Early Mishaps

Don't let an early mishap ruin the whole day.

Rights for Terrorists

This from Democrat Carl Levin regarding the detention provisions in the new anti-terror bill, which just passed the Senate:

"The habeas corpus language in this bill is as legally abusive of rights guaranteed in the Constitution as the actions at Abu Ghraib, Guantanamo and secret prisons that were physically abusive of detainees."

Just a minute, Mr. Levin. Since when do foreign terrorists have constitutional rights? No wonder the American people don't trust the Democrats to protect them.

The J-Word

"Facing the Giants," an uplifting and surprsiingly well done film about football and faith, opens tomorrow in about 430 theaters nationwide. Though the movie has no profanity, sexual situations (other than discussions of prgnancy and infertility), or violence (outside the gridiron), the Motion Picture Association of America deemed it offensive enough to give it a PG rating. The apparent reason? There is too much mention of Jesus Christ.

Go see this movie. It's a lot more entertaining than the latest shenanigans from real-life football prima donas like "T.O." And don't you think it's time the MPAA were flagged for illegal procedure?

Waiting to Be Killed

Responding to a press question that the Iraq war has made the United States less safe, yesterday Hamid Karzai, the leader of democratic Afghanistan, expressed incredulity:

"Terrorism was hurting us way before Iraq or September 11 .... These extremist forces were killing people in Afghanistan for years, closing schools, burning mosques, killing children, uprooting vineyards. They came to America on September 11, but they were attacking you before September 11 in other parts of the world. We are a witness in Afghanistan.

"Do you forget people jumping off the 80th floor or 70th floor when the planes hit them? Can you imagine what it will be for a man or woman to jump from that high? How do we get rid of them? ... Should we wait for them to come and kill us again?"

For critics of the current policy, the answer, apparently, is Yes.

The Value of Clinton's "Hard Work"

President Clinton, defending his indefensible anti-terror record, told interviewer Chris Wallace that he "worked hard" to have Bin Laden killed. This reminds me of his promise to cut taxes when he ran his first presidential campaign. Shortly after he was safely in office, Clinton said he tried as hard as he could to keep his word but couldn't (in fact he ended up raising taxes). The moral of the story: When Clinton "works hard," he doesn't deliver. Remember, presidents are judged not on effort, but on results.

Hot Under the Collar

President Clinton, ever sensitive to his "legacy," bridled when Fox reporter Chris Wallace asked him if he had done enough to stop Osama bin Laden during his presidency. He accused called the interview a hit job and told Wallace, "You got that little smirk on your face and you think you're so clever."

Sounds like a case of presidential projection to me.

Expect Adversity

Just as darkness is a part of every day, so adversity is a part of every life.

Kid Sinners

Think your kid isn't a sinner? Have a second. Better yet, a third.

Stealing from Their Playbook

Democrats such as Charles Rangel and Nancy Pelosi are outraged that Hugo Chavez has demonized President Bush. I believe they're planning a lawsuit against Chavez for copyright infringement.

It's Time

Hugo Chavez, the two-bit dictator of Venezuela, removed his tongue from Fidel Castro's boots and went to the United Nations yesterday, where he called our president "the devil." This came a day after the president of Iran spouted his own lies and lunacies. All this follows the UN's record of corruption, double standards on human rights, and general irrelevance. Other than some of the UN's humanitarian arms, I think it's time to pull the plug on this sorry institution, for which we are the major underwriter, and remove it from American soil.

Voting with One Hand

In Illinois, where the main claim of the incumbent and the challenger in the race for governor seems to be, "I'm not as corrupt as my opponent," election officials are feverishly working to prepare voting booths for November 7. The aim is to allow a voter to choose one of the Republicrats while simultaneously holding his or her nose.

Preseason Prognostications

Before the current pro football season began, the prognosticators were confidently saying Carolina would be dominant in the NFC, the Dolphins would be resurgent in the AFC, Rex Grossman was a bust for the Bears, and the Buccaneers would ride the arm of Chris Sims to gridiron glory (or at least respectability). Well, two weeks into the season, the Panthers, Miami, and Tampa Bay are searching desperately for their passing games (and wins), and Grossman's Bears have an offense reminiscent of Joe Montana's Niners. Yes, it's still early, but it's not too early to say, "That's why they play the games."

No Money-Back Guarantee

Last week Detroit receiver Roy Williams guaranteed a Lions victory over the Bears. Yesterday Chicago won the game 34-7. Is Williams now going to send refunds to Lions fans?

Religion of Peace 15

This weekend the pope apologized for offending Muslims for quoting a medeival text that said Islam is violent. Meanwhile, seven churches in Palestinian areas were attacked as revenge for the remarks.

What exactly was Benedict apologizing for?

Religion of Peace 14

In his speech "Faith, Reason, and the University" earlier this week, Pope Benedict quoted the Byzantine Emperor Manuel II Paleologus," who said, "Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached."

Not surprisingly, many Muslims are outraged, not by the historical fact that Islam (by the teaching and example of its founder) did spread through violence, but the fact that someone brought this inconvenient truth up.

A spokeswoman for the Pakistani Foreign Ministry, Tasnim Aslam, warned, "Anyone who describes Islam as a religion as intolerant encourages violence." So let me get this straight. If we say that Islam is intolerant, Muslims will react intolerantly.

Doesn't that prove the point?

Radical Rosie

On Tuesday, Rosie O'Donnell remarked, "Radical Christianity is just as threatening as radical Islam in a country like America." If it were, Rosie would not be a loud-mouthed and ill-informed host on "The View," but an oppressed woman who can be neither seen nor heard, covered from head to toe and unable to drive a car, her testimony worth half that of a man in court.

Sadly, Rosie appears to be trying to prove that the Islamists are right.

Islamofascists

Some people are upset that the president and others refer to our enemies in the War on Terror as Islamofascists. They say that (1) these terrorists are not true Muslims and that (2) the term unnecessarily demeans all followers of Islam. To me, the term makes sense, because it distinguishes between ordinary followers of Islam and those who use the teachings of Islam to justify their fascist and murderous attempts to conquer the world in the name of Allah. These people may not be "good Muslims" (though they would say they are), but they are undeniably Muslims. After all, don't they perform the "five pillars" of Islam–praying, giving alms, going to Mecca, reciting the creed, and observing the fast?

If we cannot give regular Muslims the benefit of the doubt by qualifying the faith of terrorists as Islamofascism, then we have only one alternative. We have to call them all Muslims.

Tin Foil Hats, Too

As a wise sage has said, "What's good for the country is bad for the Democrats." Therefore, Democrats can't be happy to see the price of gas coming down–and right as the election season kicks off, no less! Probably those same Democratic crazies who believe the president orchestrated 9/11 also believe George W. Bush is lowering gas prices to help Republicans.

Would that he were that brilliant!

"Path"-breaking Scrutiny

Democrats, in their zeal to discredit "The Path to 9/11" because it rightly blames the Clinton administration for eight years of dithering as the terrorist threat gathered strength, have discovered factual inaccuracies in this dramatic presentation. Does this new concern for truth mean that Michael Moore will no longer be the guest of honor at the next Democratic National Convention, that they will disown Joe Wilson as a liar, and that they will stop insinuating that the Bush administration is a worse threat to America than Al Qaeda?

The Incomplete Legacy of 9/11

Five years ago, our nation was briefly unified in the face of terrorism. We knew it was evil and that we must defeat it. Today, despite missteps in Iraq and with homeland security, we have not had a comparable attack, and many of the Islamist masterminds are either dead or hiding in caves. Saddam Hussein is in jail, no longer able to terrorize his people. Democracy is attempting to take root in the hard soil of the Middle East. Thousands of brave U.S. soldiers (and untold numbers of Iraqis) have given their lives to make the world a safer place.

But, unfortunately, the Democrats have become the party of appeasement and defeat. From opposing funding for the troops to wringing their hands over the Valerie Plame non-scandal to hounding Joseph Lieberman out of the party, these people have attempted, not once but continually, to convince the American people that the real threat to America is not Osama bin Laden and those like him, but George W. Bush and Donald Rumsfeld (John Ashcroft having since moved on). Hoping to win back political power, they have cheered every setback of this adminstration, from Abu Ghraib to incessant car bombings in Baghdad.

Until we all figure out who the real enemy is and decide to work together, our civilization is at risk. The Islamists know this and are exploiting our divisions for all they are worth. Let's stop letting them.

Tying the Not

Actor Brad Pitt has come up with an excuse for not marrying Angelina Jolie that the nation's live-in boyfriends, who get all the benefits of marriage without the commitment, can only cheer: "Angie and I will consider tying the knot when everyone else in the country who wants to be married is legally able." A lot of the ones who ended up tying the knot are probably saying, "Why didn't I think of that?"

Status Quo Ante

People are tired of the war. So am I. Why don't we give up and let the Democrats manage things for a while? They'll set a date to withdraw our troops from Iraq and then pull them out, allowing the terrorists to take over, brutalize the Iraqi people, and resume that country's WMD program. The Democrats will shut down interrogations of terror suspects, close off any tracking of their financial transactions, disallow any eavesdropping aimed at Al Qaeda making phone calls into this country, and prevent the CIA and FBI from communicating with one another.

And we'll be right back to September 10, 2001.

The Path to 9/11

Too bad Bill Clinton didn't spend as much time and energy trying to take out Osama bin Laden as the former president's surrogates are doing trying to take out "The Path to 9/11."

Par for the Course

This past weekend, golfer Tiger Woods (that's a little like saying "composer Beethoven") won his fifth tournament in a row. A rejuvinated Woods dominates the sport as none before him, even Jones, Nicklaus, Snead, Watson, and Palmer. The only remaining challenge Woods faces is Jack Nicklaus's record of 18 professional majors. Right now, if boredom doesn't overtake him, the only question is when, not if.

As great as Woods is, though, I can't help wondering whether part of his dominance is due to the weak mental makeup today's golfers, who can become millionaires without ever winning a tournament. I have a hard time believing Jack Nicklaus would do an el foldo even with Tiger on the prowl.

Wisdom and Age

Concerning the risks that "Crocodile Hunter" Steve Irwin repeatedly took with his life before the deadly close encounter with a stingray, perhaps the old axiom "With age comes wisdom" should be turned around to "With wisdom comes age."

The Sting of Death

The unexpected death of the "crocodile hunter," a man's man, from a barb to the heart by a stingray should remind us how precarious life is. We all face a spiritual "sting of death" because of our sin, and it could come at any time. The only way to avoid it is by receiving Christ's death in our place. The day to do it is today. We are not promised tomorrow.

What's So Funny?

Last night, "Nightline" ridiculed the president for using many terms to describe America's enemies in the war on terror, such as "Islamofascists" and "Saddamists." I wonder if the media would have been joking around during World War II about FDR and the Nazis, the Japanese, or the Axis. Somehow, I don't think so. Whatever you choose to call our enemies, both the thugs who terrorized Iraq and the Islam-inspired terrorists, the fact is, they are trying to kill us. What's so funny about that?