Saturday, March 05, 2005

So Much For Syria's Attempts To Use Violence To Remain In Lebanon

Powerline and SoCalPundit agree that the (so-called) Pro-Syrian Demonstration in Lebanon was staged to justify a continued Syrian presence in Lebanon.

The following was copied from Powerline:

"Shooting Erupts in Beirut Christian Sector". But as the story makes clear, the shooting didn't exactly "erupt":

Volleys of gunfire were heard shortly after a convoy of cars carrying pictures of Syrian President Bashar Assad, which had earlier demonstrated in Muslim south Beirut, headed later to the Christian sector of Ashrafieh, a center of anti-Syrian sentiment.

People in the cars exchanged insults with about a dozen men. Gunmen then opened fire from the cars as they drove around, the witnesses said. There appeared to be no casualties.


The shooting appears to be a clumsy attempt to provoke violence that would justify a continued Syrian presence in Lebanon. I thought this was interesting, too. This AP photo news story says: "A pro-Syrian protester fires into the air, in the Christian sector of Ashrafieh, Beirut, during a convoy of cars carrying pictures of Syrian President Bashar Assad driving in Beirut, Lebanon." Here's the photo:



That's not a protester. That's a thug, and someone is paying him. These are protesters:



Today Syria's Assad promised a phased withdrawal of Syrian troops from Lebanon; first they withdraw toward the border, then, at some unspecified time, across the border. His announcement was reportedly greeted joyfully by the anti-Syrian protesters in Beirut. But it's obviously inadequate. Let's hope the anti-Syrian movement in Lebanon isn't too easily satisfied. They, and we, need to keep the pressure on.

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The Lone Republican Running For Los Angeles Mayor

Walter Moore is a 45-year-old business trial lawyer; graduated with honors from Princeton and Georgetown Law; has a degree in Public And International Affairs; and was an Editor of the Georgetown Law Journal. Moore is not a career politician. Rather, like you, he's a taxpayer fed up with career politicians who cater to special interests rather than protecting the public interest.

I am not exactly endorsing this candidate, but as the only Republican in the race, if I could vote in this election (I live in Los Angeles County, but not The City of L.A.) I would vote for Walter Moore. Ok, I guess I did just endorse him!

His website says that if he got 150,000 votes, he could win the race because of how many candidates will split the rest of the vote. I estimate there are more than 300,000 Republicans in The City of Los Angeles. Not bad odds if he can get his name to enough of them.

MooreIsBetter.com

I have assigned one of my correspondents to do a write up on this guy explaining his background and plans should he be elected Mayor. Look for that towards the middle of next week.

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Washington State Governor Race Update

Via NewsMax.com:

Washington GOP Gives List of Felons Who Voted

OLYMPIA, Wash. -- Republicans have released 1,135 names of alleged felons who they say illegally cast ballots in the governor's race that Democrat Christine Gregoire won by 129 votes.

The list turned over to Democratic Party lawyers on Thursday contained the names and addresses of the alleged felons, along with 45 people who Republicans say died before the Nov. 2 election but who were listed as having voted.

"It's one more significant piece of evidence that this past election was not only deeply flawed but that we don't know who won," said Mary Lane, a spokeswoman for Republican opponent Dino Rossi, who is challenging the results in court. "Christine Gregoire is not the legitimately elected governor."
Democrats, who have intervened in the suit on the side of the state and argue the election should stand, said they doubt the accuracy of the list.

Republicans said they obtained a felon list from the State Patrol and compared it to a voter list from the secretary of state's office.

Rossi led after the first two vote tallies only to lose in a hand count of 2.9 million ballots cast. He and his supporters filed suit in Chelan County seeking to void the results, alleging widespread problems.

Democrat attorney David McDonald said he was "reasonably confident that list is not going to hold up to scrutiny.

"We will, among other things, check the factual basis for each of the claims," he said. "We're not going to take them at their word. We're going to double-check their work."

Discovery continues in the case and a trial date has not yet been set.

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The Blogosphere Wonders: Is Bill Clinton Really That Stupid?

Powerline, Little Green Footballs and our blog, SoCalPundit were caught scratching our heads Saturday morning at this article written by Amir Taheri of pro-western internet daily, ArabNews.com.

Mr. Taheri writes of insane comments made by former President Bill Clinton at last month's Davos World Economic Forum about Iran. Taheri writes:

Here is what Clinton said at a meeting on the margins of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, just a few weeks ago: “Iran today is, in a sense, the only country where progressive ideas enjoy a vast constituency. It is there that the ideas that I subscribe to are defended by a majority.”
And here is what Clinton had to say in a recent television interview with Charlie Rose:

“Iran is the only country in the world that has now had six elections since the first election of President Khatami (in 1997). (It is) the only one with elections, including the United States, including Israel, including you name it, where the liberals, or the progressives, have won two-thirds to 70 percent of the vote in six elections: Two for president; two for the Parliament, the Majlis; two for the mayoralties. In every single election, the guys I identify with got two-thirds to 70 percent of the vote. There is no other country in the world I can say that about, certainly not my own.”

So, while millions of Iranians, especially the young, look to the United States as a mode of progress and democracy, a former president of the US looks to the Islamic Republic as his ideological homeland.


UPDATE: Little Green Footballs has posted an audio clip of Clinton in Davos that is accessible here.

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Anti-War Leftists Find New Ammunition In Accidental Shooting of Journalist

I guess it was only a matter of time before an incident could be warped to the view of anti-Democratic Leftist pigs, hell-bent on stopping the spread of Democracy to the Middle East at all costs. However, I do not believe the liberals of Italy or anywhere else have the momentum. The momentum is on the side of the FREE!!!

Furthermore, the Democracy-haters have not responded to the claim..

..by US forces that the vehicle carrying former hostage Giuliana Sgrena was speeding as it approached a coalition checkpoint in western Baghdad on its way to the airport. American authorities said soldiers shot into the engine block only after trying to warn the driver to stop by "hand and arm signals, flashing white lights and firing warning shots.

The Associated Press mentioned in the article that Left-Wing radicals were on hand to in get their message out:
About 100 demonstrators outside the U.S. Embassy in Rome blocked traffic and one banner read: "USA, war criminals." A few dozen communist demonstrators at the U.S. Consulate in Milan handed out leaflets reading, "Shame on you, Bush."

The article wraps by explaining the previously captured journalists previous circumstances:
Sgrena was abducted Feb. 4 by gunmen who blocked her car outside Baghdad University. Last month, she was shown in a video sobbing, pleading for her life and demanding that all foreign troops - including Italian forces - leave Iraq.

Sgrena told colleagues from her newspaper, however, that her captors "never treated me badly," ANSA reported. She also said a woman was among the abductors and that she communicated with them in French and English.

The Leftists are "demanding answers" as to why this tragedy occurred. But are "facts" what they really want, or cover for their attempts to undo the great good that has occurred because Iraqi citizens are now free.

UPDATE: I was just thinking that given the fact that they had just gotten the journalist back from captivity, the coalition check point must have looked like a dangerous situation to drive into. It is fully w/in reason to expect the driver decided, for safety sake, to barrel through just in case....

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