CALIFORNIA YANKEE

U.S. Vetoes Security Council Resolution Condemning Killing Of Hamas Leader

The Associated Press reports that the United States vetoed a U.N. Security Council resolution condemning Israel's killing of Hamas leader Ahmed Yassin.

The United States had demanded that the resolution also condemn violence by Hamas and other militant groups, and that it identify them by name. Algeria, the resolution's sponsor, had resisted.

The resolution "is silent about the terrorist atrocities committed by Hamas," U.S. Ambassador John Negroponte said before the vote. He called the measure "unbalanced, one-sided."

The vote was 11 countries in favor, three countries abstaining and one country — the United States — against.

[. . .]

Hamas has claimed responsibility for dozens of bombings and shootings of Israelis during 3 1/2 years of violence. Israel says it is targeting the group's leaders to stop such attacks, but critics say killing suspects without arresting or trying them violates international law.

Is there a difference in Israel's killing the terrorist Yassin and the U.S. killing Bin Laden?

Kerry: A Few of his Favorite Things

Recognizing that polls indicate that few voters know much about Kerry, Robert Bidinotto at The BIDINOTTO BLOG has unearthed a few of Kerry's favorite things:

Favorite restaurant: Waffle House
Favorite fast food: The Whopper
Favorite footwear: flip-flops
Favorite film: Deuce Bigalow, Male Gigolo
Favorite song: Did You Ever Have to Make Up Your Mind?
Favorite line from a film: "We'll always have Paris."
Favorite musical: Hair
Favorite hometown baseball team: the Botox

Thanks to Steven Green for the tip.

Libya To Join War On Terror

The Financial Times reports that Libya has promised to join the 'war on terror' According to the Times:

Although the Libyan leader appeared only briefly and did not speak to reporters, Abdulrahman Shalgam, his foreign minister, explained the country's determination to fight al-Qaeda, now widely suspected to be responsible for the Madrid bombings, alongside the US and Britain.

"For us, they are a real
obstacle against our progress, against our security, against women, against the new culture, against moderation and against any change in our region," he said.

Colonel Gadaffi's hatred of al-Qaeda dates back to an assassination attempt, for which he issued an international warrant for the arrest of Osama bin Laden in 1999.

The dictator has long been regarded as a target for Islamic extremists.

A year ago this would have been unimaginable. But so would Libya giving up its weapons of mass destruction and Tony Blair visiting with Gadaffi near Tripoli. It's been sixty years since a British leader has set foot in Libya.

Tank Battles Rage Herat Afghanistan

Reuters reports that the Afghan Civil Aviation Minister Mirwais Sadiq was killed in the western Ahghan city of Herat on Sunday, provoking tank battles in which more than 100 people died.

Herat's provincial governor, Ismail Khan, is the father of the slain cabinet minister.

According to Reuters an intense struggle for control of Herat was underway between Khan's forces and those of the central government in several areas of the city:

Ismail Khan, an Islamic hard-liner, has been at odds with Karzai's U.S.-backed government for failing to hand over tens of millions of dollars of customs revenues from Herat, which controls the bulk of Afghanistan's trade.

A veteran of the struggle against Soviet rule in the 1980s, Khan professes loyalty to Karzai but is often accused of running a personal fiefdom in the west.

Karzai chaired an emergency National Security Council meeting and a presidential spokesman said government troops would be sent to restore order.

Being Afghanistan's Civil Aviation Minister isn't good for one's healt. In February 2002, Sadiq's predecessor as Civil Aviation Minister, Abdul Rahman, was assassinated at Kabul airport.

Spain's Prime Minister Elect Endorses Kerry

The Washington Post reports that Spain's Prime Minister-elect, Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, suggested American voters should follow the example set by Spain and change their leadership by supporting Kerry for president:

"I said during the campaign I hoped Spain and the Spaniards would be ahead of the Americans for once," Zapatero said in an interview on Onda Cero radio. "First we win here, we change this government, and then the Americans will do it, if things continue as they are in Kerry's favor."

[. . .]

Zapatero's implicit endorsement of Kerry, the presumptive Democratic nominee, was a surprising public repudiation of a sitting U.S. president by the incoming leader of an allied country and fellow NATO member.

[. . .]

Members of Spain's Popular Party -- which will become the opposition when Zapatero, a 43-year-old lawyer, takes office next month -- immediately criticized Zapatero's remarks, saying they demonstrated his inexperience in diplomacy.

"I think that was extremely un-careful," said Gustavo de Aristegui, a Popular Party member of parliament who is expected to become the opposition's spokesman on foreign affairs. "A prime minister cannot say that -- maybe an opposition leader can say that."

Meanwhile, thousands of demonstrators accused Zapatero, of siding with terrorists. According to the Scotsman:

Protestors gathered at the headquarters of the defeated Popular Party, waving banners and shouting:

"Zapatero, president of al-Qaeda", "Zapatero with terrorism" and "Zapatero resign".

The Spanish protestors get it. Too bad Spain's electoral majority didn't.

Cheney On Kerry

Speaking to an audience at the Ronald Reagan Library in Simi Valley, Calif., Wednesday, Cheney also challenged Kerry's voting record on the Iraq war, the military, and his comments on the cooperation of U.S. allies.

Vice President Cheney took on Kerry's on voting record and claims of foreign support in California today:
According to CNSNews.com Cheney said:

On Kerry's Alleged Foreign Support:

"American voters are the ones charged with determining the outcome of this election, not unnamed foreign leaders," said Vice President Dick Cheney, in response to Senator John Kerry's claims that foreign leaders the Democrat spoke to have privately endorsed him for the presidency.

Kerry was challenged about his comments on the support of unnamed foreign leaders by a voter in Pennsylvania, Cheney pointed out.

"Senator Kerry said that's none of your business. But it is our business when a candidate for president claims the political endorsement of foreign leaders. At the very least, we have a right to know what he is saying to foreign leaders that makes them so supportive of his candidacy," the vice president said.

On The Coalition Of The Willing:

"Great Britain, Australia, Italy, Spain, Poland and more than 20 other nations have contributed and sacrificed for the freedom of the Iraqi people," the vice president said, pointing out that Kerry calls these countries "window dressing."

"They are in his words a coalition of the coerced and the bribed," Cheney said. "How would Senator Kerry describe Great Britain - coerced or bribed? Or Italy, which recently lost 19 citizens killed by terrorists in Najaf? Was Italy's contribution just window dressing?

On Supporting Our Troops:

Cheney also blasted Kerry on claims the Bush administration has failed to supply body armor and other material support for the troops on the ground in Iraq. Cheney pointed out that Congress passed an $87 billion supplemental appropriation bill at the president's request, but Kerry voted against it.

"I know that yesterday, attempting to clarify the matter, Senator Kerry said 'I actually did vote for the $87 billion before I voted against it,'" Cheney said, which elicited laughter from the audience.

On Kerry's Voting Record:

"On national security, the senator has shown at least one measure of consistency. Over the years, he has consistently voted against weapons systems for the military," Cheney said. "He voted against the Apache helicopter, against the Tomahawk , against even the Bradley fighting vehicle.

"He's also been a reliable vote against military pay increases, opposing them no fewer than 12 times. Many of these very weapons systems have been used by our forces in Iraq," he added.

On Iraq:

"Even if we set aside these inconsistencies and changing rationales, at least this much is clear: Had the decision belonged to Senator Kerry, Saddam Hussein would still be power today in Iraq. In fact, Saddam would almost certainly still be in control of Kuwait," the vice president said.

Well said!

Charity Begins At Home

Cranial, at Cranial Cavity posts about the scrutiny being earned by the Bravest Fund.

The Bravest Fund, one of two charities established to distribute money raised from licensing the photo of Firefighters raising the flag in the World Trade Center rubble, has distributed $73,000 but both charities have paid more than $500,000 in legal fees.

New York Attorney General Eliot Spitzer's office ordered Bravest Fund officials to turn over financial documents showing how the charity has raised and spent its money.

Blogger's Parents Among Missionaries Killed In Iraq

Election Projection’s Scott Elliott’s parents were among those killed in Mosul yesterday.

Our thoughts and prayers are with Scott and his family.

War On Terror Kerry Style

Bill Hobbs has posted one of those must read entries at HobbsOnline. Bill takes on Kerry's newly announced approach to the War on Terror.

My favorite part:

For John Kerry, our "first responders" in the War on Terror are the people who respond to an attack with firehoses, bulldozers and cadaver dogs. For President George Bush, our "first responders" are the 101st Airborne, the Third Infantry Division, the Navy and the Air Force.

Read John Kerry: Let's Play Defense. Read the whole thing.

Well done!

President Bush Calls Kerry To Task For Failing To Support Troops

The Associated Press reports that President Bush has a new ad that accuses Kerry of voting against American troops:

"Few votes in Congress are as important as funding our troops at war. Though John Kerry voted in October 2002 for military action in Iraq, he later voted against funding our soldiers," the ad says.

The 30-second ad labels Kerry "wrong on defense" and claims that the Massachusetts senator did not support bills that would have ensured troops had body armor and earned higher combat pay, and would have given reservists and their families better health care.

[. . .]

The new ad will initially run in West Virginia to highlight Kerry's "wrong choices when it comes to giving our troops the resources they need to be successful in Iraq," said Ken Mehlman, Bush's campaign manager.

You can see the entire ad here.

Kerry should be held to account for his outrageous failure to support troops in the field engaged in the war against terror. Kerry's no vote was all the more shameful because Kerry voted in favor the “Authorization for Use of Military Force Against Iraq Resolution of 2002." We should be very clear on this; Kerry voted to authorize the use of force against Iraq, then voted against the funds to support those troops in Iraq as well as other troops engaged in the war against terror.

Kerry prefers to have every thing nuanced, so lets put his vote not to support the troops into context.

Congress voted overwhelmingly last October to approve President Bush's request for $87 billion for the war on terror and reconstruction in Iraq. $66 billion was to fund ongoing military and intelligence operations in Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere. The remaining $20 odd billion was for Iraq reconstruction.

I was shocked that most of the Democratic members of the House voted against the Emergency Supplemental Appropriations for defense and for the Reconstruction of Iraq and Afghanistan. David Brooks tried to figure it out in this NY Times op/ed piece:

Their hatred for Bush is so dense, it's hard for them to see through it to the consequences of their vote. But if Pelosi's arguments had carried the day, our troops in Iraq would be reading this morning about the death of the Bremer plan and the ruination of our efforts to rebuild Iraq.

The vote in the House was 303 to 125, with only 83 Democrats voting for the funding and 113 Democrats voting against the bill. Only six Republicans voted against bill.

In the Senate, the vote was 87 to 12. The following 12 Democrats and Independent voted no.

Boxer (D-CA)
Byrd (D-WV)
Edwards (D-NC)
Graham (D-FL)
Harkin (D-IA)
Hollings (D-SC)
Jeffords (I-VT)
Kennedy (D-MA)
Kerry (D-MA)
Lautenberg (D-NJ)
Leahy (D-VT)
Sarbanes (D-MD)

I am still annoyed at all twelve of the senators that voted no. It is unbelievable that these senators voted against providing our troops in the field the materials they require. The no votes of the four senators that voted in favor of the “Authorization for Use of Military Force Against Iraq Resolution of 2002," Edwards, Harkin, Hollings and Kerry was especially offensive. It is irresponsible at best, to vote to send our forces into war and then vote against the funds to support those troops.