Electoral Sweepstakes

Hear we are, just prior to the first presidential debate, and it looks like a landslide in the Electoral College. I took note after the Republican Convention of the tally that seemed most likely in that august institution, one whose value I had questioned until the Democrats so dishonorably sowed the seeds of distrust in 2000. I have added some states (like MO, OH) that are still showing as Undecided, even though they are clearly trending toward Bush (i.e., coming to their senses).

Let's look at the Electoral Sweepstakes tallies:

09/05/2004 -- Bush 185 Kerry 190 Undecided 159

09/30/2004 -- Bush 299 Kerry 171 Undecided 64

And from the Electoral Vote Predictor (see http://www.electoral-vote.com/)
As of:
09/30/2004 -- Bush 280 Kerry 254
Final Prediction from Electoral Vote Predictor
11/02/2004 -- Bush 350 Kerry 178

Ladies and gentlemen, place your bets!

Impeach the president NOW!

I have been quiet about my growing concern about the president, but the incompetence and prevarication of this man has led me finally to speak out about it: it's time to IMPEACH THE PRESIDENT.

There is widespread agreement as to his incompetence, and questions as to the depth of his avowed "born-again" Christianity, not to mention his judgment and handling of the economy. The timing may be late, but the president should be impeached.

I'm speaking, of course, of Jimmy Carter, the man whose presidency has been so deservedly disrespected by almost all Americans. Now he is reaching new lows in his behavior, having crossed the line 14 years ago when he actively worked against the actions of his own country and his president in trying to influence other countries to leave George H.W. Bush's coalition to remove Saddam Hussein from Kuwait. Not surprisingly, Jimmeh had no effect.

His calling into question the election in Florida shows his understanding of the issue to be as lacking as his judgment in raising the issue. Listen up, Jimmeh: the election in 2000 was thrown into turmoil by the Democrats, who raised questions of voting fraud in precincts controlled by Democrats because of ballots designed by Democrats. Finally, the Democrats tried to hijack the vote through the Florida Supreme Court, controlled by Democrats.

Let's impeach President Carter. Thank goodness we don't have to remove this shameless hypocrite from office.

Unfit for office, any office

As the Democrat campaign continues to unravel, the two Massachusetts senators have now made it clear through their actions that neither is fit for the office he holds, much less the office one seeks.

Kerry proffers his campaign promises, adding up to his message on Vietnam three decades ago. Of course he sees Iraq as a quagmire -- what other analogy would suggest his message of defeat and ignominy? He disrespects our allies, including the prime minister of Iraq, a man with imprimatur of Kerry's beloved, impotent United Nations. He questions the motives of our Allies, and underscores the threats of our implacable enemies.

Meanwhile, his colleague demonstrates once again that the wrong person paid the price at Chappaquiddick. As long as Ted Kennedy persisted as the buffoon of the family he now heads, his cowardly behavior 35 years ago seemed perfectly in context with the rest of his life. Now he extends his natural aversion to noble behavior at the expense of the safety of his own country. How else to describe his pusillanimous remarks about a "nuclear 9/11?"

Shame on both your houses. Or I should say, on all of your mansions.

Begin self-destruct sequence...

As we close in on the last month before the election, Senator Kerry begins the self-destruct sequence the Clintons have been banking on from the outset. Returning to his natural, gloomy, pessimistic outlook on life, Kerry has decided to emphasize everything he can find that could be construed as catastrophic in Iraq.

Thank goodness he wasn't around when we invaded Omaha Beach, when we held fast at Bastogne, while we extricated ourselves out of the mess at Anzio.

And fortunately, the perspective of Americans, by and large, is the opposite of Kerry's. That is precisely why we prevailed at Normandy, in France, in Italy -- and in the Cold War. A more politically astute person, say, someone like Clinton, would understand the danger of those shoals, and tack smartly to the right until safely elected. The Disciple of Defeat is headed towards defeat.

Thank goodness.

Made for each other

This is the woman who refused to acknowledge she had accused some of her critics of having "un-American traits;" who described herself, "I want to be a dog;" who called people "scumbags."

Now that her husband has staked his claim as the Disciple of Defeat, Teresa Heinz Kerry predicts an Osama bin Laden "capture" before the election. Of course, her spin is that it would be a dirty trick by the GOP. But to paraphrase the well-respected Executive Editor of the LA Times, when the time is right, you run with it. He was talking about the groping stories that came out a few weeks before Arnold Schwarzeneggar was elected. He was right, and if Osama is captured before the election, that's fine with most Americans.

But not Teresa. Teresa, look at the bright side. You can use it to excuse the embarrassing loss of your husband's nasty campaign.

"Johnny, we already knew ye"

A revealing column in Monday's Boston Globe by renowned author James Carroll makes an eloquent statement of John Kerry's politics. He clearly states the far left positions that are driving the Democrat Party, and have been driving away people from Ronald Reagan to Zell Miller. Like the the ideas that the US is the terrorist nation, and Gorbachev's good offices ended the Cold War that had been the delight of the American military-industrial complex. I guess it shows that eloquence doesn't rule out stupidity. In fact, eloquence is trumped by the malicious silliness of ideas like Carroll's.

Any thought that Kerry had changed his stripes from being the country's disciple of defeat to a viable commander-in-chief disappeared on that same Monday with Kerry's speech at NYU. Now, Iraq is a disaster and Kerry wants us to flee the scene ASAP.

Surprisingly, the nuanced and mutable candidate turns out to be exactly who we always knew him to be. Obviously, the reason he cares so much about the opinions of Europe, the UN and the world is that he rather disdains this country, especially the opinions of those who enjoy brat and beer at "Lambert" Field in Green Bay. Kerry is focused on the defeat of US interests, just like he was 35 years ago and ever since. If that's what you want, don't punch that chad for Bush: he's the candidate who is focused on victory.

Disciple of Defeat

There’s been a lot of speculation of what kind of president John Kerry would make. Much of the complaining has come from Republicans who want to hear Kerry address the issues of today, not Vietnam and the issues of the past. Democrats want to know Kerry's position, too.

I’ve got news for you: we don’t need to hear Kerry’s position. We are very familiar with it.

During the 70s, Kerry did everything he could to torpedo America’s efforts in Vietnam.

During the 80s, Kerry did everything he could to hobble America’s efforts in winning the Cold War.

During the 90s, Kerry did everything he could to cripple America’s military and sap the morale of our troops.

Today, Kerry has decided to focus all his energies in destroying our efforts in Iraq.

John Kerry knows defeat well; he has pushed for the defeat of his own country at nearly every turn. Here is what he will do -- Kerry will apologize to his European mentors for his country’s actions. Then he will discover widespread atrocities directed by the Bush regime. In the interest of national healing, he will keep the details to himself. Then he will begin to pull American troops out of Iraq, finding the elected Iraqi government corrupt and in violation of human rights. Then he will apologize to the Iraqi insurgents and the “Arab street” for the actions of U.S. troops who invaded their lands. Finally, he will begin to negotiate with al Qaeda and its clients, who have no interest in doing so.

Kerry has said that he would not have ousted Saddam. He will pursue attacks on the United States like the lawyer he is: in court. He will refrain from using U.S. military power without the imprimatur of the United Nations. He will turn over tactical control of our Armed Forces to the generals of other countries.

If this is what you want, vote for Kerry. But don’t be confused about what he intends to do.

CBS = New York Times

Let me share with you how the fake documents CBS has tried to flog fits with the media’s approach to the Swift Boat Vets, and their attack on John Kerry.

My reference is Nicholas Kristof’s column yesterday in the New York Times (a copy of which I will post on my website at http://rance.net/kristof.pdf). Mr Kristof makes the point that, “Mr. Kerry has stretched the truth here and there, but earned his decorations. And the Swift Boat Veterans, contradicted by official records and virtually everyone who witnessed the incidents, are engaging in one of the ugliest smears in modern U.S. politics.”

What the column has in common with CBS is shoddy work.

For instance, Kristof mentions William Rood in connection with the March 1969 incident, when Rood’s comments about Kerry refer to the February 1969 mission. A small matter? Not when Rood is used as an eyewitness to an event he didn’t attend.

Another example: Kristof claims that every enlisted man that served with him backs up Kerry’s account. That conveniently leaves out Steve Gardner, the man who served longest under Kerry, and calls him a coward and a liar.

Regarding the March 1969 incident, virtually everyone who was an eyewitness to the Bay Hap incident in March disputes Kerry’s account, contrary to Kristof’s assertion .

The now common assertion made by the mainstream media that the charges alleged by the Swift Boat Veterans have been contradicted is misleading. The allegations have been contradicted, but not disproved. I have unpacked the charges made by the Swift Boat Vets and found there are 35 charges, 16 of which are TRUE (Kerry has admitted or has failed to address), 15 are IN DISPUTE (contradicted, but not disproved) and four of which are FALSE (not admitted by the SBV, but summarily deemed false by me). The full list is available at http://rance.net/sbv.pdf.

Who’s smearing whom?

Dan: "I was wrong."

Now, even Dan rather admits that there may be some question as to the authenticity of the Guard documents that form the centerpiece of his reporting against W’s service. I guess when the LA Times says you’ve been had, you might want to check

We all knew Dan was biased. We all knew he was arrogant. We didn’t realize he was totally clueless. When one of his document analysts warned that the documents would be questioned by thousands, did he really not get it? Doesn’t he know about the “Wisdom of Crowds” theory of bloggers that James Surowiecki has made popular.

I am awarding Dan the Robin MacNeil award for Cluelessness. You may remember that when the erstwhile Mr. MacNeil was retiring from the MacNeil-Lehrer Report, he famously announced that neither he nor Jim Lehrer had any need for the Internet since. “We know how to use libraries.”

A modest proposal

Let me pass on to Dan Rather a modest proposal suggested to me by the CEO of a media firm in New York City: locate a 1972 typewriter that has the capabilities of the one CBS insists prepared the phony National Guard memos, and have someone type them out. Then we can compare the typed memos with the phony ones CBS insists are authentic. If they match, we can all move on. Sound fair?

Or, we can all just take Dan's word on it.

CBS memos proved false

In this blog’s continuing Search for the Truth, I thought I'd check something out, and lo and behold, found that if I use Microsoft Word to write "111 th" -- leaving a space after the number, there is no superscripting of the "th." On the other hand, if I write the same number without the space, the "th" is reduced in size and superscripted. Interestingly, this is precisely what happened in the 04-May-1972 memo.

I purchased in 1967 an IBM Executive typewriter with proportional spacing, and am very familiar with its operation. In order to center a line on the page (like the header of the 04-May-1972 memo), one has to measure the width of the script, then back off from center half that amount and begin typing. The width of the script must be measured by first typing each line left justified, then half-spacing over to the end of the longest line. Of course, this procedure is tedious enough to preclude anyone doing it unless it was terribly important. (In my case, I fully-justified my resume at the time, so it was worth the extra hours.) With M/S Word, it's a simple command.

Bottom line? The CBS memos are forgeries.

CBS stands by its story

CBS stands by its story. This is the story that points to previously unknown documents of LTCOL Jerry Killian, a man dead two decades, who (though he didn’t type) used Microsoft WORD 10 years before it was available. Those documents now appear to be forged.

CBS stands by its story. Sounds a lot like NBC standing by its story on GM pickup trucks back in the ‘80s. Stood by, that is, until GM spent untold amounts investigating the story and on the close inspection of the films, and mirabile dictu, it turns out NBC itself deliberately ignited incendiary devices to “simulate” explosions that were not cooperating with NBC’s preconceived notions. NBC: “Oh, that…”

CBS stands by its story. Understand, the reporters didn’t think it was necessary to talk to the widow of the man, nor his son. Both said nothing sounded like their loved one.

CBS stands by its story. Even though the person who “authenticated” the documents says he never saw the forged documents, and never authenticated them. And says he was misled by CBS.

CBS stands by its story. Even though the person who is said to have pressured LCOL Killian to “sugarcoat” Bush’s record was no longer in the National Guard at the time.

Dan Rather: "DOH!!"

Dan Rather "authenticates" documents written by W's admiring CO in the Texas Air National Guard, a man dead for two decades, and it turns out the man was using Microsoft WORD ten years before it was invented. Look, I had an IBM Executive typewriter in 1967, one that types using proportional spacing, but I got news for Dan: it couldn't produce superscripts, and it wasn't perfectly even across the page.

We knew Dan was biased, and we knew he was getting old -- real old -- but we didn't realize he was credulous. DOH!

Kerry still on course...

The Democrat campaign for Kerry is on course to augur in a few weeks from now, just like Genesis. In true Democrat style all attacks, old and new (Bush was AWOL, Cheney's a coward), are being repeated by every Kerry surrogate, including the usual suspects in the mainstream media.

Meanwhile, Kerry trips all over himself, calling Iraq a distraction from the War on Terror, then lamenting the 1000 dead threshhold in "the War on Terror" (I notice the speech has been laundered on the Kerry site, but I heard it with my own lyin' ears). Kerry's claim to "respond after attack," makes Cheney's warning in Iowa seem prescient.

Paul Begala calls President Bush a "gutless wonder," says he has a "lack of intelligence," and calls Vice President Cheney a "dirt bag."  James Carville says the President is "ignorant big time" and said "George W. Bush and Dick Cheney are a couple of nobodies." Bush and his campaign continue to honor Kerry's service, focus on the future and take the high road. No wonder, since the Democrats have a Florida-style traffic jam going on the low road.

I say, "Bring it on." I have greater confidence in the American people than Kerry's elitists have.

Terror in Russia

While we are all in shock over the horror at the school in Beslan, the media seems curiously unwilling to connect the dots to the war on terrorism. I know the media is ABLE to draw conclusions, since I have them watched them make breathtaking leaps from one dot to another when it suits them.

These were not the “Russian rebels” the New York Times talks about today. These were terrorists. Chechens, Ingush and others, they had specially trained dogs, NATO gear and advanced communications. They had intimate knowledge of their target, and were ruthless in following their plan. The Chechens have been a part of Russia longer than either California or Texas has been a part of the U.S. What would your response be if your child were involved in a horror like this, and the “rebels” demanded return of their land, say, California?

Get ready.