I Beg Your Pardon

Yep, President Bush commuted Scooter Libby's 30 month jail time sentence. So what? Presidents grant pardons and commutations all the time. It's just that this instance has reeked of partisan politics from the outset. Other presidential pardons have excused some of the scummiest of the scummy. Drug-dealers. Murderers (commuting death sentences to life without parole). Tax evaders (Anyone Remember Marc Rich?).

For anyone to claim that the commutation of Libby's sentence turns American jurisprudence on its head is ridiculous. It's par for the course. President Bush just didn't wait to do it on his way out of office.

For more on presidential pardons and commutations granted by President George H.W. Bush and President Bill Clinton, click here.

The Pot Calling the Kettle

So former President Jimmy Carter says that the current administration is the worst in history. Apparently, he's completely blocked out his miserable four years in office from his mind. And who could blame him? Apologists have commented that much of the problems the Carter administration encountered in the late 70s were not of President Carter's own creation but inherited. Of course, that explanation can be (and has been) used by every presidency for just about any adverse event that occurs. The Clinton administration has been criticized for events "leading" to 9/11. Whether that criticism is fair remains for history to decide.

The real question is what did a particular president do to solve the problems? In President Carter's case, not much. His indecisiveness in dealing with the power vacuum in Iran after the Shah was deposed lead to the Islamic revolution and the infamous hostage crisis which took 444 days to resolve. The release of the hostages on the day of Ronald Reagan's inauguration was a final slap to the face of sniveling Carter administration.

President Carter bemoaned American "Malaise" as the cause of the nation's problems from the energy crisis, to inflation, to the loss of American status on the foreign policy front. Gutting the military in a knee-jerk reation to Viet Nam didn't help. He played host to Egyptian President, Anwar Sadat, and Israeli Prime Minister, Menachim Begin as they truly risked their lives on the quest for peace. And years after trying desperately (treasonously) to thwart the international coalition being gathered for the first gulf war, President Carter won his Nobel Peace Prize. For his good works with Habitat for Humanity? For his insightful diplomacy on the international front? Nope and nope. He won as part of an international effort to embarrass President George W. Bush. How laughable.

President Carter has lauded tyrants from Yugoslavian Marshal Josef Tito to, North Korea's Kim Il-Sung, Romanian dictator Nicolai Ceaucescu and, of course, Cuba's Fidel Castro (above photo), Venezuelan "President" Hugo Chavez (photo bottom left) and of course, Palestinian terrorist, Yasser Arafat (photo bottom right). President Carter's Chamberlain-esque voice of appeasement is undoubtedly welcome in the halls of many enemies of democracy, freedom and America.

Maybe PETA can protest against President Carter for his shameless assault on the so-called Killer Rabbit.

Above, true archival photograph of President Carter swinging an oar with murderous intent at the Killer Bunny. Anya would be so proud (even if she was a Republican).

Below are some more pictures of President Carter and his friends.




Update: President Carter retracts and/or clarifies his criticism of President Bush. See the article here.

Our French Allies Again?

Reports have been made that the centre-right candidate for the French presidency, Nicolas Sarkozy, has an affinity for Franco-American relations. So much so that his Socialist opponent has accused him of wishing to replace British Prime Minister, Tony Blair, as Washington's "poodle". Funny how any cooperation with America always results in accusations of toadying.

Despite being tagged as being President Bush's new "yes man", Sarkozy has long been on record as being against the war in Iraq and against the execution of Saddam Hussein. He does however take a more balanced view regarding Israel as opposed to past French administration's blind allegiance to the Arab states.

Sarkozy still has to get past his Socialist opponent but he would definitely be a bridge to strengthen French-American ties which have long been strained. I can think back even to the Reagan years when America wanted to fly over French airspace to strike Libya with a squadron of F-111 bombers. The cheese eating surrender monkeys refused, opting instead to protect their relationship with the then-leading terrorist state. Things haven't gotten any better since then.

If Sarkozy (the son of a Hungarian immigrant) gains the French presidency, the U.S. will undoubtedly take steps towards solidifying relations. The next American President, Republican or Democrat, will need to take a new approach to the French but having someone in Paris who doesn't reactively oppose every American initiative would be nice.

Quotable Reagan

A communist is someone who reads Marx. An anti-communist is someone who understands Marx.

The Constitution was never meant to prevent people from praying; its declared purpose was to protect their freedom to pray.

I’ve always thought that the common sense and wisdom of the federal government were summed up in a sign they used to have hanging on the Hoover Dam. It said, “Government property. Do not remove.”

A leader, once convinced a particular course of action is the right one, must have the determination to stick with it and be undaunted when the going gets tough.

You and I do not believe that life is so dear and peace so sweet as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery.

According to the experts, I have exceeded my life expectancy by quite a few years. This is a source of great annoyance to some.

Communism works only in heaven where they don’t need it, and in hell where they already have it.

America is as large as the universe, as infinite as space, as limitless as the vision and courage of her people.

This is America; you can do anything here.

You know, when I called the Soviet Union an Evil Empire, I meant it.

2008 Elections

One sunny day in 2008, an old man approached the White House from across Pennsylvania Avenue, where he'd been sitting on a park bench. He spoke to the Marine standing guard and said, "I would like to go in and meet with President Hillary Clinton." The Marine replied, "Sir, Mrs. Clinton is not President and doesn't reside here." The old man said, "Okay," and walked away.

The following day, the same man approached the White House and said to the same Marine, "I would like to go in and meet with President Hillary Clinton". The Marine again told the man, "Sir, as I said yesterday, Mrs. Clinton is not President and doesn't reside here." The man thanked him and again walked away.

The third day, the same man approached the White House and spoke to the very same Marine, saying "I would like to go in and meet with President Hillary Clinton." The Marine, understandably agitated at this point, looked at the man and said, "Sir, this is the third day in a row you have been here asking to speak to Mrs. Clinton. I've told you already several times that Mrs. Clinton is not the President and doesn't reside here. Don't you understand?" The old man answered, "Oh, I understand you just fine. I just love hearing your answer!" The Marine snapped to attention, saluted, and said, "See you tomorrow."