Apollo wrote on Mar 19, 2008 9:43 AM: Re: Elizabeth Johnson (letter)
Yeah, that "Mr. Clean" Elliot Spitzer turned out to be not so much.
Good riddance.
David Vitter and Larry Craig still in the Senate?
Which party holds their own to a standard of responsibility?

To Carole French wrote on Mar 19, 2008 9:46 AM:I disagree and I will be voting for Robert Hamilton. I am tired of the status quo. Business as usual. We need new blood, new vision, and more importantly CHANGE. So No I will not be voting for the current Congressman.

DD Wiz wrote on Mar 19, 2008 9:49 AM: The published letters from regulars William Ficere and Darrell Beck are perfect examples what the conservatives do when they are out of ideas: name calling! Marxist! Socialist!
As usual, they know noting of what these terms mean as points of economic philosophy in which the government owns and operates the productive resources of the economy, and can't tell the difference between that and regulatory oversight over a vibrant, private-sector system of entrepreneurship as envisioned by Adam Smith, who "Ron" has repeatedly criticized, or has claimed I misrepresented, without actually citing any examples.
Everything for these conservatives is about personalities and innuendo.
I was going to try to make a response to their IDEAS but couldn't actually find any.

yidcx wrote on Mar 19, 2008 10:01 AM:William Ficere writes another letter. Now, I understand what happens to retired Marines. They end up like Ficere rotting away on a pension writing letters to the editor in order to salvage a degree of self esteem and self worth. How pathetic.

SOLON ... wrote on Mar 19, 2008 10:02 AM:... NOTE TO EDITOR: The new format is far superior.
… SELECTIVE INTELLIGENCE is demonstrated by many bloggers on this site. An individual appears so reasonable and informed on certain issues, and so totally uninformed on other. Such a person is sdraoul. He writes convincingly on the subject of immigration, but is so way off base about the Bush War -- the War of Terrorism Bush-Cheney are leading. Yesterday (5:35 PM) sdraoul wrote QUOTE “… we are in a war on terroism and that it has many fronts and some vacuous poster starts up the bromide that Iraq had nothing to do with 9/11 or Al qaeda. Wrong on all counts. … The 9/11 Commission documented terrorist al qaeda presence in Iraq. Show us where it doesn't. END QUOTE
If sdraoul is saying that Iraq was a terrorist nation because al-Qaeda was operating in Iraq, then he must say that the United States is also a terrorist nation, because we know for certain 19 al-Qaeda terrorists were operating within the United States when they pulled off 9-11. Iraq had nothing to do with al-Qaeda. Saddam Hussein despised al-Qaeda and oppressed them brutally.
In a 400-page report published in Sep. 2006 by the Senate Intelligence Committee, no evidence of links between the regime of Saddam Hussein and al-Qaeda. That report also found there was little or no evidence to support a raft of claims made concerning Iraq's supposed weapons of mass destruction.
The 400-page report was three years in the making, and is probably the definitive public account of the false intelligence used to justify the invasion of Iraq.
I suggest sdraoul go directly to these two reports before he parrots Dick Cheney’s drivel. I also suggest he stick with subject matter on which he has first hand information. He is very good in this arena.

Surfer wrote on Mar 19, 2008 10:03 AM:Critical of new Web format Sorry Jackie. I like the new look and feel of the format.
It is very cool.

SOLON ... wrote on Mar 19, 2008 10:03 AM:… Today marks the start of the sixth year of the Bush War. How delusional the Commander in Chief who declared on May 1, 2003 “MISSION ACCOMPLISHED” as he landed in his aviator costume aboard the aircraft carrier Abraham Lincoln in San Diego bay. Bush and Cheney still maintain his fiasco quagmire is a success. Cheney declared the Bush War “a successful endeavor” while on his current tour of the Middle East. He also said “We’ve come a long way in five years and it has been well worth the effort.” What a deluded fool! At the same time Amnesty International said the current situation in Iraq is “DISASTROUS”, and added QUOTE “Hundreds of people are being killed every month in the pervasive violence while countless lives are threatened every day by the poverty, cuts to power and water supplies, food and medical shortages and rising violence against women and girls.” END QUOTE And Cheney regards all this as “a successful endeavor.” What a fool!
Additionally, the Intl Red Cross warned Monday the humanitarian situation in Iraq remains one of the most critical in the world. Twenty-seven million Iraqis have no functioning water or sanitation facilities.” The Red Cross said Iraqis’ health care system is in its worst shape ever.
On this grim day, we need to remember how all this came about in a war of discretion against a people who never attacked us, who never even threatened to attack us, and who had no realistic means of waging war against the United States until we invaded and occupied their country. The number of U.S. war dead in the Bush War is 4,000 on this anniversary, and over one million excess Iraqi dead.
First the disastrous Bush War, then the disastrous handling of the Katrina and Wilda Hurricane tragedies, now the destruction of our currency and economy --- What will be next?

Nice! wrote on Mar 19, 2008 10:04 AM:Well this is a nice format, editors, very snazzy. Can you post the letters that were sent today but posted under yesterday to get us going? Thanks

SOLON … wrote on Mar 19, 2008 10:06 AM:Bush does not listen to his generals. He has dismissed a string of great generals, one after the other, who did not share his delusions. It began on Aug. 1, 2003, when he replaced Gen. Shinseki as Army Chief of Staff who questioned the “cakewalk” scenario, and told Congress that we would need several hundred thousand soldiers in Iraq to put an end to the violence against our troops and against each other." Bush listened instead to Paul Wolfowitz, who declared "They will greet us as liberators, and that will help us to keep requirements down."
The one consistent them of this whole criminal misadventure has been DELUSION.
And he just fired Admiral Fallon, the only general who stood between Bush-Cheney and war against Iran. This what happens when a war deserter like Bush becomes Commander-in-Chief.

Reardon wrote on Mar 19, 2008 10:06 AM:Mr. Dodd must not have received the "talking points" memo from local mass transit enthusiasts, which would have advised him to "lay low." The Sprinter is a sore point for most taxpayers, and will be for some time. Any new light rail along the I-15 corridor would be planned and executed by the same bunch of incompetents who brought us this last West Coast Big Dig. There is apparently such a huge appetite for rail enthusiasts to spend someone else's money, that Mr. Dodd jumped the gun.

Karl wrote on Mar 19, 2008 10:13 AM:After a few test runs, my wife is now a regular Sprinter customer. My initial concern was safety and the test runs have eased my fears. We have seen a transportation officer at every stop and occasionally on the train. For those of you who are contemplating using the Sprinter I highly recommend it. My wife leaves from San Marcos headed to Oceanside 15 minutes earlier than when she drives and returns home 15 minutes later than when driving. The extra 1/2 hour a day is well worth her sanity. She comes home much more relaxed than when she drives 78. On top of it at $54 a month it is saving us plenty of cash.

Try the Sprinter, you'll like it.

sdraoul wrote on Mar 19, 2008 10:49 AM:The Saier's view of the Bush Administration and Generals Shinseki and Zinni are partly right but mostly wrong.

General Zinni's views six years ago are immaterial today. General Shinseki stated that "hundreds of thousands" of American troops would be necessary to keep the peace in Iraq and he was wrong.

First, the war was won in three weeks. At that point we made a mistake by not keeping the Iraqi Army intact for use by the U.S. and Coalition forces. That was a mistake and neither General points that out.

Secondly, Iraq is but one battle in the larger War on Terror. If the generals don't like that, tough.

As French Prime Minister Clemenceu said during WWII, war is too serious to be left to generals.

Thirdly, the Saiers have their heads in the sand like ostriches.

The United States has interests throughout the world as do our friends and allies.

Our interests in the Middle
East are the same as they were in 1801 when American merchant ships were captured by Arab pirates. President Jefferson sent Navy ships and the U.S. Marines to stop the pirates which they (and diplomats) did. Congress did not declare war and Jefferson didn't ask it to. He did it on his own, this founder of the Democratic Party.

It was in our interests to keep the sea lanes open. So it is in today's Middle East, no country must be allowed to shut the area down and Iran is in position to do so as well as threaten its neighbors with arms they are developing.

Iran, a fanatic state run by fanatics must never be allowed to develop weapons with which they can threaten their neighbors who, as it happens, keep the economic wheels turning in Asia, in China, India, Korea, Singapore and the Phillipines. If these economies were to collapse the world economy would collapse, thus our interests and the interests of our friends and allies must be protected in Baghdad and its surrounding area.

We live in a small world that needs protection from fanatics, murderers and those who would take us back a thousand years in the name of "God."

esteban wrote on Mar 19, 2008 11:08 AM:Deets...I'm going to say this only once. So please listen. THERE WAS NO GOV'T CONSPIRACY FOR 9/11. THE US GOV'T DID NOT BRING DOWN THOSE TOWERS, TERRORISTS DID! Sorry I had to yell. If you still insist on believing in a conspiracy, please check straight into a mental institution....for you are lost, like Rosie.

Focal Point wrote on Mar 19, 2008 11:10 AM:Spitzer sells out his state EJ your allegations are just suspicions. There is not any evidence to support that Spitzer was being black mailed or that the looked the other way for organized crime. But, I do think that Spitzer and Dupres should face public trail for prostitution.

Focal Point wrote on Mar 19, 2008 11:20 AM:As French Prime Minister Clemenceau said during WWII, war is too serious to be left to generals. Clemenceau died in 1929. So,I do not think he made any statments ruing WWII.

ORACLE = wrote on Mar 19, 2008 11:23 AM:= Very perceptive letter today by Stan Hess (The Fed's hidden agenda) about the connection between inflation and the cutting of interest rates.
The Fed and the Bush Treasury Dept. are worried about replacing written off loans with Fed liquidity infusions (paper money created out of thin air) rather than getting liquidity into the hands of households . Big mistake. The money that is causing hyperinflation and a rising cost of living is going to evaporate as it arrives at money center banks. It will not be used to lend to consumers, but to replace losses by banks. If they took that money and tax-rebated it into the hands of households, bad debts would disappear from bank balance sheets and consumers would be empowered to clean up their financial positions, which helps banks, helps the housing market, helps the securities market, helps the credit insurers, and boosts the economy as spending increases, jobs increase, and tax revenues increase. But this is a Bear market, and in Bear markets our fearless leaders screw up. Bad things happen. Things go big-time wrong.
The solution is in front of them, but they won't do it. Yes handing out big money, hundreds of thousands of dollars to each household, is hyperinflationary, but what they are doing now is also hyperinfaltionary, except what they do now will be ineffective. Getting money into households, big money, a rebate of their past 20 years of taxes, will provide trickle up benefits for that same hyperinflation.

Surfer wrote on Mar 19, 2008 11:25 AM:
As French Prime Minister Clemenceau said during WWII, war is too serious to be left to generals. Dude, it is obvious that GWB feels the same way. But, then, why would the Congress bother with Gen P testimony next month? Kinda Bogus to me. You are kinda funny too saying tough to Generals.
They would not even know who you are much less bother with you. The Generals would view you as a waste of time.

Reardon wrote on Mar 19, 2008 11:33 AM:Apollo asks which party holds their own to a standard of responsibility? And he asks this one day after New York's new governor, David Paterson, and his wife Michelle, each admit to having affairs during their marriage? The answer to Apollo, clearly, is neither political party -- but only ONE political party has as its esteemed member, one Edward Kennedy -- and not just an esteemed member, but a lauded and even worshipped member!

thanks, Karl wrote on Mar 19, 2008 11:35 AM:Yours is the first comment I've seen about Sprinter use. I totally agree about it being worth the half hour, let alone gas money. Do you/wife feel that the parking lots are safe to leave your vehicle during the day? Thanks again.

Tis True wrote on Mar 19, 2008 11:39 AM:sdraoul is spot on when it comes to immigration and absolutely dead-in-the-water with his pro-war views. It is puzzling but goes to show how complicated we humans are. PS, Darryl Issa is a show-boating joke. Out with Issa, Bilbray, Hunter and Horn. Out with the old, in with the new, I say! PPS, an extra special thanks to those who voted for George Bush twice. Today must be a very happy day for you now that he has declared the five-year war in Iraq a success. Sleep well.

Karl wrote on Mar 19, 2008 11:39 AM:To "Apollo @ 9:43 AM". I, unlike you will carp on members of my party. I, like you have a problem with David Vitter and Larry Craig still being in the Senate, although I have a feeling that your problem with them is only that they are Republicans. I have written my Reps letting them know I want both of them out ASAP. Please explain to me why you left Congressman William Jefferson of Louisiana out of your little jab? How about Ted Kennedy who's crime was a little more serious than sex. Have you written to your Reps asking for the dismissal of Kennedy and Jefferson or do you have an excuse for their behavior?

Cluck wrote on Mar 19, 2008 11:40 AM:Somebody get Raul a cracker. Enough already. Talk about a Nanny state. Would somebody please explain to her that Ideological war can not be fought militarily. What part of that do you not understand?

Alf wrote on Mar 19, 2008 11:42 AM:As is usual for "sdraoul" at 10:49AM, he still does not get it. I'll spell it out - No one can win a war on ideologies. This BS garbage of a "War on Terror" is one that cannot be won. Going into the SIXTH YEAR of this insanity WE STILL DO NOT HAVE Bin Laden, do we? Going into the SIXTH YEAR of this insanity Al Qaeda is stronger than in 2003, AND YOU CALL THAT PROGRESS? FOUR THOUSAND DEAD AMERICAN TROOPS, BILLIONS AND TRILLIONS OF DOLLARS spent, OUR ECONOMY IN THE TOILET and YOU advocate "staying the course". Methinks that "The Madness of GWB" has metastasized to your brain. History shows that there was a big problem in Vietnam when we left, BUT look at it now. We left them to come to their balance and they did. Had we stayed, balance would not have been achieved, even to this very day. Only a damn fool keeps spending money that he does not have to do something that can not be achieved. Are you so delusional that you think that Oklahoma City was perpetrated by Al Qaeda? Regards, Alf.

Karl wrote on Mar 19, 2008 11:45 AM:NOTE TO EDITOR, I also like the new format. While you are improving the site how about doing something with the Image Verification? Sometimes my comments go right through and other times it takes 1,2 and 3 tries. It's to the point that I double and triple check before I hit Post Comment and I still have problems. I assure that I am wearing my reading glasses. My problems appear to be with the q and the 1.

SOLON … wrote on Mar 19, 2008 11:46 AM:… “FIRST the war was won in three weeks” … stated sdraoul (10:49 AM). What drivel! Not even Bush declared “Mission accomplished” until May 1, 203.
… “Secondly, …if the generals don't like that, tough.” … stated sdraoul.
What drivel! Bush has had several great generals who tried to give him advice, when they did not buy into his grand delusions, he gave them “early retirement”. Firing good generals for sound advice has led us deeper into this quagmire. This is what you get when a AWOL deserter becomes Commander-in-Chief.
… “Thirdly, the Saiers have their heads in the sand like ostriches.”
Also drivel, as ostriches do not put their heads in the sand. This is a common and colorful metaphor, but ask any ornithologist, and they will quickly correct this misbelief. A minor point.
… And last, sdraoul pretends that a preemptive attack against Iraq, a nation that never attacked us and never even threatened to attack us is the same as the very justified attack in 1801 against the Barbary pirates who were capturing American ships. There is NO SIMILARITY between these two events.

Cluck wrote on Mar 19, 2008 11:58 AM:Why does Darrell Beck hate America? Because he's looking back with rose colored glasses "at the way things used to be"? He sees "diversity" as a curse? Wow, talk about an elitist. I can see why someone who considers diversity a curse and thinks the way thigs were was better than it is now. I can see that very clearly. Very clearly indeed. Now run on down to the 5 and dime and grab you a soda pop and get you some 10 cent gas.

Two Star wrote on Mar 19, 2008 12:07 PM:First, the war was won in three weeks. At that point we made a mistake by not keeping the Iraqi Army intact for use by the U.S. and Coalition forces. That was a mistake and neither General points that out Why would any General make a comment.
Nothing they would say or do would have changed the demobilization of the Iraqi Army. That decision was made by GWB and Dead Eye Dick and possibly Rummie. Your attempt to indirectly discredit these generals is ludicrous and crass.

gmgvs wrote on Mar 19, 2008 12:14 PM:sdraul: Get your history right-please.
Jefferson and Madison founded the Democratic-Republican Party in 1792. The Democratic Party did not come into being until 1820 when the party split into factions.

SOLON … wrote on Mar 19, 2008 12:29 PM:… Are Bush-Cheney about to start their third war? Very valid question, and the evidence is deeply troubling, just as stated by letter writers Jean and Milt Saier.
“The signs seem to point in that direction”, states San Diego Marjorie Cohn, author and attorney. Marjorie Cohn is a professor at Thomas Jefferson School of Law and the President of the National Lawyers Guild.
Cohn points out that on March 11, Navy Adm. William Fallon, commander of all U.S. forces in the Middle East, retired early because of differences with Washington on Iran policy. Fallon famously said that an attack on Iran would "not happen on my watch." Now, he is no longer on the watch. Many critics believe Bush-Cheney are planning to start a war with Iran, against all strategic wisdom. Immediately after the departure of Fallon, Cheney made an extensive tour through several Middle East nations, perhaps to prepare our Arab allies for an imminent “preemptive” war against Iran.
Cohn wrote QUOTE “Bush and Cheney have long been rattling the sabers in Iran's direction. The disaster they created in Iraq isn't going well, no matter how they spin it. They may feel that engaging the United States militarily in Iran would make it harder to elect anyone other than military man John McCain. McCain just happens to be touring Iraq with Sen. Joe Lieberman, one of the strongest advocates of a U.S. military strike on Iran. Lieberman is likely on McCain's short list for a vice-presidential running mate.” END of QUOTE
There will be an October Surprise launched by the desperate Rovian Neo-convicts, and the preeminent question is will the American public take the poison bait?

Ron wrote on Mar 19, 2008 12:44 PM:You are such a kidder.. Wiz @ 9:49 AM.
I mean.. really! YOU proposed am idea on how to tax unearned income, that has never been done before, EVER! Even by the most progressive of Democrats. And you still have the nerve to quote Adam Smith, as if, he saw it your way.
I have pointed out, and you reluctantly, eventually told us how radical you are. So, please can all the
references to Smith, because your views ARE NOT his views. Period.
I'd like to leave you with an actual Adam Smith quote, and let's just see how your view of Smith, squares with his own view? Shall We? Yes.. We shall!
Quote:
“Among nations of hunters, as there is scarce any property, or at least none that exceeds the value of two or three days labour; so there is seldom any established magistrate or any regular administration of justice. Men who have no property can injure one another only in their persons or reputations. But when one man kills, wounds, beats, or defames another, though he to whom the injury is done suffers, he who does it receives no benefit. It is otherwise with the injuries to property. The benefit of the person who does the injury is often equal to the loss of him who suffers it. Envy, malice, or resentment, are the only passions which can prompt one man to injure another in his person or reputation. But the greater part of men are not very frequently under the influence of those passions; and the very worst of men are so only occasionally. As their gratification too, how agreeable soever it may be to certain characters, is not attended with any real or permanent advantage, it is in the greater part of men commonly restrained by prudential considerations. Men may live together in society with some tolerable degree of security, though there is no civil magistrate to protect them from the injustice of those passions. But avarice and ambition in the rich, in the poor the hatred of labour and the love of present ease and enjoyment, are the passions which prompt to invade property, passions much more steady in their operation, and much more universal in their influence. Wherever there is great property there is great inequality. For one very rich man there must be at least five hundred poor, and the affluence of the few supposes the indigence of the many. The affluence of the rich excites the indignation of the poor, who are often both driven by want, and prompted by envy, to invade his possessions. It is only under the shelter of the civil magistrate that the owner of that valuable property, which is acquired by the labour of many years, or perhaps of many successive generations, can sleep a single night in security. He is at all times surrounded by unknown enemies, whom, though he never provoked, he can never appease, and from whose injustice he can be protected only by the powerful arm of the civil magistrate continually held up to chastise it. The acquisition of valuable and extensive property, therefore, necessarily requires the establishment of civil government. Where there is no property, or at least none that exceeds the value of two or three days' labour, civil government is not so necessary.” END QUOTE

For those interested, the reference is: WN V.i.b.2: pp 709-10.

The spin has me dizzy wrote on Mar 19, 2008 12:49 PM:You conservatives have got me all confused. When people have criticized the war and asked for a timetable to exit, you always say, "Let the generals decide when and how..." and Bush says the same thing. But when a general disagrees with Bush, then the general hits the road and you guys say war is too important for the generals. So in other words, you back Bush no matter what. And the generals know what they are doing, and what's going on in Iraq, only to the degree that they agree with Bush. Oh! That wasn't so confusing after all!

REAP what you SOW . wrote on Mar 19, 2008 1:06 PM:- In the opening days of World War II Great Britain only had enough gold and foreign exchange to finance war expenditures for a few months. The British turned to the Americans to finance their ability to wage war. This dependency signaled the end of British power.
From the beginning the Bush wars against Afghanistan and Iraq have been red ink wars financed by foreigners, principally the Chinese and Japanese, who purchase the US Treasury bonds that the US government issues to finance its red ink budgets.
The Bush administration forecasts a $410 billion federal budget deficit for this year, an indication that, as the US saving rate is approximately zero, the US is not only dependent on foreigners to finance its wars but also dependent on foreigners to finance part of the US government’s domestic expenditures. Foreign borrowing is even paying for Bush’s salary as President and funding the expenditures of the various cabinet departments. Financially, the US is not an independent country. We are caught in a noose, which is choking our economy and this destroys our freedom.

Karl wrote on Mar 19, 2008 1:18 PM:To "thanks, Karl
[-] wrote on Mar 19, 2008 11:35 AM:" I feel pretty safe about the car. Like I said earlier each stop has at least one officer (with gun) and 1 senior citizen. I'm sure that some vehicles will be messed with eventually just to reflect our society in general. We live near Escondido Country Club and my wife boards at San Marcos Civic Center. She parks in the 3 story parking structure across the street from the terminal and there is a roving patrol in that structure and quite a few other commuters doing the same thing so she is in a crowd at all times. This parking structure is just as safe at the one at her employer (City of Oceanside). Currently there are no parking lots directly adjacent to this station or Nordahl in Escondido. All other parking lots with the exception of Oceanside are in direct view of officers on the platform. All stations and parking lots also have "panic buttons". This weekend we took the Sprinter to Oceanside, walked the beach and ate lunch at Rubys on the pier and didn't have to look for a parking spot or feed a meter. The Sprinter works out ideal for us and like I said earlier my biggest fear was for my wifes safety and I am not worried after several trips with her. We have met new commuter friends with smiling faces as opposed to gestures and glares on 78 from grumpy commuters.

not so hard to figure out raoul wrote on Mar 19, 2008 1:19 PM:I know that some are confused by how raoul seems like a liberal/Bush/McCain guy on immigration and a hawk/Bush/McCain guy on Iraq, but don't be misled by either-or, left-right politics. Raoul's stance is simple: he's a might makes right anarchist. He has no respect for any laws, domestic or international, nor for any moral code that I'm aware of. He believes that when you want something, you should take it. Period. Now it all fits.

Ms M wrote on Mar 19, 2008 1:20 PM:Kennedy's name has been brought up by a couple of bloggers about his car "accident". Have any of you ever google Laura Bush and checked out her accident?

Karl wrote on Mar 19, 2008 1:22 PM:To "Cluck
[-] wrote on Mar 19, 2008 11:40 AM:" Now that's funny. I hope that Raoul is laughing with us. A little levity here helps. You can take a shot at me anytime. If it's funny, I'll laugh with you.

chuck wrote on Mar 19, 2008 1:26 PM:>>>I quote from the fertile mind of Nancy Pelosi: "We need to work toward the goal of equalizing income in our country," and limit "the amount the rich can invest." In a recent statement proposing a windfall tax on retirement, she targeted 401(k) plans>>> It's no secret the liberals are planning a one time excise tax on all retirement plans of 20%. They've been talking about it for 5 years.

SOLON ... wrote on Mar 19, 2008 1:32 PM:… The Republican candidate for President said he would be content to continue the war for 100 years. With what resources? When America’s creditors consider our behavior they see total fiscal irresponsibility. They see a deluded country that acts as if it is a privilege for foreigners to lend to it, and a deluded country that believes that foreigners will continue to accumulate US debt until the end of time.

to SOLON wrote on Mar 19, 2008 1:34 PM:Tragically, Americans will take the poison bait, as they always do. War is the force that gives them meaning in their lives, to repeat the book title from the other day. There will be the inevitable "incident" or "provocation". McCain let it slip when he accused Iran of training al qaeda in his last speech before Lieberman corrected him. But it shows you all the phrases are already locked and loaded, waiting for some "trigger". It'll be air strikes galore, since we hardly have a land force. Maybe the poor saps on their third or fourth tours in Iraq can be coralled into marcing east across the border. The Bush/McCain/Cheney camp simply loves war. It gives them uncontested power and lattitude in office, and turns their domestic enemies into wimps. For them, a few more trillion bucks and a few more thousand lives of American kids is more than worth it. If only Americans could be flies on their walls to see their hilarity as we obey them proclaiming how much they care about us. Sickening.

SOLON … wrote on Mar 19, 2008 1:36 PM:… To the EDITOR: The new format and program are superb! I encounter far fewer problems, especially with the Image Identification. Previously it was rare when my first attempted submission would go through. Previously I had to submit up to six and seven times. That frustration has been almost completely eliminated.

Concerned-1 wrote on Mar 19, 2008 1:44 PM:Ken Dodd makes a good point, and one that we've all (in the Temecula Valley) thought of one time or another. The problem is, Ken, a rail line down the I-15 from Temec to Esco is impossible because of the grade around the San Luis Rey (Sheerer Grade). Well, you could tunnel through, but who would pay? They are talking dedicated-lane busses, which would work. FYI. C-1.

Concerned-1 wrote on Mar 19, 2008 1:50 PM:A couple of posters have criticized the letter from William Ficere today. He made statements attributed to House Speaker Nancy Polosi, which if true, were quite shocking. In fact, they reek of socialism and the whole NAU initiative. How, posters could actually agree with such rubbish is beyond me. Unless they really do hate America.

Karl wrote on Mar 19, 2008 1:56 PM:Ms M at 1:20 PM. Are you serious? Are we talking about polititians or their relatives? Are you trying to excuse Teddy Bear's drunk driving manslaughter by using Laura as an example? If so, how do you compare a 17 year old girl who is not intoxicated running a stop sign with a known lush who was drunk, driving with an expired license, drove over a bridge and abandoned his date instead of trying to save her?. On top of all this not reporting the accident until the following morning? I've got a good idea, why don't you google the entire Kennedy family tree and see what you come up with. You are barking up the wrong tree Ms M

Concerned-1 wrote on Mar 19, 2008 1:56 PM:A couple of notes on the new WEB. Good work NCT. It is much more dynamic and it's easy to navigate, once you get the road map in place. As for Karl's comment on the Image Verification; I believe that it can only process one post at a time. Although it's just a millisecond, two people could be posting at the same time, especially on this page. And the zero and o, 1 and l, and the ubiquitous q and g are tough. Just have to trust the old eyeballs and key strokes Karl!

Ms M wrote on Mar 19, 2008 2:14 PM:chuck
[-] wrote on Mar 19, 2008 1:26 PM:It's no secret the liberals are planning a one time excise tax on all retirement plans of 20%. ...are you saying liberals don't have retirements plans?

VET for PEACE - wrote on Mar 19, 2008 2:22 PM: - Tonight (Wednesday) patriots in North County will hold a candlelight Peace Vigil at Escondido City Hall at 6:30 PM. Many thousands across America are participating in marches and vigils to commemorate the 4,000 soldiers killed in Iraq, and the start of the 6th year of war in Iraq.
You are invited to join you fellow patriots and veterans. Bring a candle and a sign simply saying “4,000 KIA”.

Reardon wrote on Mar 19, 2008 2:30 PM:Ms. M: Having left Texas many decades ago, I do not follow their local politics -- so I sent an e-amil to a friend in Dallas, and she assures me that she has never seen Laura Welch Bush's name on a ballot either. Please advise.

sdraoul wrote on Mar 19, 2008 2:33 PM:Clemenceu made his statement in WWI, sorry for the double tap.

I stand by my position on the war and war is too serious to leave to generals for they always fight the last war.

We should have kept the Iraq army intact to handle the occupation after the actual war ended when we took Baghdad. The President made his statement, "Mission Accomplished" was made when part of the invasion fleet was three miles off San Diego. The War ended by the middle of April when Hussein went into his hole in the ground.

Today's demonstrations are Mickey Mouse populated by tiny numbers of people. Compare today's dozens and hundreds to the millions of Hispanics who hit the streets two years ago. There is no comparison.

Our interests and the interests of the entire civilized world are served by our activities in the Middle East. If we weren't there the Iranian mullahs would shut down the Persian Gulf at the Straits of Hormuz and the price of gas would be $20 a gallon.

India is now manufacturing and selling cars for less than $2000 and they are selling like hotcakes; China is next. Demand for oil is skyrocketing and Iran can not be permitted to interfere with the supply for that demand, especially for "religious" reasons.

The entire global economy would be subject to highway robbery by the modern day Barbary Pirates. Standing in the way of that are Iraqi voters with purple fingers and the American foot soldier and Marine.

If these demonstrators want to demonstrate meaningfully, let them demonstrate on: The 16,000 Americans who were murdered last year, or the 35,000 plus who were killed on our roads and highways many by drunk drivers and the 5000 who were killed by professional truck drivers, mostly members of the "safety conscious" Teamsters Union.

REAP what you SOW - wrote on Mar 19, 2008 3:05 PM:- The Bush administration’s $410 billion deficit forecast is based on the unrealistic assumption of 2.7% GDP growth in 2008, whereas in actual fact the US economy has fallen into a recession that could be severe. There will be no 2.7% growth, and the actual deficit will be substantially larger than $410 billion.
Just as the government’s budget is in disarray, so is the US dollar which continues to decline in value in relation to other currencies. The dollar is under pressure not only from budget deficits, but also from very large trade deficits and from inflation expectations resulting from the Federal Reserve’s effort to stabilize the very troubled financial system with large injections of liquidity.
A troubled currency and financial system and large budget and trade deficits do not present an attractive face to creditors. Yet Washington in its hubris seems to believe that the US can forever rely on the Chinese, Japanese and Saudis to finance America’s life beyond its means. Imagine the shock when the day arrives that a US Treasury auction of new debt instruments is not fully subscribed.

OBSERVATION wrote on Mar 19, 2008 3:09 PM:It will be of little avail to the people that the laws are made by men of their own choice if the laws be so voluminous that they cannot be read, or so incoherent that they cannot be understood.
James Madison

Ms M wrote on Mar 19, 2008 3:11 PM:Karl
[-] wrote on Mar 19, 2008 1:56 PM: No I was not excusing Kennedy - but the accident occurred in a small town with no signals. It is very odd that in a very, very, very, very small town an accident like this would happened - an ex boyfriend who just happened to be at the same stop sign at the same time. If you were to talk with someone who lived near her when it happened and the circumstances around it you may question it. I will never excuse the actions of Kennedy - I've always thought that he was very guilty of wrong, however there are folks on the other side who have done things that also needs to be questioned. That's all I was doing - like I said folks bring Teddy up (and they may be justified) I just thought I would bring up Laura.

BUSH suffers from COMBAT - wrote on Mar 19, 2008 3:14 PM:- George W. Bush and Laura Bush were being interviewed by NBC's Ann Curry when the subject turned to the war in Iraq. Curry reminded the President that his wife had once said, "No one suffers more than their president. I hope they know the burden of worry that's on his shoulders every single day for our troops." The conversation continued thusly:
"Bush: And as people are now beginning to see, Iraq is changing, democracy is beginning to tak[e] hold. And I'm convinced 50 years from now people look back and say thank God there was those who were willing to sacrifice.
"Curry: But you're saying you're going to have to carry that burden... Some Americans believe that they feel they're carrying the burden because of this economy.
"Bush: Yeah, well --
"Curry: They say -- they say they're suffering because of this.
"Bush: I don't agree with that.
"Curry: You don't agree with that? Has nothing do with the economy, the war? The spending on the war?
"Bush: I don't think so. I think actually, the spending on the war might help with jobs.
"Curry: Oh, yeah?
"Bush: Yeah, because we're buying equipment, and people are working. I think this economy is down because we built too many houses."
Poor Bush. He has suffered so much in this war. Never has so much been demanded of a U.S. president.

Reardon wrote on Mar 19, 2008 3:31 PM:Far be it for me to disagree with a sign carried by someone who supports something so nobly named as "Vets for Peace," (What? Couldn't fit "apple pie, motherhood and baseball on the logo?) but the suggested sign is inaccurate, and has not been PEER REVIEWED! There have indeed been almost 4,000 CASUALTIES, but 807 have been to "non-hostile" causes, so the "4,000 KIA" (KILLED IN ACTION) is inaccurate, as is much of the information from the left. You might normally expect a vet to be more careful about his buddies

Vet for peace, huh? wrote on Mar 19, 2008 3:33 PM:No, 4000 haven't been killed yet, but it seems that you are just hoping that 4000 are killed.

You care nothing for the Troops, it's your group's BDS (Bush Derangement Syndrome).

Confused again, huh wrote on Mar 19, 2008 3:55 PM:Someone who voluntarily risked life and limb for you comes out against the nation's foreign policy, expressing the desire that the troops come home. How in the name of God do you get from this to the person wanting to see American troops die? Good grief. It's demented!

VET for PEACE - wrote on Mar 19, 2008 4:07 PM:- How many Killed In Action? The official number posted by the Defense Dept. as of today is 3,992 identified and the NOK notified. Heard on TV today that there were additional fatalities.
The tragedy is, when Americans were asked in a poll this week how many troops have been killed, and most had no idea. Most said about two thousand or fewer.
You know, the sad thing is, over 56,000 have been seriously injured, lost limbs, missing organs, disfigured faces and traumatic brain injuries which are especially tragic, because so many of the fellow Americans treat these as screwed up mentally, or even crazy. This is just as evil as spitting on a returning soldier. Yet Mr. Bush admits no guilt or complicity in the horrible curse on our troops. Never have so few sacrificed so much for no reason except the lies of this Administration.

HOW MANY KILLED - wrote on Mar 19, 2008 4:12 PM:- Reading the blogger at 3:33 PM, one gets the feeling he demands that no grief be expressed for all those soldiers killed until the exact number 4,000 has been reached. Who really know what the actual count is? What is so tragic, this number does not include those troops who committed suicide, or those who died from wounds after they were separated from the service.

Apollo wrote on Mar 19, 2008 4:13 PM: Re: Esteban (11:08 a.m.)
Quote: "I'm going to say this only once."
PROMISE?

Apollo wrote on Mar 19, 2008 4:15 PM: Re: Reardon (11:33 a.m.) and Karl (11:39 a.m.)
Reardon asks, regarding party responsibility, about David Paterson.
So what?
He and his wife publicly acknowledged (though they had no obligation to) that they
had other relationships while going through marital problems. This is not a crime at all. How desperate are you?
Karl is fair and balanced enough to acknowledge the problems of Craig and Vitter and demand justice, but then goes off on a tangent comparing it to William Jefferson who denies wrongdoing and has not been convicted of a crime. If he admits wrongdoing (like Vitter's tearful apology or Craig's guilty plea) or is convicted, I will support his ouster. In the meantime, Democrats do believe in the principle of innocent until proven guilty.
Both Reardon and Karl compare Ted Kennedy who was found guilty of leaving the scene of a crime at a traffic accident and paid a penalty. Was there a point here?

DD Wiz wrote on Mar 19, 2008 4:26 PM: The post from "Ron" (12:44pm) provides a lengthy quote from Adam Smith.
I reviewed it and found it to be fine. There is nothing there I have any problem with, nor do I have a problem with wealth.
So what? What did this have to do with ANYTHING we have discussed before?
This has nothing to do with the points I have made about taxing different kinds of income differently, or about the FACT that Adam Smith also supported progressive tax rate structures and regulatory protections to protect workers and consumers, as I have cited in the past. And I do not find any place where Smith supports taxing different kinds of income separately.
By the way, I do not claim that any mortal human is divine, or has any claim on perfection. I do not subscribe 100% to the views of any writer, including Smith or Keynes (who actually fit well together). However, my views are far closer to Smith's than they are to Marx, and certainly closer to Smith's than are "Ron's."

Oh, raous wrote on Mar 19, 2008 4:40 PM:So now, after having your versions of history being corrected time and time again, you give us your take on the future of the world if we leave Iraq...and you want credibility? We are still waiting for you to step up and admit your many errors about the recent history of Iraq, the connections to al qaeda and 911 would be a nice start. When you can admit your falsehoods and accept accurate stories of the past, perhaps your stories of the future will be bothered with.

to William Ficere wrote on Mar 19, 2008 4:53 PM: Yes, we have the nerve to call W dumb - because he is! Whatever else happens in the world, and whoever else does stupid things, W is and always will be known as one of the dumbest heads of state in the modern world - because he is!

to esteban @11:08am wrote on Mar 19, 2008 4:58 PM: You'll say it only once? Promise?

Reardon wrote on Mar 19, 2008 5:05 PM:Perhaps the Global Warming scare-mongers have been quiet for a reason. This from NASA Jet Propulsion Labs, today, via National Public Radio: "...80 percent to 90 percent of global warming involves heating up ocean waters. They hold much more heat than the atmosphere can. So Willis has been studying the ocean with a fleet of robotic instruments called the Argo system. The buoys can dive 3,000 feet down and measure ocean temperature. Since the system was fully deployed in 2003, it has recorded no warming of the global oceans.

"There has been a very slight cooling, but not anything really significant," Willis says.

Olaf wrote on Mar 19, 2008 5:10 PM:What are you "Bushy Haters" going to do when he is no longer president??? Still lament about how the election was stolen? No WMD's? You guys are really living in the past. Time to say "Move On" and start looking to the future. We are not (no matter who is elected) going to run from Iraq. So all the pandering to radical lefties who want to cut and run (even though soldiers died for you too) needs to stop and we need to stop dividing ourselfs into you vs them. Work on solid solutions and make the world safer for all of us, even those that don't like it.

There are no secrets to success. It is the preperation, hard work, and learning from failure. (Colin Powell)

Dwain wrote on Mar 19, 2008 5:22 PM:Esteban…I said nothing about conspiracy. You did. I only spoke of contradictions between one gov’t source and another. In this case, it kind of was the FBI vrs. themselves. The 9/11 Commission used as it’s source, an FBI report issued on Sept. 20, 2001, “American Airlines Airphone Usage.” Turns out, that report relative to flight 77 is identical to the report used in the Moussaoui trial in 2006. Bottom line, the FBI knew since at least Sept. 20, 2001, that Ted Olson’s claim—that his wife had talked to him twice on phone calls from flight 77—was untrue.

Reardon wrote on Mar 19, 2008 5:28 PM:To Apollo: (Mary Jo Kopechne) Some Bloggers are perceptive enough (Mary Jo Kopechne) to avoid giving other bloggers (Mary Jo Kopechne) a softball to launch (Mary Jo Kopechne) over the center field fence. (Mary Jo Kopechne) Bright Bloggers., and there are a few, (Mary Jo Kopechne) know when to leave a losing subject distinctly alone. (Mary Jo Kopechne) But, we are indebted to the room-temperature IQ few (Mary Jo Kopechne) for their ability to serve as warm-up pitchers. (Mary Jo Kopechne)

Reardon wrote on Mar 19, 2008 6:27 PM:Do us all a favor and forget Adam Smith, because it has disintegrated to you and DD claiming to be closer to Smith than the other. We can only read, "I am closer" "NO, I am closer" a few times before the eyes glaze. Besides, Ludwig Von Mises ("Human Action") is the Gold Standard, and even if DD is a speed reader it will take him awhile to bore us.

Ms M wrote on Mar 19, 2008 8:20 PM:Olaf wrote on Mar 19, 2008 5:10 PM ... and learning from failure... obviouly not - he got a second term. And yes, we Bushy haters are going on sabbatical - 7 years going on 8 has really worn us out LOL.

DD Wiz wrote on Mar 19, 2008 9:00 PM: The posts from "Reardon" (5:05, 5:28 and 6:27pm) show he has really run out of gas in more ways than one.
On climate change, he hypothesizes as to why those who pass along scientific warnings have submitted fewer posts. Perhaps it could be that, as the weather warms up, those who can't tell the difference between weather and climate have not submitted as many letters or posts to respond to. Certainly "Reardon" has given offered us nothing of substance, except to call scientists "scare mongers" just like those who successfully persuaded us to take the action that prevented Y2K. Oh yeah, "Reardon" has admitted he opposed that, too.
In response to "Apollo," "Reardon" can only repeat the name of an unfortunate victim of a traffic accident. I notice he doesn't mention the number of times between them (FIVE) Bush and Cheney have been convicted of DRUNK DRIVING (plus Bush has those unfortunate disorderly conduct arressts -- what do you have to be doing to get arrested for D&D at a FOOTBALL GAME?). They are the only Pres/VP team to have any record whatsoever like this, and they are still in office.
Bottom line is that "Apollo" is right -- you guys whine about Democrats who do accept responsibility, but keep on making excuses for your senators still in office. Only "Karl" had the integrity to call for their ouster. I haven't heard that from any of the other righties.
On capitalism, "Reardon" becomes even more desperate. "Ron" had introduced the subject and I replied by showing how far his view is from what Smith actually wrote, which "Ron" obviously had no direct knowledge about. "Reardon" responds by dropping names because he has no actual ideas or issues to offer and, apparently, I guess Von Mises doesn't either, or at least "Reardon" was not able to find any to share. Oh well, I guess if name-dropping is all you've got -- in addition to the usual name-calling.

Brian A. wrote on Mar 19, 2008 9:56 PM:Amongst all the usual blather here, ALF at 11:42 A.M. says it all, and says it well. None of the usual suspects can argue this. It's central to our disdain for this abortion of an administration.
On the opposite end of the common sense spectrum is Reardon with his despicable (yet again) assertation that: hey it's not so bad, a quarter of those killed (in vain) weren't due to a hostile situation. So I guess they don't count.
Alf, you shouldn't need to write another word in this forum. You, or anyone else will never say it better.
Unfortunately all the Reardons and Rons will continue to post their nonsense, but will never attempt to address th