Underfunded NASA Budget Generates Debate

In this morning’s Argus Liar Leader, on page 6a (sorry, no web links available) there is an undated article apparently syndicated fron Knight-Ridder headlined:
NASA GRUMBLING ABOUT MOON-TO-MARS PLAN. Some follow-up on this article seems to the Chief to indicate a bias (SHOCKING! A BIAS in the MSM!!!???) against manned spaceflight.

Reading the article, with strategic quotes of course, seems to make the point that NASA scientists are upset with the proposed budget, in that it has the manned spaceflight program “gobbling up billions of dollars that could be better used for less expensive projects…”. That is quoting the article by the way, NOT quoting the NASA guys. They go on and detail a bit more about some of the cuts affecting NASA scientific programs, and DO quote NASA’s former head of space science programs.

Being something of a space buff, the Chief was curious about this, and noted the ONLY attribution was a reference to Huntress now being director of the Geophysical Lab of the Carnegie Institution. Googling yeilded the Carnegie hopepage, with a header noting a transcript of Huntress’ testimony before the US House Committee on Science that took place yesterday.

Included in Huntress’s remarks is the following:

I am an advocate for the scientific exploration of space—using both robotic and human elements—with the emphasis on scientific exploration. I also believe in the President’s new Space Policy and that the CEV is the right way to start. But this FY07 budget proposes to implement the 2-year old Vision for Space Exploration without sufficient funding, and as a consequence does considerable damage to NASA’s robotic, scientific exploration program. NASA’s plans have been called Apollo on steroids, but the budget provided is Apollo on food stamps.

Hmmmm. He’s not upset about the manned program, rather on underfunding the stated objectives of NASA. The rest of the transcript made some very interesting reading.

It details how that yes, indeed, the NASA unmanned science programs are suffering, but it is NOT attributed to the President’s manned Moon-Mars program stealing the funding – rather it notes that having proposed the program expansion, that the funding has not been provided to meet the demands. Huntress notes, “…the NASA budget ignores both the President’s directive and language in S.R. 2198 authorizing 10% increases in NASA basic research through 2013.”

He concludes his remarks:

The Vision is about robots and humans exploring to find our destiny in the solar system together. Instead of drawing on the strengths of both, this budget pits one vs. the other and undermines the Vision rather than promoting it. It pawns a planetary exploration program that is the envy of the world to pay for a program beset with problems and slated for termination (Chief’s note: continued shuttle support of the International Space Station). The Administrator’s budget message said about the Vision, “we will go as we can afford to pay.” But the only way he can pay is by taking resources from the future of science and robotic exploration. If these annual reductions in NASA’s budget continue, and if NASA continues to drain resources from science and technology, then America can retire as the leading nation in the scientific exploration of space, whether by robots or by humans.

Based on Knight-Ridder’s Robert S. Boyd, it’s the evidently evil manned programs that are the villain of the piece, instead of the President’s stated goals being underfunded by lower level administrative ‘crats.

The only encouragement the Chief has is to recall that Sir Richard Branson’s Virgin Galactic, et al are proceeding apace with their efforts to begin the privatization of spaceflight…and none too soon!

AC-130 Gunships Returning to Iraq

If some is good, more is better. In addition to bringing CONSIDERABLE firepower, the sensor packages are just as valuable.

This is a good tool for the policy advocated here by WND’s Farah.

Deus vult!

The US APPEARS to follow a different standard regarding the nuclear aspirations of India and Iran. Isn’t this unfair discrimination?

The Chief thinks discrimination – yes, unfair – no! Rich Lowry writing in JWR explains why.

Iran-EU Talks End Without Nuclear Deal

Talks between European foreign ministers and Iran over its nuclear ambitions broke up Friday without any agreement, making U.N. Security Council action against Tehran as early as next week appear more likely.

Who knows what (if anything) that gutless wonder called the UN (dis)Organization (UNO) will accomplish. Based on past performance probably not much. The US and Israel will probably have to do the heavy lifting there to deal with it.

Bush seals India nuke pact

Striking contrast in the US response and attitude here!

In New Delhi, Mr. Bush and Mr. Singh signed the nuclear pact just hours after negotiations of the agreement concluded….Under the deal, the U.S. would share nuclear technology and fuel, including uranium, with India, while the world’s largest democracy would separate its civilian and military nuclear programs and place the civilian plants under international inspections.

A diplomatic triumph

Lowry lays out the context of President Bush’s visit, and the nuclear agreement, which is certain to generate some static in congress. His summary seems to the Chief to hit the nail on the head pretty well:

Now, the administration has cut a deal — finalized on Bush’s trip, and pending congressional approval — to aid India’s civil nuclear program in return for India opening up its civilian facilities to international inspections. This has prompted charges of hypocrisy: How can we bless India’s nuclear breakout while trying to stifle North Korea’s and Iran’s? But there should be privileges to being a democratic, responsible government presiding over an open society. Nonproliferation advocates worry about the signal sent to the rest of the world by the deal — that message should be, “Create a consistent record of decent governance, and we won’t be as alarmed if you pursue nukes.”

Sounds reasonable to me!

A couple of developments in Congress that have both good and bad news for the administration:

Patriot Act wins Senate approval

After months of fulminating debate and political posturing, the Donks and Rinos finally accepted reality, and after a few minor changes, approved the extennsion fo the Patriot Act. In spite of threats of filibuster, etc., there was no stomach for continuing the scorched earth opposition, and the law was approved overwhelmingly in the Senate.

Relatively easy passage is also expected in the Hous, followed by the Presidential signature before the time-limited provisions now in force reach their expiration.

Lawmaker vows to kill ports deal

Meanwhile, GOP opposition to the Dubai ports deal continues, with a promise to attempt to torpedo the deal via legislation, as more security questions continue to be exposed as the debate drags on.

The Republican chairman of the House Armed Services Committee (Duncan Hunter – R-CA) yesterday said he’ll push legislation that would not only kill a Dubai-owned company’s bid to operate in U.S. ports, but would kick out any foreign-owned company that owns U.S. terminals or other key infrastructure.

His bill would require 100 percent inspection of all incoming cargo and would mandate that, over time, all ports and other critical U.S. infrastructure, such as power plants that are owned by foreign entities be sold back to Americans.

The security benefits here are clear, and unambiguous. Good for Hunter, et al. With continued fecklessness on border enforcement, what credibility do assurances of no problems have any longer? In this area, not much, unfortunately.

Intifada and Iraqifada

Joseph Farah of World Net Daily has cut to the chase on what needs to be done to deal with the threat of Islamofascist terrs:

Only one course of action will prove victorious in the Middle East. Appeasement and conciliation will not work. Promoting free elections will not be enough. There is only one thing we can do if we want to win – and, in winning the peace, set the stage for real freedom in the region. We’ve got to destroy the bad guys.

He continues:

There’s an old saying that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. That is exactly what Israel has been doing in the Middle East for too long. It’s time for Israel to wake up – before it’s too late.

It’s also time for some new thinking in Washington. No more concessions. No more appeasement. No more giveaways. No more invitations to further violence. No more incentives to terrorism. No more encouraging vile hatreds. No more self-flagellation.

The same rules should apply in Israel and Iraq – and certainly in Iran as well. It’s time to seek out the bad guys and destroy them. There is no substitute. We cannot win the wars in the Middle East with peace talks and treaties and accords.

Hear, hear!

The Truth is generally clear – not necessarily easy, or pleasant, but essentially understandable and simple.

Dihydrogen Monoxide Research Division

Here’s a web site reporting on reported hazards from the chemical dihydrogen monoxide. This bears close examination, and then take all due precautions you feel may be appropriate! Just a few items noted on the site include the following:

DHMO contributes to global warming and the “Greenhouse Effect”, and is one of the so-called “greenhouse gases.”

DHMO is an “enabling component” of acid rain — in the absence of sufficient quantities of DHMO, acid rain is not a problem.

DHMO is a causative agent in most instances of soil erosion — sufficiently high levels of DHMO exacerbate the negative effects of soil erosion.

Measurable levels of DHMO have been verified in ice samples taken from both the Arctic and Antarctic ice caps.

Hopefully these items will give you a taste of the quality of the concerns here. Check out the site, it is worthy of close examination!

The style and content of this site resembles many others that can be found online, and should be salutory example of the genre. Unfortunately, many take this sort of thing extremely seriously, and even attempt to turn their concerns into ever more elaborate schemes for regulation and micromanagement to the detriment of freedom and the depletion of the taxpayer’s wallet.

Finally, do recall that Dihydrogen Monoxide, etc = H2O!

Playmate in court over will

This MUST be an investment case! Right?

Didn’t Anna Nicole Smith invest all of her ASSetts with the expectation of future profits? Hey, it’s just the American way – er, well, maybe her way does go back a long time before America.

Initial reports are that SCOTUS seemed sympathetic to the legalities involved. It’s good to know that the Constitution even applies to the denizens of Hollywierd.

Pets at risk as bird flu kills cat

Reported from the UK comes proof positive that the birds are moving into use of WMD’s in their perennial battle with catdom! If they are using bio-war today, can nukes be far behind?

It may be noted that although the case in question occurred first in Germany, it is undetermined whether this represents an avian attempt at “a final solution to the cat problem”.

Seriously, this DOES pose some dangers, for if the inter-specific transfer of the virus is mediated by cats, it may mean that the virus may also become more easily transferable to humans also.

‘Intelligence gaps’ in ports deal

Apparently all was not sweetness and light with government agencies concerning the DPW ports deal:

U.S. Coast Guard officials warned that “many intelligence gaps” prevented them from providing the Bush administration with an accurate assessment of the threat posed by the sale of operation rights at key U.S. ports to a company owned by the United Arab Emirates.

“There are many intelligence gaps, concerning the potential for DPW or P&O assets to support terrorist operations, that precludes an overall threat assessment of the potential DPW and P&O Ports merger,” says an internal Coast Guard analysis released by the committee yesterday. “The breadth of the intelligence gaps also infer potential unknown threats against a large number of potential vulnerabilities.”

Another reason why the other look at this situation is entirely warranted. Maybe everything would be OK – but we need to find out for sure!

Veteran may get Medal of Honor

In this time of conflict that the nation is engaged in, it’s totally appropriate to recall and recognize, albeit tardily, acts of exceptional heroism from past conflicts. This is about one of these heroes who have passed their torch to us. May we always prove worthy of their deeds and sacrifice.

The American soldiers were pinned down at the bottom of a mountain by heavy machine gun fire when Master Sgt. Woodrow Keeble began to advance toward the enemy bunkers. One by one, the 34-year-old took out each of the three heavily fortified bunkers on his own, armed with a rifle and a few hand grenades.

Before he was done, he would be hit five times by shrapnel and bullets in his chest, legs and arms. Still, he refused to be evacuated until his fellow U.S. Army soldiers reached the top of the mountain and set up a defensive perimeter to resist a counterattack by the Chinese.

Medal of Honor paperwork on this was submitted – and lost – twice. There is currently a third attempt underway to honor this latter-day Sioux warrior. If there’s any justice, he will get it this time, albeit posthumously. It’s little enough we can do.

The country already has recognized many of Keeble’s acts of valor, presenting him with the Purple Heart, the Bronze Star, the Silver Star and the Distinguished Service Cross, among other awards. But those who knew him say he deserves one last medal, even if it is in death. “He was a soldier for this country his whole life,” Hawkins said. “This is long overdue.”

Indeed.

The Navy’s Swimming Spy Plane

This is very cool. Why let all those perfectly good “boomer boats” go to waste when they can be fitted out with these?!

Click on image for enlargement.

Lockheed Martin’s Skunk Works, famed for the U-2 and Blackbird spy planes that flew higher than anything else in the world in their day, is trying for a different altitude record: an airplane that starts and ends its mission 150 feet underwater. The Cormorant, a stealthy, jet-powered, autonomous aircraft that could be outfitted with either short-range weapons or surveillance equipment, is designed to launch out of the Trident missile tubes in some of the U.S. Navy’s gigantic Cold War–era Ohio-class submarines. These formerly nuke-toting subs have become less useful in a military climate evolved to favor surgical strikes over nuclear stalemates, but the Cormorant could use their now-vacant tubes to provide another unmanned option for spying on or destroying targets near the coast.

For you techno fans here’s some more of the details (click on pics for enlarged views):

Bush draws ire of Republican governors

The Administration continues to show a shaky grasp of the concept of logical consistancy in too many of it’s policies. The President is under fire (again) as he continues his implementation of the administration de-facto big-government expansion policies.

Republican governors yesterday strongly criticized the Bush administration for its position on the National Guard and a contract with an Arab government to operate six major U.S. seaports.

Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, chairman of the National Governors Association, and Idaho Gov. Dirk Kempthorne said the president would violate the Constitution by arrogating unilateral power to deploy the National Guard in a state to deal with a local or regional emergency, such as Hurricane Katrina or terrorist acts. “We are going to be very loud, very clear and very united in our voices to say [to the president] it would be unacceptable for the federal government to announce to a governor: ‘Stand down. We’ve decided to take this operation over,’?” Mr. Huckabee said.

We also know why Mike Rounds hasn’t signed off on the abortion ban yet:

South Dakota Gov. Michael Rounds, a Republican, said the governors will take up the issues surrounding the National Guard when they meet with Mr. Bush and separately with Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld tomorrow.

This next bit boggles the mind. The DoD is apparently “mining” resources from the National Guard to lower it’s own expenses:

The governors also faulted the administration’s plan to cut money from the federal budget for the National Guard at a time when guard units must leave their equipment in Iraq as they rotate back to their states and are replaced by fresh units.

What’s needed is a bunch of RINO-hunters to kick the country-club GOP’ers where it seriously hurts.

Minuteman says border deserves sway over ports

In an earlier posting on the Portgate kerfluffle, the Chief noted the dubious (at best) policy of the administration on the land borders – which has continued for years with scarcely a word of Congressional concern, except for CO Rep. Tom Tancredo and a few others.

The Minuteman group agrees:

The president of the Minuteman Civil Defense Corps has accused Congress of “grandstanding” on the issue of security at U.S. ports, saying that for decades it has allowed “free passage” of drugs, illegal aliens and criminal cartels across the U.S.-Mexico border.

“I have watched in disgust as grandstanding politicians who have for decades allowed international criminal cartels free passage of drugs, weapons and human chattel across our borders now rush to the microphones in the name of national security to decry government contracts with an Arab-owned and Mideast-based corporation to operationally manage several U.S. shipping ports,” said MCDC President Chris Simcox.

The Chief concurs.

Tom and Jerry – A Jewish Conspiracy to Improve the Image of Mice

This is a MEMRI report of remarks by Prof. Hasan Bolkhari, a member of the Film Council of Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB), Cultural Advisor to Iranian Education Ministry and Member of Interfaith Organization.

He must get along quite well with his Pres. Ahm-mad-on-a-jihad Ahmadinejad, since both of them are so far into an alternate reality that any resemblence to truth is purely coincidental.

He sets what he calls a hysterical “historical” context:

“If you study European history, you will see who was the main power in hoarding money and wealth, in the 19th century. In most cases, it is the Jews….Watch Schindler’s List. Every Jew was forced to wear yellow star on his clothing. The Jews were degraded and termed ‘dirty mice.’ Tom and Jerry was made in order to change the Europeans’ perception of mice. One of terms used was ‘dirty mice.’…I’d like to tell you that… It should be noted that mice are very cunning…and dirty.”

Bolkhari then goes on to assert that “Walt Disney’s (sic) Tom and Jerry” cartoons represent a Jewish plot to rehabilitate the Euro views of mice/jews in the world!

“Tom and Jerry was made in order to display the exact opposite image. If you happen to watch this cartoon tomorrow, bear in mind the points I have just raised, and watch it from this perspective. The mouse is very clever and smart. Everything he does is so cute. He kicks the poor cat’s ass. Yet this cruelty does not make you despise the mouse. He looks so nice, and he is so clever… This is exactly why some say it was meant to erase this image of mice from the minds of European children, and to show that the mouse is not dirty and has these traits. Unfortunately, we have many such cases in Hollywood shows.”

Helllllooooooo? Is there anyone left in there in contact with the real world? (Never mind…it’s self-evident!)

This mouse business brings to mind the Pulitzer-winning graphic historical account(?) MAUS by Art Spiegelman. This is one piece of work that the Chief heartily thinks actually deserved the prize, and if your’re not familiar with it, you should be. It places the 3rd Reich Marching and Singing Society into ‘toon format – the Germans are cats, Jews are mice, Poles are pigs, French are frogs (of course!), etc.

And while we are on the topic of mice, finally, here is “Mickey Mohammed” from Woody’s News and Views

(Thanks for a H/T from the Emperor Misha). Woody has this image along with a post entitled “Mickey Mouse Religion”…you get the drift I think. Take a look.

Heh heh heh!

UAE Company Agrees to Delay Ports Takeover

A United Arab Emirates company offered Thursday to delay part of its $6.8 billion takeover of most operations at six U.S. ports to give the Bush administration more time to convince skeptical lawmakers the deal poses no security risks. The surprise announcement relieves some pressure from a standoff between President Bush and the Republican-controlled Congress, which has threatened to block the deal because of the UAE’s purported ties to terrorism.

The Chief sees the ending of this issue on the horizon. The Congressional GOP critics will take a breath, step back, re-examine everything, and eventually go along with the deal. There ARE some excellent strategic reasons to do so: if something is required in the future to deal with Iran, the bases (Naval and Air Force) in Dubai will be critically important. (Of course the Donks, will just take a deep breath, have another swallow of Kool-aid, and continue to attack Dubya et al unremittingly.)

Of course on the negative side, there IS still the fecklessness of the Administration in successfully dealing with the Mexican and Canadian borders, the bungled and confused response to Katrina, and little faith left in assurances that “Everything will be OK with the deal.”

Overall, this deal to have not just a foriegn corporation, but a foriegn GOVERNMENT with a somewhat mottled past history in terms of dealing with Islamofascism, leaves a sort of queasy feeling – like the aftermath of a Tijuana street vendor’s tacos that haven’t quite started their efforts to violently excavate a new passage from the stomach to the outside world.

Johnson, Thune bristle at Bush’s port plan

Looks like GOP Sen.John Thune and Donk Sen. Tim Johnson both have questions and concerns about the port deal.

South Dakota’s U.S. senators say they have major concerns about the pending sale of shipping operations at six major U.S. seaports to a state-owned business in the United Arab Emirates.

Sen. John Thune, R-S.D., said he is very uncomfortable with what he knows about the deal and said Congress will hold hearings to find out more. “I don’t know all the facts pertaining to it yet, but based on what I know today, I’ve got major heartburn with it,” Thune said in Pierre Wednesday. “Quite frankly, I don’t think we ought to be moving forward with this until we know a whole lot more.”

Sen. Tim Johnson, D-S.D., speaking turning a conference call Wednesday, said the United States must be in charge of its own destiny when it comes to securing ports. “I don’t think there are very many countries around the world that would want to put up their national security issues to the highest bidder,” Johnson said, “particularly if the highest bidder is going to be a foreign nation and one that has not exhibited the kind of response and support for us that we would like.”

Good for both of them!

Arab Co., White House Had Secret Agreement

The Bush administration secretly required a company in the United Arab Emirates to cooperate with future U.S. investigations before approving its takeover of operations at six American ports, according to documents obtained by The Associated Press. It chose not to impose other, routine restrictions.

As part of the $6.8 billion purchase, state-owned Dubai Ports World agreed to reveal records on demand about “foreign operational direction” of its business at U.S. ports, the documents said. Those records broadly include details about the design, maintenance or operation of ports and equipment.

The administration did not require Dubai Ports to keep copies of business records on U.S. soil, where they would be subject to court orders. It also did not require the company to designate an American citizen to accommodate U.S. government requests. Outside legal experts said such obligations are routinely attached to U.S. approvals of foreign sales in other industries.

As noted in both SD and national media:

Senate passes abortion ban

Before the eyes of the nation and a standing-room-only gallery, the South Dakota Senate on Wednesday voted 23-12 to ban nearly all abortions. HB1215 must go back to the House, which has already passed it, because it was amended earlier this week in a Senate committee to say that “due process of law under the Constitution of South Dakota applies equally to born and unborn human beings.”

South Dakota passes abortion ban

South Dakota’s state senate voted on Wednesday for an abortion ban aimed at giving the conservative-tilting Supreme Court an opening to overturn rulings granting women the right to the procedure.

It’ll be REALLY interesting to see what SCOTUS has to say about this!

Shias take bloody revenge for attack on shrine

Iraq was pushed closer to all-out civil war yesterday after the destruction of the dome of one of Shia Islam’s four holiest shrines sent tens of thousands into the streets and set off a wave of revenge attacks on Sunni mosques.

This raises a question in the Chief’s mind: if a rattlesnake and a scorpion are fighting in a path, do you pick a side and intervene?
Hmmmm. Seriously, we have no option but to tough it out at least for now, but the Chief thinks the most stable arrangement would be to partition Iraq into Kurdish, Sunni, and Shiite states, thereby at least partially correcting the egregiousl errors of the post WW-I map drawers.

Bush faces anti-Arab revolt

London calling:

President George W Bush was struggling to quell a congressional revolt yesterday as an Arab firm’s imminent takeover of operations at six major US ports sparked an anti-Middle Eastern backlash on Capitol Hill. Leading Republicans joined Democrats in opposing the deal. They argued that allowing Dubai Ports World, a state-owned firm from the United Arab Emirates, to take over the running of the ports from P & O posed a major national security risk.

Of course there’s more, check it out if you want to get a Brit perspective on the latest Beltway mudball fight.

The Islamic States of America

The year is 2040. The aircraft carrier Osama bin Laden is anchored just off Seattle. The Super Bowl is being played at Khomeini Stadium.

Imagine the terrorists won. The Islamic States of America covers most of the northern and western United States. That’s the premise of a new novel, “Prayers for the Assassin,” by Robert Ferrigno. It’s a work of fiction with a provocative starting point and quite a sense of timing.

Sheesh! What a concept from hell brought to earth in a new novel Prayers for the Assassin.

As the Chief is a fan of the sub-genre of sci-fi known as “alternate history” as practiced by writer Harry Turtledove and others, this looks to be a good read, and is on the want list for sure.

Meanwhile, if you want to sample a pretty good taste of the milieu of the novel check out this “Republic World News” – a site that is set up as a portal set in the year 2036 of the novel – complete with news of the world, sports, ads, etc. They did a really good job on it – even if the book isn’t the sort of thing that strikes your fancy, the site is worth a look – it’ll give you something to think about for sure!

Clinton urges EU to convict publishers of caricatures

Here’s Bubba sounding off saying that those who published the Mohammed cartooms should be punished – but says nothing about the rioters who are burning down buildings, and killing people. Now THERE’s an example of early senility, or something.

Former US president Bill Clinton on Friday condemned the publication of Prophet Muhammad’s (PBUH) caricatures by European newspapers and urged countries concerned to convict the publishers.

What a crock of Arkansas manure!

As more an more information comes out about this situation, the lousier and lousier it works. The President is proving that SOMETHING is rotten here – and he apparently has no inclination to back down. A partial digest and comments of developments on this one:

A Harriet Miers moment

First comes this piece from Frank Gaffney’s Center for Security Policy, which lays out the situation as it has been presented, but then adds some even more disturbing information about the deal.

The federal bureaucracy has made a strategic mistake that threatens to cost the President dearly. The question is not whether the ill-advised decision taken last week by the secretive Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (known by its acronym, CFIUS, pronounced syphius) will be undone. Rather, the question is: By whom — and at what political cost to Mr. Bush?

In the latest of a series of approvals of questionable foreign takeovers of American interests, CFIUS has given the green light to a company owned by the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to acquire contracts to manage port facilities in New York, Newark, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Miami and New Orleans. The company, Dubai Ports World, would do so by purchasing a British concern, Peninsula and Oriental Steam Navigation Company (“P and O”).

That’s bad enough, but THIS….

…in addition to the six affected ports mentioned above, two others would also have part of their operations managed by DP World — on behalf of none other than the U.S. Army. Under a newly extended contract, the owner of P and O will manage the movement of heavy armor, helicopters and other military materiel through the Texas seaports of Beaumont and Corpus Christie. How much would our enemies like to be able to sabotage such shipments?

YIKES! There’s yet more in Gaffney’s article – check it out!

Carter backs Bush’s stand on seaport-operations deal

With Jimmuh Peanut Carter’s glorious foriegn policy record, his approval of ANY policy is enough to give one cold chills. One supposes that he sees this policy as a logical extension of his giving away the Panama Canal. Hmmmm. He may be right, which is even MORE reason why this deal should be killed off!

W aides’ biz ties to Arab firm

The NY Daily News reports here on ties of two Bush appointees to the companies in question in this deal. Of course there’s really no connection here, right? If you think there isn’t, please e-mail me about some great tropical beach property I have here in Moody County, SD.

Bush Shrugs Off Objections to Port Deal

Brushing aside objections from Republicans and Democrats alike, President Bush endorsed the takeover of shipping operations at six major U.S. seaports by a state-owned business in the United Arab Emirates. He pledged to veto any bill Congress might approve to block the agreement.

WTF? Bush hasn’t vetoed one single bill to date! He signed off on the McCain-Feingold First Amendment Anullment Act Campaign Finance Reform Act. So what’s the real deal all of a sudden on why THIS one is so vitally important to him that he would make it into a goal-line defense situation.

Methinks this doth smell strongly of old, dead fish!

And finally, the normally supine and compliant GOP congressional leadership has even woken up and smelled the coffee, and has left the Administration’s reservation:

Frist to Offer Bill Halting U.S. Port Deal

Senate Republican Leader Bill Frist called Tuesday for the Bush administration to stop a deal permitting a United Arab Emirates company to take over six major U.S. seaports, upping the ante on a fight that several congressmen, governors and mayors are waging with the White House. “The decision to finalize this deal should be put on hold until the administration conducts a more extensive review of this matter,” said Frist. “If the administration cannot delay this process, I plan on introducing legislation to ensure that the deal is placed on hold until this decision gets a more thorough review.”

House Speaker asks moratorium on Dubai port deal

U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Dennis Hastert wrote to President Bush on Tuesday asking for a moratorium on an Arab company’s takeover of operations at six major U.S. seaports. “I believe there should be an immediate moratorium placed on this seaport deal in order to further examine its effects on our port security,” Hastert said in the letter, a copy of which was released to the media.

When even the GOP moderate center gets concerned, be worried, very worried.

New SciFi Movie in the offing?

Essayist non-pareil Bill Whittle has noted his lack of textual output, and attributed it to a movie-writing project that sounds like the best thing since Serenity:

It’s a science-fiction story. It takes place in the Strange and Mysterious World of Tomorrow — the unimaginable world of TEN YEARS FROM NOW! In this mad, topsy-turvey, upside down Future World, several things happen that are inconcievable to Modern Man and his Puny Brain.

Here are some poster tag lines that may help. They are:

* Men travelling through space WITHOUT THE AID OF GOVERNMENT AGENCIES!
* People facing extreme risks and DECIDING TO TAKE THEM ANYWAY!
* Puny Earthlings using THEIR OWN MONEY ANY DAMN WAY THEY CHOOSE TO!
* Nuclear Energy being portrayed in a NON-EVIL FASHION!
* BUSINESSMEN and ENGINEERS as HEROES!
* PROTESTORS and CELEBRITIES as LAUGHING STOCKS!

It’s a World Gone Mad! Only Science Fiction can capture such a fantastical future!

Sounds like great fun!

The Click That Broke a Government’s Grip

There is a heartwarming account illustrating some of the difficulties the the ChiCom regime is having with their attempts to squelch unapproved and politically objectionable content on the internet.

So far at least, it sounds like the geeks are able to evade the heavy hand of the party apparat with some degree of regularity.

Good for them, and good for us! Now – if Google, Yahoo, etc. can only be persuaded to see the light….

Bush: U.S. on Verge of Energy Breakthrough

The President made some remarks that may be rather cryptic, but which the Chief thinks MAY refer to some breakthrough technologies that are being pursued on the bleeding edge of our physics and engineering technology.

Saying the nation is on the verge of technological breakthroughs that would “startle” most Americans, President Bush on Monday outlined his energy proposals to help wean the country off foreign oil.

The Chief wonders if something like this report is further along than most are aware of – note, there’s some financially serious people involved here – who DON’T have a vested interest in a lifetime’s work in the world of the creaky “standard model” of physical particles.

This particular outfit, BlackLight Power. has a LOT of information on their web site, and as a physics teacher, there’s enough there that I’m impressed by their efforts and direction.

The mathematical acrobatic gyrations of the current state of quantum physics is straining harder and harder to explain more and more “discrepant” observations (like the German experiment that successfully transmits complex information faster-than-light). If the world of particle physics is indeed on the verge of its own “Copernican Revoluton”, the possibilities could indeed be out of this world in a number of ways.

One can only hope so. That would be a real green weenie for the Islamoterrs to chew on!

Iran would become top supplier of oil to China under deal

Operating under the assumption that an enemy of an enemy is a friend, the ChiComs and Iranian Islamofascists are dealing oil for (nuclear & missile?) technology. As far as the Chief is concerned, this announcement only formalized what had already been a long-standing de-facto cooperation between the ideologically incompatable but strategically aligned (against the US) states.

Meanwhile the US continues its massive support of the ChiCom’s economy via trade, with their profits being plowed into further development of thier military in a way that seems targeted at the US.

Sort of reminds one of the US shipping steel to Japan in the fall of 1941, only to get it back in the form of incoming fire after Pearl Harbor.

VOA-funded Circumventor software allows Chinese an endrun around censors

Here’s a worthwhile project in the Chief’s opinion: development and propagation of software called CIRCUMVENTOR that allows by-passing of exterior filtering systems, like for instance the scheme the ChiComs have cooked up with Google to limit net access in the interest of their own Commie version of political correctness!

It also has some other uses possible – check out the article. The Chief really likes this one, and likes the attitude behind it!

Groups request rules to allow ads in elections

Groups ranging from the AFL-CIO to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce are asking the Federal Election Commission to write new regulations that would let them lobby federal officeholders through TV ads in the days before a primary or general election.

Hello? What part of free speech has ANYONE begging any branch of the government for the right to speak out on any political issue. It is SERIOUSLY wrong that porno is protected but political speech is limited. The whole idea of the First Amendment speech provision was to guarantee unlimited and free political speech and debate.

This is as sad a commentary on the shredding of the COnstitution as anything else that’s out there.

F.E.T.E.