This week, the Iraqi government sent police to order the removal of a statue honoring the Iraqi journalist Muntadhar al-Zeidi, who threw a shoe at former President George Bush. The statue’s removal in Tikrit appears to be an effort to show respect to the United States by denying the right of free speech to the Iraqi people.
The police cited that fact that the shoe was on public land to order its removal. This would be a valid claim if it was not so selective. Public land throughout Iraq is used to honor political figures and causes, including privately funded statues.
The shoe has become such a symbol that the manufacturer is struggling to fill orders.
Baghdad-based artist Laith al-Amari created the fiberglass-and-copper work to honor to the pride of the Iraqi people with the now dominant symbol of defiance against the United States. Many Americans would prefer to leave the shoe and get back the troops.
For the full story, click here.
The biggest threats to freedom of speech invariably come from those who are offended by its expression. Besides, people who lack a sense of humor cannot appreciate liberty.
And while we’re at it,
“Well, Art is Art, isn’t it? Still, on the other hand, water is water. And east is east and west is west and if you take cranberries and stew them like applesauce they taste much more like prunes than rhubarb does. Now you tell me what you know.”
Groucho Marx
“Politics is the art of looking for trouble, finding it everywhere, diagnosing it incorrectly and applying the wrong remedies.”
Groucho Marx
That explains a lot. They’ve been reading the wrong Marx.
“FOX Facts: Senators Indicted While in Office
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
The following is a list of U.S. senators indicted while serving in the Senate:
John Smith (R-Ohio)
Served in the Senate from April 1, 1803, to April 25, 1808.
Charles H. Dietrich (R-Neb.)
Served in the Senate from Jan.3, 1901, to March 3, 1905.
Joseph R. Burton (R-Kansas), Convicted
Served in the Senate from March 4, 1901, to June 4, 1906.
John Hipple Mitchell (R-Ore.), Convicted
Served in the Senate from March 4, 1873, to March 3, 1879; March 4, 1885, to March 3, 1897; and March 4, 1901, to Dec. 8, 1905.
Truman H. Newberry (R-Mich.)
Served in the Senate from March 4, 1919, to Nov. 18, 1922.
Burton K. Wheeler (D-Mont.)
Served in the Senate from March 4, 1923, to Jan. 3, 1947.
Edward J. Gurney (R-Fla.)
Served in the Senate from Jan. 3, 1969, to Dec. 31, 1974.
Harrison A. Williams Jr. (D-N.J.), Convicted
Served in the Senate from Jan. 3, 1959, to March 11, 1982.
David F. Durenberger (R-Minn.)
Served in the Senate from Nov. 8, 1978, to Jan. 3, 1995.
Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-Texas)
Served in the Senate from June 5, 1993, to the present.
Source: Senate Historical Office.”
Lets not forget Ted Stevens. (R-Alaska)
Like your post dad, pointless.
Corruption, Democrat Style
As a life-long politician, Tom Daschle never earned much money. But he retired from the Senate, after being defeated for re-election by John Thune, as a multimillionaire. He retired to Georgetown, of course, not to South Dakota. This happens a lot in Washington, and Daschle’s case is pretty typical.
His wife Linda is or was a lobbyist, and she was the one who reported the family’s income. (This is inference, since Daschle consistently chose not to make his tax returns public.) Linda Daschle made millions “lobbying” on behalf of various corporate interests. There was no conflict of interest, the Democrats assured us, because Linda Daschle only “lobbied” the House of Representatives, not the Senate, where her husband was either the Majority or the Minority Leader for much of his career.
But wait! If a company hired Linda to lobby House members, the check they wrote went straight into the Senate Majority Leader’s joint checking account. It would have been a felony to write the check to Tom in exchange for political services, but a check to Linda, that went into the same bank account? No problem! She wasn’t lobbying the Senate! So Tom Daschle became a multimillionaire.
Another thing that happens a lot in Washington is that when Democrats get appointed to visible, high-ranking positions in the Executive Branch, they suddenly discover that they owe a lot more money in taxes. We saw that with Tim Geithner. The latest example is Daschle, Barack Obama’s nominee for Secretary of Health and Human Services:
Former Sen. Tom Daschle, picked by President Barack Obama to lead the administration’s health reform efforts, recently filed amended tax returns to report $128,203 in unpaid taxes and $11,964 in interest, according to a Senate document obtained by The Associated Press.
The White House acknowledged Friday that “some tax issues” had emerged in connection with the nomination, but a spokesman said the president is confident the former Senate Democratic leader will be confirmed as the new health secretary.
Daschle filed amended tax returns for 2005, 2006 and 2007 to reflect additional income for consulting work, the use of a car service and reductions in charitable contribution deductions. He filed the returns after the announcement that Obama intended to nominate him to head the Health and Human Services Department.
The principal issues that Daschle is now rectifying with the IRS stem from his relationship with InterMedia Advisors of Englewood, Colo. Daschle is a limited partner and chairman of that firm’s executive advisory board, and is also an independent consultant to InterMedia Advisors LLP of New York City.
InterMedia Advisors was founded by Leo Hindery, who, as we noted here, was once the CEO of Global Crossing, a company that enriched a number of prominent Democrats, including Terry McAuliffe, but also turned into one of the biggest bankruptcies in the history of American business, in which creditors and innocent investors lost many millions of dollars. Hindery subsequently ran for Chairman of the Democratic National Committee, served on the Board of Advisors of left-wing Democracy Radio, and was awarded the “Oates-Shrum Leadership Award of the Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund.” In his spare time, he’s been funneling cash to Daschle.
Is Tom Daschle a crook, or is it fairer to think of him as a low-level tool of various big-time crooks who play the Washington game by the corrupt rules of the Democratic Party? Either way, it is hard to think of a worse person to put in charge of “reforming” the nation’s health care system.
Still, there is always a silver lining. One good thing about electing a Democrat as President is that, as he nominates fellow Democrats to senior positions in the Executive Branch, millions of dollars in unpaid tax liabilities come to light and are belatedly paid to the IRS, with interest. It is, perhaps, the most tangible advantage of electing Democrats to office.
Report: Daschle Received over $220G From Health Care Groups With Vested Interest
Sen. Tom Daschle, President Obama’s nominee to head the Department of Health and Human Services, received $220,000 in speaking fees from health care groups with a vested interest in the work he would do once confirmed as health chief.
Tom Daschle, the former South Dakota senator picked by President Obama to reside over the nation’s healthcare system, received $220,000 in speaking fees from health care groups with an interest in the work he would do once confirmed as health chief, Politico.com reports.
Daschle, who has come under fire in recent days for his failure to pay taxes, received thousands from health care groups — such as the Health Industry Distributors Association — that stand to gain or lose depending on the outcome of Obama’s universal health care initiative.
The fees were detailed in a financial disclosure statement released Friday after it was revealed that Daschle — Obama’s nominee to head the Department of Health and Human Services — failed to pay $128,203 in back taxes and $11,964 in interest.
WOW, DASCHLE NEVER EVEN CHARGED HIM PENALTIES ARE THREW HIM IN THE SLAMMER LIKE THE REST OF US WOULD HAVE BEEN!
The BBC reports a festive mood has broken out in Iraq. Turnout appears heavy, especially among the Sunni:
Iraqis are electing new provincial councils in the first nationwide vote in four years, with the Sunni minority expected to turn out in strength.
How big of a change will we see? In 2005, the Sunnis had a 2% turnout. The head of Anbar’s electoral board expects a 60% turnout this time. It demonstrates the radical shift in thinking among the Sunni about national unity, but to be fair, it also demonstrates the transformation of the security situation in Anbar and other Sunni areas.
This is what victory looks like.
President Bush beat Saddam, he beat the insurgents in Iraq, he beat Al Queda in Iraq, he beat Iranian influence in Iraq, and most importantly President Bush beat Democrats trying to lose a war for political gain – which unfortunately included our current “President”!
Elections this weekend in Iraq were peaceful with huge participations. The only unhappy people in Iraq are former Saddam supporters who lost their ability to step on other’s throats under Saddam.
Thank you President Bush for giving 30 million human beings freedom to elect their leaders!
GOD BLESS YOU PRESIDENT BUSH!