Giving

Speaking of giving, be sure to head on over to the wonderful Miss O'Hara's site and read up on the charity she is highlighting this week for The Seven Weeks of Christmas Campaign!

This week's charity is Hatzolah Israel.

Do it.

Update: And while you're at it, be sure to lend a hand in helping Howard Dean get elected as the next chairman of the Democratic National Committee. Read about it here. Good times. (ht: Bill Hobbs)

Gaps

We've got religion gaps, geographical gaps, generosity gaps, etc. etc. etc. ad nauseum.

But wait...there's another! The Baby Gap!

Clearly, the "issues" that so excite political journalists had but a meager impact on most voters... If a demographic or regional group supported Bush's "humble" foreign policy in 2000, they supported his Alexandrine ambitions in 2004, and vice-versa.

Still, this doesn't mean voters are choosing red or blue frivolously. Indeed, voters are picking their parties based on differing approaches to the most fundamentally important human activity: having babies. The white people in Republican-voting regions consistently have more children than the white people in Democratic-voting regions. The more kids whites have, the more pro-Bush they get...

Break it down how you will, but with all these "gaps" I guess those who tend to be more kind, moral, family-oriented people are more likely to be Republican. (ok...flame away...heh)

(ht: No Silence Here)

Classic

How can I let such a priceless piece of literary material go by without passing it along for others to see? It's impossible, I tell you.

In a letter to the editor of the Daily Breeze, Shirley Conley writes:

Killing of hunters not surprising

Regarding the shooting deaths of the hunters in Wisconsin, it should come as no surprise to anyone that a person capable of killing Bambi and other defenseless animals with assault weapons would turn on humans as well.

Call it "collateral damage" from our wonderful congressional leaders who refused to renew the assault weapons ban. Perhaps now, the surviving members of the hunting party will know how it must feel for the poor animals!

-- SHIRLEY CONLEY

I really don't know what to say.

Ok...maybe I do. Ms. Conely apparently doesn't know that the SKS that was used in this killing wasn't covered by the "Assault" Weapons Ban. Actually, the round used by the SKS is much weaker compared to the round normally used by deer hunters.

And to compare shot to Bambi? Um...no comment.

The Gun Owners of America issued a press release about the shooting as well:

As news of Sunday’s Wisconsin shooting became public, gun control advocates trotted out their tired old arguments for banning firearms. But Gun Owners of America challenged the Violence Policy Center, and other like-minded groups, to tell the rest of the story.

“Sunday’s shooting was very tragic,” said GOA Director of Communications Erich Pratt. “But we must not forget that more than four thousand people saved their lives using guns on Sunday.”

According to the Clinton Justice Department (in 1997), Americans use guns in self-defense as many as 4,110 times every day. This means that guns are used 50 times more to save life than to illegitimately take life. This study can viewed by visiting www.gunowners.org/sourcetb.htm on the GOA website.

Read the entire thing here.

Guns save lives over 4000 times a day...50 times more than they are used to take a life. Considering that most criminals get their guns illegally anyway, then what sense does it make to ban guns?

Oh, but gun control advocates might say that they only want to ban the "bad" guns like the SKS. Well, consider this...80 percent of convicted criminals in a sampling of both state and federal prisoners preferred handguns in committing their crimes. Once we get rid of the "bad" guns, then we should obviously move to ban handguns since they are used in most crimes (unlike those "bad" guns, but the "bad" guns are obviously easier to ban because they are so "bad"). Once handguns are banned, then it's becomes even easier to ban all other weapons.

Consider the matter even further then...79% of those criminals polled obtained their weapons from either illegal sources or from friends or relatives. The way it looks, no matter what laws you have in place, criminals are going to get weapons leaving the common, law abiding citizen unarmed (something that Britain and Australia have had to find out the hard way).

If crime is prevented by the ownership of firearms 50 times more than it's used to take the life of someone, then how does the banning of firearms make people safer? Can those who want to ban guns make the math work in their favor? Maybe they can. Only if they ignore the numbers...which pretty much seems to be par for the course anyway.

Presidential Proclamation

What follows is a Presidential Proclamation given for the observance of Thanksgiving:

By the President of the United States of America. a Proclamation.

Whereas it is the duty of all Nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey his will, to be grateful for his benefits, and humbly to implore his protection and favor, and whereas both Houses of Congress have by their joint Committee requested me "to recommend to the People of the United States a day of public thanksgiving and prayer to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many signal favors of Almighty God especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness."

Now therefore I do recommend and assign Thursday the 26th day of November next to be devoted by the People of these States to the service of that great and glorious Being, who is the beneficent Author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be. That we may then all unite in rendering unto him our sincere and humble thanks, for his kind care and protection of the People of this Country previous to their becoming a Nation, for the signal and manifold mercies, and the favorable interpositions of his providence, which we experienced in the course and conclusion of the late war, for the great degree of tranquility, union, and plenty, which we have since enjoyed, for the peaceable and rational manner, in which we have been enabled to establish constitutions of government for our safety and happiness, and particularly the national One now lately instituted, for the civil and religious liberty with which we are blessed; and the means we have of acquiring and diffusing useful knowledge; and in general for all the great and various favors which he hath been pleased to confer upon us.

And also that we may then unite in most humbly offering our prayers and supplications to the great Lord and Ruler of Nations and beseech him to pardon our national and other transgressions, to enable us all, whether in public or private stations, to perform our several and relative duties properly and punctually, to render our national government a blessing to all the people, by constantly being a Government of wise, just, and constitutional laws, discreetly and faithfully executed and obeyed, to protect and guide all Sovereigns and Nations (especially such as have shown kindness unto us) and to bless them with good government, peace, and concord. To promote the knowledge and practice of true religion and virtue, and the encrease of science among them and Us, and generally to grant unto all Mankind such a degree of temporal prosperity as he alone knows to be best.

Given under my hand at the City of New York the third day of October in the year of our Lord 1789.

(signed) G. Washington

Happy Thanksgiving everyone.

Dial-up Blues

Working from a dial-up is never fun, and doing updates from a kitchen counter standing up, late at night makes for even less fun, but hey...I work with what I've got (maybe I should have brought along a wireless network card).

I didn't make it to the Las Vegas Air Show, but I did make it on a couple of ride-alongs with the North Las Vegas Police Department. I witnessed several things first-hand that I had known before, but never had confirmed...such as...what crystal meth looks like, that CSI guys are a morbid lot, and a Mag flash light can really serve as a night-stick.

Anyway...I'll fill in all the details later. I would have added a couple of pictures, but I haven't had time to download them to the computer. I'll be flying back in over the weekend, so look for updates shortly thereafter.

Oh...and thanks for the comments on the argyle...I think. heh

Big Smoke

I attended Cigar Aficionado's 9th Annual Big Smoke here in Las Vegas tonight. I wasn't sure what to expect, but needless to say, I was pleasantly surprised.

There were over 3000 people in attendance, and the freebies that were being given away more than covered with the ticket price. Twenty-three premium cigars from various vendors, awesome displays, drink samples, free food, etc etc.

The best part of the night, however, was meeting these two guys:

Carlos, Sr. and Carlos, Jr. (Carlito) Fuente. If you are into cigars at all, you will know who these guys are.

Earlier in the day, I also attended the AMA Red Bull Supermoto A-Go-Go. An interesting blend of asphalt and dirt-track motorcycle racing in the parking lot behind Bally's. It was free, so I can't complain. I'm not a follower of Moto racing, but I did get to meet some of the big names like Travis Pastrana (who wasn't racing due to a crash earlier in the year), Troy Lee (of Troy Lee Designs), and Mike Metzger. I guess I got a decent primer on the world of MotoX.

I'll be posting more pictures from Las Vegas in the next few days. I may be attending the Las Vegas Air Show at Nellis Air Force Base tomorrow (depending on the weather). That should be cool.

Vegas Bound

This morning I'll be headed to Las Vegas for a week. I'll have a laptop and digital camera in tow, so there may be some road-trip updates here and there. Blogging will be light otherwise.

Catch you all on the other side.

Paper Blogging

Not too long ago, I added a local blog to the blogroll that was run by the Nashville Scene. Entititled Blogville, it provided an interesting banter between Rober Abramson (from the right) and Bruce Barry (from the left)...which I was surprised that they even offered a voice from the right, but I digress.

Unfortunately, that blog ended right after the election. Apparently it was just a temporary experiment mainly designed to cover the election.

Just looking around Tennessee a couple of other Tennessee newspapers have, with some success, begun offering blogs on their sites.

KnoxNews.com hosts eight blogs. Only two are three are current, but it does include one of my daily reads...an excellent blog named No Silence Here run by Michael Silence.

The Memphis Commercial Appeal hosts eight blogs as well which include a Memphis dining to a fitness blog to a couple politics blog.

The Tennessean...well...apparently they haven't jumped on the bandwagon yet. Maybe they don't want their reporters running around in their pajamas all day writing blogs. I guess that would be beneath them.

I think it's a mistake for the Scene to end their little experiment. I even commented with the question asking why they just didn't continue blogging. It seems more like a retreat from the realm of the new media back into the caves of the old media. Ah well...it was good while it lasted. Maybe they'll change their minds and come back out to play one of these days.

More on TennCare

Bill Hobbs has more on the TennCare situation:

TennCare was created by executive order - that's why Bredesen can kill it by executive order. He also can replace TennCare by executive order.

I fully expect Bredesen will get his reformed TennCare one way or the other - either Bonnyman and his crowd will back down and let the reform package be implemented, or they will refuse, and Bredesen will pull the plug - and then, some time during the six-month wind-down of TennCare, he'll create a new program by executive order that will be better designed and more fiscally sound, and cover most of those 400,000 people. It will be a fully-reformed TennCare under a new name.

By "pulling the plug" and replacing TennCare, Bredesen gets a clean slate, legally speaking. Because it won't be TennCare, it will not be subject to and governed by the various lawsuits and court orders and "consent agreements" that currently hamstring TennCare reform efforts.

Hobbs is right. TennCare will more than likely die, but something else will rise from the ashes to replace it. Bredesen will, no doubt, come up with a new program to cover those formerly on TennCare before the election before it's over with. Hobb's "clean slate" example is a perfect description.

Bredesen is an excellent politician in an excellent position. While most true conservatives don't believe that the government should be providing healthcare in the first place, he'll placate them by at least getting rid of TennCare....slaying the giant behemoth that's been eating away at the state's budget for so long. When something comes along to replace it, most conservatives will look back and say, "at least it's not TennCare," and they'll be right. With that he would not only be appeasing the conservatives but at the same time will be keeping his base happy with a "big government" program. Masterful indeed.

Of course, any new program will more than likely be scrutinized in the courts by the lawyers so-called "advocates," and ten years from now, we may be looking at the same mess again...it just won't be Bredesen's mess.

It's no secret that Bredesen will be seeking a higher office eventually. This episode will be just another catapult to get him there. I can't help but admire it.

Edit: That admiration doesn't mean that I will be one of the ones saying "at least it's not TennCare." I will still be maintaining that it's not the government's job to provide healthcare in the first place.

On the other hand, if all of this ends up being wrong, and TennCare is dissolved without a similar replacement being put in place (Medicaid aside), then I'll be behind Bredesen 100% when it comes election time (barring any future, unforseen circumstances...like an income tax). :)

Oh, and speaking of which...Note to Bredesen: We'll be needing some of our money back now.

Ding Dong

TennCare is on its way out!

After years of hoping and wishing and dreaming it's all coming true. It couldn't come at a better time.

November 2004

-Liberals lose big in elections around the nation
-Kerry looses
-Daschle looses
-GOP increases seats in US Senate
-GOP increases seats in US House
-GOP takes control of TN Senate
-TennCare is finally on its way out

Of course...we will know the final answer for that last one in seven days.

Update:

Bredesen's letter regarding TennCare:

Today I am announcing that the State of Tennessee has set in motion a process to dissolve TennCare, the state’s financially troubled $7.8 billion health care plan, pending final discussions with public-interest attorneys standing in the way of reform efforts. The process will replace TennCare with a traditional Medicaid program similar to what’s currently offered in more than 40 other states.

TennCare is a noble and worthwhile initiative that has made significant contributions to public health in Tennessee. Over the past year, we’ve made every possible effort to preserve the program. But persistent lawsuits have tied our hands. The sad reality is - we can’t afford TennCare in its current form. It pains me to set this process in motion, but I won’t let TennCare bankrupt our state. This is the option of last resort.

I have instructed the Bureau of TennCare and the Department of Human Services, which provides customer service to TennCare enrollees, to prepare a plan for orderly transition to Medicaid. No enrollee will lose coverage overnight and we will give as much advance notice as possible. The process of notifying TennCare enrollees of changes will begin in early January and the conversion to Medicaid is expected to be completed in mid-2005. As many as 430,000 enrollees (out of a total of 1.3 million) could lose health coverage.

I will tell you: There still is a faint glimmer of hope of finding legal relief and averting this action. Late yesterday, Gordon Bonnyman, executive director of the Justice Center, sent me a letter asking for an additional seven days to consider the State’s request for wholesale modifications to the decrees.

What I told him was this: The process to return to Medicaid is not yet irreversible. But it will be soon. We will continue to prepare for it. But unless we reach a substantive agreement to modify the consent decrees within one week, the transition to Medicaid cannot be stopped. I will inform you of the outcome of these final efforts.

This is not the outcome I have been working to achieve, but I have an obligation to the people of Tennessee to avert financial crisis and that is what I am doing. I would like to ask for your help in making this clear to all Tennesseans.

I would also like to ask for your help in your community to deliver clear information about this process. If you are asked about what happens next, please make it clear that nothing will happen overnight and that every TennCare enrollee will be contacted directly by the state to inform them of the process going forward. This will not be an easy process, but it is vitally important to all Tennesseans that this probable transition to Medicaid be as orderly, clear and compassionate as we can make it.

While these changes will be difficult, they are necessary to ensure that we can provide all of the services vital to our state, including education, job creation and health care. Working together, we will continue the progress in Tennessee.

Thank you for your continued support.

Generosity Index

Via Michelle Malkin.

While some people have been passing around the hoaxed IQ ranking of states showing that Red states have a lower IQ, there is a better index to look at (which is not a hoax). It's the Generosity Index.

Very interesting.

TennCare

Please, please, please kill it!

The governor has blamed the TennCare's problems on lawsuits brought by advocates of enrollees, who have won multiple court decisions which Bredesen says force costly coverage.

Bredesen said the advocates are not backing off, giving little hope that the TennCare program can be massaged as he has suggested.

As I said back in July, "Yes...ladies and gentlemen...sit back and watch TennCare recipients sue themselves out of being covered. They don't realize that they would be doing the entire state an enormous favor."

And let this be a lesson to all. Socialized medical coverage does not work.

Secession?

Whether or not it's a joke, people in the blue states are throwing around the idea os secession. While it's really something that shouldn't be taken seriously, we should look at what they're saying.

Via the Washington Times today:

The idea isn't just a joke; one top Democrat says, "The segment of the country that pays for the federal government is now being governed by the people who don't pay for the federal government."

"Some would say, 'Oh, poor Alabama. It's cut off from the wealth infusion that it gets from New York and California,' " said Lawrence O'Donnell, a veteran Democratic insider and now senior political analyst at MSNBC. "But the more this political condition goes on at the presidential level of the red and blue states, the more you're testing the inclination of the blue states to say, 'So what?' "

Wait a second. Alabama taking money from the richer New York and California?

In a telephone interview, Mr. O'Donnell said the red states that went to Mr. Bush "collect more from the federal government than they send in. New York and California, Connecticut — the states that are blue are all the states that are paying for the bulk of everything this government does, from ... Social Security to everything else, and the people in those states don't like what this government is doing."

This is priceless. Don't liberals promote the idea of taking from the rich and redistributing to the poor? The blue-state people are seeing their own policies in action and they don't like it one bit! Pure hilarity.

More:

"We were all going to move to various other countries, but then we thought — why should WE move?" the anonymous message asks. "We hold our noses as we fly over you. We are sickened by the way you treat people that are different from you. The rest of the world despises America, and we don't want to be lumped in with you anymore."

The secession movement has already spawned commercial opportunism. One Web site is selling T-shirts that read "I seceded."

No one at the White House would comment on the calls for secession, but one top Republican official with ties to the Bush administration said the recent talk is not surprising, coming off an election in which the president received more than 59 million votes — the most in history.

Typical. The name-calling, the whining, the "hissy-fits"...all typical.

Look...whatever. I say if you want to seceed, then fine. Do it. If you can't get enough support for secession then leave. Head up north of the border where the political climate is more conducive to your political leanings.

Seven Weeks of Christmas

Don't forget about giving during the Seven Weeks of Christmas.

This week's organization is the Boy Scouts of America. Head over to the wonderful Miss O'Hara's site for the details.

Gun Control Works

Gun control works...to boost homicide...

Strict gun control in Chicago has worked... to once again boost the homicide rate, making the Windy City the most murderous city in the nation for the past 12 months, the Second Amendment Foundation (SAF) said today.

"Chicago finished off the year with more murders than New York or Los Angeles," said SAF Founder Alan Gottlieb. "During the past 12 months, 599 people were murdered in Chicago, three more than in New York, where 596 people were slain, and about 100 more than in Los Angeles.

"Isn't it remarkable," he observed, "that Chicago, New York and Los Angeles have some of the toughest gun laws in the nation, yet they still typically lead the nation in the number of homicides?"

Yes...remarkable indeed.

Ivory Coast

Looks like the French are having problems with the Ivory Coastians.

"MUCH more" than 500 people have been wounded in clashes in Ivory Coast's largest city, and loyalist mobs are blocking efforts to tend to the injured, a Red Cross official said today.

"God knows" how many other people have been killed, Red Cross official Kim Gordon-Bates said.

Red Cross workers were trying to set up an emergency clinic in one neighbourhood today but were being prevented by Ivory Coast loyalists massed in the third day of anti-French clashes.

All of this follows the destruction of the entire Ivorian Air Force which was apparently giving the French problems.

Clashes broke out on Saturday, after French troops destroyed the air force of its former colony in retaliation for an Ivory Coast airstrike in the rebel-held north that killed nine French peacekeepers and an American aid worker.

Yes...destroying that pesky Ivory Coast Air Force was a huge win for the French...all two jets and three helicopters of them.

Streisand

Wow...Barbara Streisand has invoked a quote from Thomas Jefferson:

In response to the results of the Presidential election last week, I would like to share with you a quote from Thomas Jefferson. Although written in 1798, I feel his words speak perfectly to the strong sentiments of frustration and disappointment 48% of the country feel.

"A little patience, and we shall see the reign of witches pass over, their spells dissolve, and the people, recovering their true sight, restore their government to its true principles. It is true that in the meantime we are suffering deeply in spirit, and incurring the horrors of a war and long oppressions of enormous public debt......If the game runs sometimes against us at home we must have patience till luck turns, and then we shall have an opportunity of winning back the principles we have lost, for this is a game where principles are at stake."

Does Streisand even understand the principles that Jefferson was talking about here?? I'll agree that enormous public debt is bad, and I have spoken out against it many times before, but Jefferson's talk of restoring the government to its true principles would go totally against everything else Streisand believes in.

Streisand: Do a little more research before you invoke the founding fathers. You'd find that they were a bunch of right wing wackos compared to today's conservatives. If you really want to invoke Jefferson, then let's do that. :)

Dean as DNC Chairman?

This would be the greatest thing to ever happen to the Democratic party....that is if you are a Republican.

They also list Donna Brazile as another possible candidate for DNC chairperson.

Are they just wanting to continue to lose?

Parties and Plots

Well, the parties celebrating the defeat of the liberals are all over now. We've had the secretive meetings where we discussed world domination and enjoyed some fine cigars (of course). As the liberals blame everyone but themselves for their losses, what can we do in the meantime?

Maybe you could give to some good, upstanding, conservative charities. Miss O'Hara came up with the idea of the "Seven Weeks of Giving" in which she highlights a different charity each week leading up to Christmas. Head over and check it out. This week's highlighted group is the Boy Scouts of America.

As for me, I'll be going for a vacation in fabulous Las Vegas next week (starting this Friday). And speaking of fine cigars, I plan on attending Cigar Aficionado's Big Smoke (I'm an evil conservative...what can I say?).

This will actually be my first trip to Vegas. I will try to get some pictures posted and blogging done while on the road.

Thank God

Kerry is conceding...even he couldn't argue with the numbers.

Not Looking so Good

Ah...the numbers....

OHIO
11477 of 11477 precincts - 100 percent
George W. Bush Rep 2,794,346 - 51 percent
John F. Kerry Dem 2,658,125 - 49 percent

NATIONAL
George W. Bush 51% 58,275,465
John Kerry 48% 54,749,011

The Kerry camp is hanging on based on the provisional ballots in Ohio.

According to most sources, there are at most 150,000 provisional ballots that can't be counted yet. With 100% of Ohio's precints reporting, Bush is leading by 136,221 votes (several news outlets are still giving results based on a 95-98% report with has a narrower gap).

Now...based on my math, Kerry would have to carry 90% of all of those provisional ballots (if they can even be considered good...and if indeed there are 150,000 of them).

Not looking so good...

Bush Victory

I believe I am willing to say that Bush has pulled this one out.

All of the negative news...all the trash talking by liberals...all the exit polls...all wrong.

I've always had an unspoken truce with my liberal friends that when a conservative wins, I won't rub it in their face. Similarly, if a liberal wins, then they won't rub it in my face. Trash talking before an election is also a no-no. It only sets you up for a big fall.

So, to all the liberals that were doing the trash talking right up to the last day, I can only say...too bad....you were wrong. Get over it and try again in four years (maybe with Hillary?).

Enough of my trash talking though. I can only imagine the trash talking that liberals would have been putting up if Kerry had won (could it have been any worse than before the election?). Now, they are going to be busy having to take their foot out of their mouth because that's where it is.

Now...bring on the lawyers.

I'm going to bed.

Update: Ok, so I didn't go to bed. They just introduced Edwards as the "next Vice President of the United States." The resounding theme coming from the Democrats is that we need to count all the votes.

Yes, let's count all the votes. No one is saying that we shouldn't. Just keep the lawyers at home. :)

Ohio

It comes down to Ohio.......

Tennessee Results

Tennessee Rundown

-Bush has taken Tennessee.

-The GOP has taken control of the State Senate for the first time in 140 years!

-For up to date statewide election results click here.

More:

-Naifeh vs Canon Results

-Wilder vs. Stallings Results

-Williamson Wheel Tax Referendum is Dead; Cheatham Wheel Tax Referendum Dead; Maury County Sales Tax Referendum Dead

Update 12:00 AM: Irregularities reported in the Naifeh/Canon race. From TN Right to Life report:

At the time of this update at 12 a.m. (CST), results from the critical, high profile contest between pro-life physician Jesse Cannon and pro-abortion Jimmy Naifeh had not been made public. Severe balloting irregularities were being reported by officials with the Cannon campaign and grave concern continues to be focused on the possibility of efforts to unduly influence or manipulate the outcome of the election in Tipton and Haywood counties. It is reported that the FBI has been called in to investigate possible fraud or illegal activities.

Bin Laden's Warning

And to those who thought that Bin Laden's tape wasn't an attempt at influencing the election in Kerry's favor, then maybe you should read this:

Osama bin Laden warned in his October Surprise video that he will be closely monitoring the state-by-state election returns in tomorrow's presidential race — and will spare any state that votes against President Bush from being attacked, according to a new analysis of his statement.

The respected Middle East Media Research Institute, which monitors and translates Arabic media and Internet sites, said initial translations of a key portion of bin Laden's video rant to the American people Friday night missed an ostentatious bid by the Saudi-born terror master to divide American voters and tilt the election towards Democratic challenger John Kerry.

MEMRI said radical Islamist commentators monitored over the Internet this past weekend also interpreted the key passage of bin Laden's diatribe to mean that any U.S. state that votes to elect Bush on Tuesday will be considered an "enemy" and any state that votes for Kerry has "chosen to make peace with us."

What about the Iraqi front? What would result from a Bush loss there? From an Iraqi blogger (via Bill Hobbs):

President Bush now represents a symbol of defiance against the terrorists and it is a fact, that all the enemies of America, with the terrorists foremost, are hoping for him to be deposed in the upcoming elections. That is not to say that they like the democrats, but that they will take such an outcome as retreat by the American people, and will consequently be greatly encouraged to intensify their assault. The outcome here on the ground in Iraq seems to be almost obvious. In case President Bush loses the election there would be a massive upsurge of violence, in the belief, rightly or wrongly, by the enemy, that the new leadership is more likely to “cut and run” to use the phrase frequently used by some of my readers. And they would try to inflict as heavy casualties as possible on the American forces to bring about a retreat and withdrawal. It is crucial for them to remove this insurmountable obstacle which stands in their way. They fully realize that with continued American and allies’ commitment, they have no hope of achieving anything.

Read his entire entry here.

This may sound like scare tactics (brought about by Karl Rove, no doubt), but unfortunately it's the nature of the enemy that we are dealing with.