Military votes No Confidence in Rumsfeld?

Allegedly, this editorial is slated to run in the official Military Times editions on Monday, November 6. That is one day before Election Day for those keeping score at home.

For two years, American sergeants, captains and majors training the Iraqis have told their bosses that Iraqi troops have no sense of national identity, are only in it for the money, don't show up for duty and cannot sustain themselves.
Meanwhile, colonels and generals have asked their bosses for more troops. Service chiefs have asked for more money.
And all along, Rumsfeld has assured us that things are well in hand.
Now, the president says he'll stick with Rumsfeld for the balance of his term in the White House.
This is a mistake.
It is one thing for the majority of Americans to think Rumsfeld has failed. But when the nation's current military leaders start to break publicly with their defense secretary, then it is clear that he is losing control of the institution he ostensibly leads.

If true, this is likely to be a bombshell - the generals publicly criticizing their commander. I do not think it is likely to change the outcome of the Congressional elections themselves on November 7, but I think it is likely to have large sway over how the freshman Congresspeople vote come January.

That Didn't Take Long...

I'm waiting before I make much of a comment on Haggard and the situation he is now in. To jump on either side without a lot more facts answered would be premature at this point. But, with a display of class that has become all too common for Andrew, he's not bothering to wait and see. He's even already pegged exactly what Haggard's problem is:

I'm afraid I feel for Haggard. This is what happens to a man psychologically and spiritually destroyed by actually advancing a lie he knows to be a lie about homosexuality as a "chosen lifestyle" while being gay himself.

If only Haggard had come out and acknowledged that what he claimed was his heart-felt interpretation of the Bible was really just a lie intended to support the great Rovian plot against homosexuals, then he could have avoided all of this. Everything can be summed up very simply then. It's all about the lie that the "right" forces on the American people that homosexuality is Biblically forbidden which leads to the downfall of men. Everyone who opposes homosexuallity is obviously a flaming homosexual themselves, just fighting against it out of trite political desires. Right. Very classy, Andrew.

Funny Fundraising

I can't help but think of this type of situtation everytime my brother talks to these people.

Why most Mod-Bloggers will be buying MacOS X 10.5 instead of Windows Vista

Microsoft just does not get it. Their userbase is shrinking due to Apple and Linux making inroads, as users get fed up with usability issues, security issues, and a series of draconian DRM (digital rights management - tightly controlling what you can do with your own software). So what what is their reaction? Even more restrictions in the Windows Vista end user license. What kind of restrictions? It is now illegal to use Parallels or another virtualization software to run Windows inside of MacOS X or Linux... unless you buy the most expensive version. You are now also only allowed to transfer Windows Vista to one other computer ever and only once. So if you were to buy Windows Vista for your old PC, then buy a laptop online on eBay with Windows XP on it, that is your ONLY chance to use the original Vista CD/DVD to upgrade a computer.

Compare this to Apple, who not only has no controls against copying, but sells a "family license" with 5 installs for only a few dollars more than their regular version. How long will people put up with this?

The Troops Respond

Just in case you haven't seen it yet, the troops respond to Kerry:



Posted on Drudge Report

In Memoriam: Dad

I miss you and love you. Not necessarily in that order.

What will be the result of John Kerry's "botched joke"?

In a flashback to the 2004 presidential campaign, John Kerry has again stuck his foot in his mouth with veterans and had been forced to apologize. If you have been under a rock for the last 24 hours, here is the deal.

Kerry made the comment Monday to students at Pasadena City College in California.
He said: "You know, education -- if you make the most of it, you study hard and you do your homework and you make an effort to be smart, you can do well.
"If you don't, you get stuck in Iraq."

As democrats hastily back away from John Kerry in an attempt to save their anticipated election victory next week, the question comes to mind: What will be the impact of this verbal snafu?

I predict that the Kerry remark has little to no impact on the election. Congressional elections are largely won on local issues, and unlike GWB John Kerry is no one's party leader. However, it has likely ended any possibility of John Kerry making a "come back" run for president. He has reminded us all of his inability to stand up to scrutiny at key moments. He is not someone the democats want representing them nationally, and not someone Americans want in the top spot.