets bigger ratings and Drudge gets more traffic.

Everybody's happy, right?

Posted by: DrewM at 09:44 AM | Comments (114)
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This morning, I was worried that "F*** You, Penguin" (that's how it's listed in the nominations, I haven't developed an aversion to the f-bomb overnight) was trailing those corporate suck-ups over at "I Can Haz Cheezeburger" by a couple hundred votes. I don't know why I bothered. Now that the Moron Nation has been notified that the awesomest pet blog ever in the entire history of civilization is in contention for Best Pet Blog of 2008, "F*** You, Penguin" has picked up 45% of the approximately 1600 votes cast in this category.

You guys & gals are great, but don't think this thing is over just yet. It's a long road stretching out from today to January 13, and you NEED to vote as often as you can for this visionary blog. Vote from home, vote from work, get to work a half hour early so you can log onto all your co-workers' computers and use their vote as well. If your grandma is sort of clueless about what the *** symbols on the nominations page mean, you might consider telling her that the blog's called "Find You, Penguin" and that it's a spinoff of "Where's Waldo" where kids can go to find the penguin hidden in a big cartoon picture. Tell her that the guy who runs the site is really cranky about copyright infringement, and he wouldn't let them use the full name of the site in the awards process, so they HAD to use the asterisks. She'll vote for it fer sure - grandmas are susceptible to cute animals used as learning tools. And she probably won't go there anyway. Old people rarely use the internet. They're too busy telling people about how, back in their day, postcards cost a dime and you were lucky if you could get your milking machine parts ordered from the Sears & Roebuck's catalog before Uncle Art used that part of the catalog for his outhouse paperwork.

(...and while you're at it, you might want to vote in some of the other categories too. You know, as long as you're already there and all that.)

Posted by: Russ from Winterset at 08:39 AM | Comments (49)
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Did I wake up in the middle of a William Faulkner novel?

I. Am. Outraged.

Roland Burris was denied entry to the Senate chambers on Tuesday as he tried to claim the seat once held by President-elect Barack Obama.

Roland Burris makes his way to the Senate chambers on Tuesday.

Burris said the secretary of the Senate rejected his credentials, and therefore he would not be allowed access to the floor.

Timothy W. Wright III, an attorney for Burris, said the rejection of Burris' credentials was unlawful.

"Our credentials were rejected by the secretary of the Senate. We were not allowed to be placed in the record books. We were not allowed to proceed to the floor for purposes of taking oath, all of which we think was improperly done and it is against the law of this land," Wright said.

Burris said he was not seeking a confrontation and would consult with his attorneys to determine his next steps.

Harry Reid immediately claimed credit for the "Security Surge" that "stabilized the situation in the Senate."

He then noted he also "had something to do with beating the Japs in WWII."

Posted by: Ace at 08:27 AM | Comments (80)
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The number cited is 40, but this war, like so many before, is Pallywood production. A "heightened reality" of magic and fantasy.

Although there is a good chance that this was a pure mistake -- such happen in war -- there's also a pretty good chance that Hamas, as usual, is attacking from amidst civilian populations, counting on the enemy's morality to prevent a counterattack.

Eh. Sometimes that works. Sometimes it doesn't. You can avoid this by doing what every decent army does -- stay the hell away from civilians.

Israel Defense Forces tank fire killed up to 40 Palestinians at a United Nations school in the Gaza Strip on Tuesday, medical sources at two hospitals said.

I take "40" as Hamas' claim, which sets the upper limit for the casualties. The reality, I'm guessing, will turn out to be something like 10.

The attack brought the Palestinian death toll to nearly 600 in Israel's 11-day offensive on the Hamas-ruled coastal territory.

Two tank shells exploded outside the Gaza school, spraying shrapnel on people inside and outside the building, where hundreds of Palestinians had sought refuge from fighting between Israeli soldiers and Hamas militants. In addition to the dead, several dozen people were wounded, the officials said.

Medical officials said all the dead were either people sheltering in the school or local residents.

All of them. And you can trust Hamas' medical staff to give you the straight dope. Not a one of them sticking an RPG out a window or anything.

Here's some good stuff:

Also on Tuesday, Israel Air Force warplanes struck a building in Gaza in which the head of Hamas' rocket division was staying. It was not immediately clear whether Ayman Sayam was hit in the attack, which occurred in the Jabalya refugee camp in the northern Gaza Strip.

And now -- terrorism.

"There's nowhere safe in Gaza. Everyone here is terrorized and traumatized," said John Ging, the top UN official in Gaza, blaming the international community for allowing the violence to continue.

I blame the international community for allowing the violence to start. Where was the UN when Hamas was launching rockets into Sderot for a year?

48 Hour Rule: It's not as if Hamas deliberately takes women and children to their hide-outs or anything:

U.N. officials say they provided their location coordinates to Israel's army to ensure that their buildings in Gaza are not targeted. The Israeli army had no comment on the latest strikes, but in the past has accused militants of using schools, mosques and residential neighborhoods to store weapons or launch attacks.

Munitions depot? Terrorist hideout? In any of these events, under the Geneva Convention, Israel has the right to hit the spot. In fact, Israel Radio is reporting that Hamas terrorists have been seen in Gaza dragging children by their ears into hiding places in the hope that the children's presence will prevent the IDF from targeting the terrorists.

No Way! Video shows that Hamas has launched rockets from the sadistic safety of a school before, back in 2007.

Posted by: Ace at 09:03 AM | Comments (84)
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Still trolling for something on Feminsting to make fun of. Ran across this.

They're positive about the commercial, it seems.

They don't seem to have a consistent rule about when it's okay to, um, reduce women to their sexual organs, or whatever. Sometimes it's the worst thing in the world. Other times it's empowering.

Their reactions never make any sort of sense but they're always furiously confident about them.

So, this one's okay, and you're an anti-woman reactionary if you don't like it. more...

Posted by: Ace at 07:31 AM | Comments (107)
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Somehow it always comes down to rape.

The Taliban are their own worst enemy. Despite the pressure from the Pakistani army along the Afghan border, some Taliban leaders are demanding that tribes hand over young women to be wives for Taliban fighters. This is very unpopular with the tribes, and was one of the major complaints that led to tribes going to war with al Qaeda groups. In addition to burning down schools for girls and killing those who teach girls, the Taliban are also ordering women to stay away from markets, or working outside the home, unless they have a male escort from their family. These are the same attitudes that turned the Sunni Arab tribes against al Qaeda in Iraq, and is doing the same thing among the Pushtun tribes on both sides of the Afghan border.

Perhaps they just think they deserve a bit of Teenager Rape. After all, according to their count, they killed 5000+ Western fighters last year.

That count is off by slightly less than 5000.

Is this good news? Obviously anytime Al Qaedaists reveal their true face to the local populace, it's good news. But perhaps it's even better than good. The Taliban must know that this is a wildly unpopular demand to make. Even if they hadn't had known of Al Qaeda's experience in making this demand in Iraq, they should know that "let my hairy stinking psychopathic 'fighters' rape your young daughters for a few months until they go back to Karachi" is not a request likely to go over very well.

So why make the demand? Perhaps -- hopefully -- they are forced into making it because their men's morale is low, and nothing, of course, improves esprit de corps like raping a ten year old. Warfare imposes deprivations on a force. There is a limit to how much deprivation even psychopathic murder-cultists can withstand. As the murder-cultists are now demanding to be paid in rape-slaves, obviously they're not just doing it for The Caliphate anymore. The Caliphate, apparently, is not enough for them.

This is what liberals, fond of painting the enemy as Supermen who cannot be defeated (as propagandists painted the Germans and Japanese in WWII), never seem to get. Does war exact a brutal, bloody price on America? It sure does. But they never contemplate that it also exacts a toll on the enemy.

Perhaps if they read about our troops' victories, rather than only gleefully tallying our dead of war, they would begin to get that.

For all the claims of "unending war," there has never been a war that didn't end. Manpower, firepower, willpower, staying power. Their supplies of these aren't inexhaustible, either. In fact, they're far more exhaustible than our own.

Thanks to Arthur.

Posted by: Ace at 06:53 AM | Comments (71)
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Stickied in the Top Headline Sidebar.

Also, don't forget to vote for AOSHQ in the Best Conservative Blog category. Here are my recommendations, once again, for a few polls:

The Anchoress is nominated in the Best Individual Blogger category.
Snapped Shot is nominated in the Best Photo Blog category.
Nice Deb is nominated in the Best Small Blog category.

I've been asked to include:

This Ain't Hell, nominated for Best Military Blog.
Jammie Wearing Fool, nominated for Best Large Blog.

You can vote once per computer every 24 hours. Voting is open for another six days. Good luck to all the competitors.

Posted by: Gabriel Malor at 05:29 AM | Comments (60)
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