Final Protective Fire

Wednesday, July 31, 2002

 

There was a recent story that Bill Clinton told some group that he was willing to enlist and fight the good fight against ... something, apparently for Israel against Iraq should it attack. I still can't figure out whether this story is a satire or not, but I'm glad I didn't see Clinton actually speak the words attributed to him as I doubt I could have survived the resulting high blood pressure. Evidently, he was speaking to a jewish group, and starting talking up how tough he was. Must have been some good looking broad in the audience of course.

Bill, do us and Hillary a favor and go throw yourself on a Palestinian suicide bomber.

Robin 10:30 PM

 

Linda Chavez nails the Democrats on the Homeland Security bill. New motto for the Democrats: "No Special Interest shall go unrewarded regardless of the costs to our security".

Robin 10:17 PM

 

A good piece on arming women to defend themselves. Hey, ladies, don't travel in Chicago until it has recovered from Democratic administration ... sometime later in the millenium.

Robin 5:24 PM

 

Welcome to the Third World - mob "justice" for a car accident. West Bank? Zimbabwe? Nope, Chicago.

Robin 4:58 PM

 

This is a detailed discussion of a particularly disconcerting malfunction of the Glock 19 in NYPD service. Being an old M1911 fan, I'm tempted to shout "Tupperware Gun!" but will refrain.

Robin 4:31 PM

Tuesday, July 30, 2002

 

Glenn Reynolds points to Cathy Young's piece on Reason Online ( and evidently in the Boston Globe July 29 ) taking Bill O'Reilly to task for his attacks on a defense attorney who obtained Avila's ( suspected in the murder of Runnion ) acquital in an earlier molestation case. I pointed out that Bill O'Reilly's attack was showboating and wrong here on the 26th. Glenn likes to say "advantage blogosphere", but the reality is that more important than being first to condemn O'Reilly's attempt to undermine the fundamental principles of our criminal justice system is making sure the condemnation is made often and loudly.

Robin 3:36 PM

Monday, July 29, 2002

 

Overlawyered.com points out another Democrat lying.

Robin 5:01 PM

 

This piece from National Review Online discusses a controversy in Utah where both courts and the state university feel above the law. Unfortunately the piece seems to imply that only Utah has "shall issue" concealed weapon permit statutes and only Utah allows permit holders to carry in so many locales. Neither is true. 33 other states beside Utah have adopted "shall issue" concealed carry weapon permit laws. Many of the "shall issue" states and some of the discretionary states have little or no restrictions on where concealed weapon permit holders may carry.

Robin 4:46 PM

 

This blog, dedicated to debunking several of the more obnoxious anti-semite and just generally whackjob conspiracy nuts, including Rep. Cynthia McKinney is a must-see.

Robin 3:19 PM

 

The West allowed Stalin to use famine to defeat the Kulaks' resistance to collectivization. The West allowed Mao to use famine to defeat opponents to his rule. And it looks like the West will do nothing about Mugabe using famine to defeat his political opponents in Zimbabwe.

Robin 1:54 PM

 

Hardly news, Robert Novak points us to confirmation that the Clintons' used the IRS to harass and intimidate enemies.

Robin 10:27 AM

Friday, July 26, 2002

 

Once again, Bill O'Reilly takes some cheap shots at attorneys. This time at Avila - the man accused of killing Samantha Runnion - defense attorney who got him acquited of an earlier molestation charge. This is really quite despicable on O'Reilly's part as he misrepresents the ethical issue, misrepresents the role of the defense attorney in our adversarial system of justice and takes cheap shots. Once again, Bill, you disgust me with how low you will stoop.

The ABA rule 1.16 O'Reilly refers to s does not infer what O'Reilly claims for it ( see Colorado's version for instance ) nor does it include the defense attorney's duty to cross-examine and confront the evidence against the defendant - and it certainly has nothing to do with what the defense attorney may or may not "know" about his client's culpability. Our system of justice depends for its credibility on the reliance that both the prosecution and the defense are vigorously exercising their roles.

Even if I become convinced that Avila killed Runnion, that does not mean that I or O'Reilly actually know that Avila was truly guilty of the previous charges. Avila's attorney was entitled - indeed had the duty - to present to the jury all reasonable inferences from the evidence and testimony. For O'Reilly to argue to the contrary is irresponsible. It is O'Reilly who is undermining our system of justice. It is O'Reilly who should have some sleepness nights at his cheap shots.

By the way, O'Reilly is obviously ignorant of the fact that California does not use the ABA Model Rules, although the provision on termination of employment has similar language.

Robin 11:12 PM

 

Want to know the real harm that the Democrats' unconscionable stonewalling on appellate court nominations is doing? See this item about prisoners' lawsuits - Third Circuit: prisoners may be entitled to watch R-rated films. . The most hilarious line? That the 3rd Circuit found that the trial judge's ruling against the prisoners, furthermore, "improperly relied on 'common sense'". We must replace or dilute out the imbeciles that were appointed to the bench during the previous administration.

Robin 10:35 PM

 

This is a link to a program listing of Dave Kopel debating the President of the Coalition to Stop Gun Violence. Its got some resource links and an hour audio of the program. Dave does his usual superlative work defending gun rights against the misrepresentations of the gun control extremists.

Robin 10:29 PM

 

First the Kyoto Protocol, then the ICC, now the UN's draft Convention on Torture is finding opposition. Its easy to make a snide comment about Australia and torture, but the reality is that Western nations are starting to realize that the UN is a failed organization and that because of that treaties like this are ineffective against the real transgressors and instead are going to merely be used to harass Western nations.

Robin 10:25 PM

 

I've gotten some very nice email recently, all of which I think I've answered. If I haven't answered yours, I apologize but all the email was appreciated greatly. To the young lady from Nebraska with the interesting offer, I'm sorry but I've been happily married for two decades now.

Robin 10:12 PM

 

Evidently, "Shameless Lying" isn't good enough, now Hesiod is going for "Shameless Lying and Libel". I guess Hesiod's gotta dream ...

Robin 10:00 PM

Thursday, July 25, 2002

 

Bill Herbert spends some time rebutting the critics of our Afghanistan operation. Herbert has some other good items on his blog, especially about the loon Rep. McKinney.

Robin 9:41 PM

 

This is a piece by Sallie Baliunas and Willie Soon rebutting the New York Times' hysteria ( and misrepresentation ) of the climate trends in Alaska. This has been well discussed in the Trash Talk forum on Junk Science webpage as well as other places.

Robin 4:29 PM

 

This is a commentary on a contempt order in New Jersey following the Neulander trial. I had been unaware that there was an issue with the media talking to jurors and I'm looking for more reports on this to finish forming an opinion myself. I wonder if Prof. Volokh would be kind enough to give us a take on it.

Robin 3:57 PM

 

Both Quasipundit and Robert Musil have some excellant detailed discussions of Citigroup, Enron and Robert Rubin.

Robin 11:34 AM

 

Charles Murtaugh has a quick but cogent remark about opposition to lab testing with animals.

Robin 11:27 AM

 

Interesting little posting by Bill Quick on James Zogby.

Robin 10:53 AM

 

Bill Quick points out that this is essentially Robert Rubin, Clinton's Treasury Secretary, indicting his and Clinton's economic performance. An amusing take, but I'm trying to stay honest and objective in who and what I blame for economic cycles, unlike the Democrats or ignorant shills like Hsiod.

Both competence and honesty escape Hsiod. Its amusing how much ignorance of economics, Hsiod packs into this posting attacking Steve Verdon's surgery on him. A hint, Hsiod, you really don't have a clue what you are talking about. As a start, read Robert Rubin's quote above, as even Rubin evidently won't stoop as long as you in distorting economic reality. As you do in continuing to claim that events that occurred months after the start of the recession caused it. "Counterspin" is not a good title for your blog, Hsiod, "Shameless Lying" would be better. Face the reality, you are your own worse enemy.

Bill Quick also has another quick refutation of Paul Krugman. Hey, Paul, I understand your integrity is on auction at eBay ... not too many bids of course, except maybe from Hsiod.

Robin 9:19 AM

 

Sasha Volokh has a fun posting on medieval movies, that is, movies set in medieval era.

Robin 9:07 AM

Wednesday, July 24, 2002

 

California's Governor Gray Davis recently signed California's ludicrous legislation to mandate lower "greenhouse gas" emissions from automobiles sold in California. The result will be more dead Californians. You see, "greenhouse gases" means mostly carbon dioxide and the only way to reduce carbon dioxide output from automobile engines is to burn less fuel per mile. Its already been shown that the Federal CAFE standards - mandating fleet average fuel economy - have resulted in tens of thousands more highway fatalities nationally. And here from Sam Kazman and here from Tom Bray are more discussions of this fact.

So the only way for auto makers to meet California's new requirement is to kill more people. I've long been a global warming skeptic, but its clear that global warming advocacy kills.

Robin 5:15 PM

 

This link - I'm not sure how long it will last - is to a great speech before Hillsdale College by Pat Sajak on the subject of the disconnect between Hollywood and reality.

Robin 4:05 PM

 

Here is an example of the hypocracy of Tom Daschle, as he attempts to exempt his home state from the lawsuits ( stopping forest fire prevention plans ) his buddies the environmental activists have foisted on our nation.

Robin 10:33 AM

 

One of the more amusing recurring claims among Democrats is that there is some huge unmet demand for talk radio and cable TV programs from the P.O.V. of Liberals. And so MSNBC digs Phil Donahue out of whatever grave Marlo had him in. But Phil won't last long.

I believe that the reality is that Liberals have abandoned in-depth consideration of their ideology for bumper-sticker sloganeering.

Robin 10:16 AM

Tuesday, July 23, 2002

 

I get to claim my own "blogchild" as my good friend Steve Verdon tells me that I'm partially to blame for inspiring his leap into blogging. Steve is notorious for his wit, his insights into economic issues and the willingness to attack the odd internet loon.

Robin 7:48 PM

 

Warbloggerwatch is up to its old anti-semite tricks with this outrageously dishonest post. It takes a great deal of brazen dishonesty to refer to the post-1967 occupation of the West Bank and Gaza as a "military dictatorship" while omitting that each was itself illegally occupied by Jordan and Egypt in violation of UN Resolutions. And that each was then used as the base of attacks against Israel before 1967.

Since the Arab world refuses to acknowledge either the 1947 U.N. Partition borders, nor the 1948 armistice borders, then it can't be illegal for Israel to build settlements in the West Bank. But dishonesty and hypocracy are the stock in trade of Palestinian apologists.

Robin 5:03 PM

 

The misnamed "Counterspin" is showing that no smear is too low for him to print with this misrepresentation of Kirsanow's remarks. Taking stuff out of context in such a blatant manner shows little talent. UPDATE: See also Joel Grus' comments.

And below, Hsiod tries to take the sting out of Robert Rubin' Citigroup's assistance in Enron's fraud. Amusing that he decries the same tactics he engages in here. But the facts show that Robert Rubin was involved in Citigroup's Enron problem. And this posting by Robert Musil on Rubin's lies to Congress.

Obviously needs more training in "Counterspin", not to mention economics. Face it, Hsiod, taking your cue from DNC fax sheets to blame President Bush for a recession that began virtually as he was being sworn in is just a lie, not "Counterspin". And displaying such complete stupidity as here where Hsiod blames a tax cut and budget that didn't get passed until the Summer of 2001 for a recession that began in March of 2001 only confirms that no calendar will hinder Hsiod's imagination.

Robin 10:31 AM

Monday, July 22, 2002

 

The Democrats are trying to make the current market collapse, and the associated corporate accounting scandals, stick to President Bush. However, we see that Citigroup is wobbling atop its wall. And this. Not to mention this one. The second largest financial services corporation in the world ... with Clinton's Treasury Secretary, Robert Rubin, as Chairman of the Executive Committee ... may have done more to aid Enron's fraudulent finances than even Arthur Andersen.

You didn't think the Clinton cronies were going to be missing from this pie did you?

Robin 5:30 PM

 

Bingo.

Robin 5:19 PM

 

OK, I can't resist ...

What Was Your PastLife?

Robin 4:33 PM

 

This is an essay by SF writer Orson Scott Card that you don't want to miss. Card discusses the left-wing diseases on campus from a new point of view.

Robin 4:01 PM

 

British police making a laughing stock of themselves with a car last seen carrying clowns into a circus.

Robin 12:54 PM

 

Here is a great article by Christina Hoff Summers writing against ratifying the UN Treaty on the Rights of Women aka "The Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination Against Women" (CEDAW)". I've long been a big fan of Summers and she lists very clearly why this treaty is a bad idea for women across the world.

Robin 11:20 AM

 

A new blogger named Lynn B has a wonderful takedown of Palestinian propaganda masquerading as media criticism.

Robin 10:57 AM

 

The first rational thing I've read in Arab News. The article states that Bin Laden is dead, probably literally certainly politically.

Robin 10:28 AM

Saturday, July 20, 2002

 

Robert Scheer has long been a lying piece of marxist debris, and Spinsanity shows us why again.

Robin 6:28 PM

Thursday, July 18, 2002

 

Once again, PETA establishes that they are a menace to humanity.

Robin 8:17 PM

 

John Hawkins shows us more details about how the media is creating a scandal out of President Bush's Harken stock sales from nothing.

Robin 2:43 PM

 

Can we get one of these beauties up here to intercept Paul Krugman?

Robin 2:23 PM

 

In other news, the 20th hijacker is demonstrating in court that Al Queda doesn't use IQ tests in recruiting. He's upset that he believes the judge and court-appointed defense counsel are conspiring to kill him ... so he insists on pleading guilty to save his life. This guy definitely answered an Al Queda job ad that specified "Only Complete Whackjobs need apply".

Robin 1:34 PM

 

Here's good news, Magaw has resigned from heading the TSA. With some luck, we can get the Bush administration to rethink their idiotic policies on arming pilots.

Robin 1:02 PM

 

N.Z. Bear writes a funny parody of the TIPS proposal.

I'm actually in a dilemma about the TIPS proposal. I am uncomfortable with it but I'm put off by all the ridiculous overreaction to it. ( One of the least over-the-top pieces from NRO ). I don't care for the idea of organizing a network of informants but comparisons to the Stasi are ludicrous. I'm trying to decide exactly where TIPS goes too far. After all, Neighborhood Watch programs don't exactly turn us into East Germany.

Robin 10:59 AM

Wednesday, July 17, 2002

 

The Curmudgeon doesn't care much for Dick Gephardt's rhetoric.

Robin 7:26 PM

 

Kausfiles describes how criticisms of President Bush's business dealings actually cancel each other out. He gives us this:

Thus, if Bush "did a great job leading the owners' group" as it "bullied and misled the city into raising taxes to build a $200 million stadium," as Kristof alleges, then the extra money he got from his partners wasn't really an unjustifid "$12 million gift" (read "bribe") as Krugman implies. It was money his partners probably felt he'd earned. ...

Is everyone completely nauseated by Krugman's regular insistance on sacrificing every bit of his soul to the alter of the Democrat Party?

Robin 9:32 AM

Tuesday, July 16, 2002

 

Didn't Eisenhower send troops to end racism in education like this?

Robin 9:59 PM

 

Since 1964, the Democrat party has elected two Presidents to the White House. Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter. Ignoring Clinton for the moment, travel to the middle of Jay Nordlinger's piece to find the comments about Jimmy Carter. Democrats are going to be crowding the bottom of the Presidency legacy contest for decades to come with these winners.

Robin 9:55 PM

 

It is quite astonishing to see people among the Left who are so filled with hate that the most ludicrous lies get applauded by them as deep thoughts. I thought that by now everyone realized that Robert Scheer's column claiming that the Bush Administration was funding the Taliban was a fraud. Simple comparison to the actual press release from the Dept of State and this press conference transcript reveals just how many outright lies Scheer wrote.

But still the fraud gets cited - here as justifying Lindh - among the Left blogs. This isn't an example of their holding to an extreme opinion, this is an example of how they cling uncritically to outright lies on factual matters to justify their irrational hatred. The real legacy of Chomsky.

UPDATE: After an email exchange, Kos - of the link above - acknowledged to me that comparing Scheer's piece to the sources confirmed my point. I appreciate his time and honesty.

Robin 9:33 PM

 

Byron York outlines the plank in Terry McAuliffe's eye as he hypocritically attacks President Bush.

Robin 4:42 PM

Monday, July 15, 2002

 

This is the most unintentionally hilarious piece I've seen today. I nearly hurt myself laughing - not just at the idea but the silly praise it gets from Jeralyn Merritt. Actually praising a move to make Maine into a haven for ex-felons? Here's a hint Jeralyn, if this guy succeeds, I am not moving to Maine and a lot of people will move out.

Robin 10:45 PM

 

It seems that everyone has a different favorite Lileks' "Bleat", I'm fond of this one about violence in PC and video games.

Robin 10:27 PM

 

More evidence of the utter vapidness of the Left is this item from Warbloggerwatch. A recurrent pattern with Warbloggerwatch is to simply invent nonexistant events or policies to decry. Good job guys proving that the Left is completely bankrupt.

Robin 2:04 PM

Sunday, July 14, 2002

 

Some stories appear to be floating the idea of leaving Arafat as a figurehead without powers.

I can't emphasize enough what a stupid idea this is. Arafat currently is "limited" in his powers by the Palestinian Authority's structure. He just ignores it. Arafat rules using a gangland structure of thugs that owes more to Mario Puzo than any real government constitution. If the Bush administration is seriously thinking that any fresh set of meaningless papers would remove Arafat from power, they are showing more naivete than I thought possible. If allowed to remain in the Palestinian Authority in any role, Arafat will retain power through the same methods he's obtained and kept it before: murder, extortion, torture, and terror. In the last decade, the PA has spent more time terrorizing its own people than Israel.

Kill him, imprison him or exile him. But do it soon.

UPDATE: Here's a discussion of the terror of the Palestinians by Arafat's thugocracy.

Robin 2:17 PM

Saturday, July 13, 2002

 

Europeans wonder why there is so much opposition to the ICC in the US. But the reality is that Americans would be insane to trust a court that eliminates our basic constitutional rights in criminal proceedings. Evidently, the Blair government is quite ready to whisk away such trivial things as trial by jury. Not to mention double jeopardy. Why should Americans allows themselves to be tried by a court invented by people ready to violate their own long established judicial principles?

Robin 9:03 PM

 

The Democrats like to insinuate that President Bush' verbal slips are indicative of his supposed stupidity. If so, then Rep. Maxine Waters is too retarded to qualify for the death penalty.

Robin 8:53 PM

 

A question that perennially baffles me is: when will the Black community start ostracizing extortionists like Jesse Jackson and deadbeat slanders like Al Sharpton.

Robin 8:52 PM

Friday, July 12, 2002

 

The PETAfreaks continue to demonstrate that they are complete blithering morons. Not to mention terrorists.

Robin 10:07 AM

 

Another instance of an airline trying to criminalize their customer service failures?

Robin 9:27 AM

Thursday, July 11, 2002

 

Not only have environmental groups been a part of the problem with wildfires, but they've been caught lying outright in denying it. See this WSJ piece and this USA Today piece.

Robin 3:10 PM

Wednesday, July 10, 2002

 

I love a good bashing of Chomsky.

Robin 1:22 PM

 

You would think that the fact that even Senator Barbara Boxer understands the need for pilots to be permitted firearms would embarrass the Bush administration. How can you be stupider than Sen. Boxer?

Robin 12:53 PM

 

No doubt you've seen the occasional story about "air rage", where some unhappy airline passenger ends up getting arrested. Some of those are are legitimate but some read more to me as airlines criminalizing their customer service failures. Hey, I wish I was in a business where I could get the FBI to remove my unhappy customers. Here we see America West continuing the trend by throwing off a passenger whose joke they didn't like. Yet another reason not to fly America West, if you hadn't gotten enough reasons already.

UPDATE: Iain Murray pointed out ( to Glenn Reynolds who has several posts on this subject ) this piece which I'd forgotten.

Robin 9:03 AM

Tuesday, July 09, 2002

 

I was fairly angry at Sean Wilentz's attack on Justice Scalia. Whether or not you agree with Justice Scalia, he makes his arguments in very clear rhetoric and meticulously constructed logic. Which makes attacks like Wilentz' - which rely on misrepresentation and ad hominem - infuriating. I'd been attempting to write a good polemic on this dreck, but Juan on the Volokh Conspiracy does it better than my previous drafts.

Robin 1:51 PM

Monday, July 08, 2002

 

More Ukrainian anti-aircraft missile firings at airliners. What if the "accident" last year in the Black Sea wasn't? ( Here the Ukrainians admit to doing it last year )

Robin 8:22 PM

 

"Jack Dunphy" is a psuedonym used by a Los Angeles Police Dept officer on NRO. Here he writes a biting indictment of the ineptness of the LAPD and FBI after the July 4th shooting at LAX airport. Unfortunately, he doesn't go into as much depth on the LAPD's actions as I would like. The utter incompetence of the LAPD management has been a long theme of "Dunphy" on NRO. When I was living in California, I had the good luck to live in the jurisdiction of one of the better police departments, Ventura County Sheriff's Dept., but had to on occasion interact with LAPD to my discomfort. Equally unfortunate is that I've not seen an article from "Dunphy" on reforming the LAPD to remove the thugs, which is a problem in many other departments as well.

UPDATE: Dunphey writes this about the Inglewood PD incident.

Robin 7:45 PM

 

Here is a link to October 2001 issue of the Journal of Law and Economics with some of the latest in analysis on the effects of "shall issue" concealed carry weapon laws, bans on juvenile possession of firearms, "safe storage" laws, etc. on crime. Some fascinating statistical analysis to ponder.

Robin 1:06 PM

Thursday, July 04, 2002

 

The environmentalists like the Sierra Club have been putting out some hurried press releases lately trying to fend off blame for the damaging fires we've seen so far. I'd like to see them spin this one away - a Tucson-based "environmental" group stopped the Forest Service from fire control operations in the area of Arizona's devastating fires.

Robin 3:53 PM

Wednesday, July 03, 2002

 

Zion blogger has a link to an excellant Weekly Standard piece contrasting the benefits of Israeli rule to Palestinian Authority rule over the West Bank and Gaza. I especially found fascinating the point that when the Palestinians living in East Jerusalem were given the choice of obtaining Israeli identification papers or Palestinian Authority papers shortly after Oslo, 95% chose Israeli. Zion blog also points out the dishonesty in reporting of casualties in the current conflict.

Robin 4:35 PM

Tuesday, July 02, 2002

 

Bad news for Shaggy.

Robin 10:01 AM

Monday, July 01, 2002

 

On the global warming fraud, this article in Nature should be sending alarm bells to all the honest climate scientists left in the world that the global climate models being used to predict future warming are crap.

Robin 4:12 PM

 

USA Today reports that one in four "simulated" weapons get past airport screeners. Evidently no matter how obvious. Gee, I'm sure glad that Norm Mineta and John Magaw made sure that we have no backup to security screening as pilots will be completely unarmed. Just how much contempt do I have to radiate before Washington detects it?

Speaking of security screening jokes.

Robin 4:09 PM