Bill’s Blog

“Not for the politically correct.”

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DrudgeReport.com

• “Respected” Television Jounalists Shill Prescription Drugs in TV Commercials

• American Intelligence Searches Europe for Saddam Regime Officials with French Passports

• Edwards’ Presidential Campaign Shows ‘pattern of giving by low-level employees at law firms’

• Younger Jewish Voters May Be Leaning to Republicans

• US Analysts Looking at Ways to Make Iran Democratic

• Northbrook, Illinois High School “Powder Puff” Football Game Leads to Hospitalization, Lawsuit

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Concerns Raised Over Drug Company Ads Featuring Trusted Newscasters...

Cronkite did much to help the Vietnamese Communists when he stopped telling the American people the reason for the Vietnam War was to stop the Communists. He was probably one of those TV anchors who told the American people that replacing Batista with Castro was a good idea, too.

Aaron Brown of CNN, Walter Cronkite and other broadcast journalists have been hired to appear in videos resembling newscasts that are actually paid for by drug makers and other health care companies, blurring the line between journalism and advertising.

Search for Iraqis focuses on Europe; French passports cited as crucial...

Will the French continue their denial if they catch one holding a French passport?

U.S. intelligence agencies are intensifying the search in Europe for officials of Saddam Hussein's government who fled Iraq with the help of French passports, U.S. officials said yesterday.

HILL: Sen. John Edwards presidential campaign finance documents show 'pattern of giving by low-level employees at law firms'...

This certainly appears to be either a shakedown or campaign finance law violation.

Employees at the Turner and Associates Law Firm in Little Rock said that they were told they would be reimbursed for their donations to Edwards’ campaign. The Justice Department's Criminal Division has started investigating this.

One suspects that this happened in previous Democratic campaigns and they did a better job of suppressing it.

Sen. John Edwards’ presidential campaign finance documents show a pattern of giving by low-level employees at law firms, a number of whom appear to have limited financial resources and no prior record of political donations.

Records submitted to the Federal Election Commission (FEC) show these individuals have often given $2,000 to the North Carolina Democrat, the maximum permitted by law.

Younger Jewish Voters Said To Lead Trend Towards GOP...

The McGovernites who took over the Democratic Party in 1972 were sympathetic to the Palestinians, and thus “anti-Zionist.” The writing was on the wall, but Jews continued to vote for Democrats. Bush’s strong leadership in the War on Terrorism and the Democrats’ opposition may be getting sensible Jews to reevaluate.

But after a year and a half of strong statements from President Bush about fighting terrorism, along with his equally strong backing of Prime Minister Ariel Sharon of Israel, some prominent analysts in both parties say they detect a shift in the Jewish community. For the first time in more than 20 years, one Democratic pollster said he sensed an erosion of support from Jewish activists that could affect the presidential race. And according to researchers at B'nai Brith, younger Jewish Americans seem more likely to lean Republican than their parents.

Iran denies... 'Regime change?'...

Any educated person knew that the Ayatollahs’ revolution wouldn’t solve Iran’s problems when it took place in 1979. Plenty of Middle Easterners believe that the way to become competitive with the West is to return to what they see as “purer” forms of Medieval Islam. One of the reasons the West moved ahead of the Islamic world was that its religion adapted to change, and its obvious that Islam must change if the Islamic world is to be as free and prosperous as the West.

Analysts at key think tanks in Washington say the U.S. foreign policy community is actively debating what steps should be taken to promote liberalization and regime change in Iran following the Iraq war.

Meyrav Wurmser, director of the Center for Middle East Policy at the conservative Hudson Institute, said there is a sense of urgency surrounding the future of Iran because of the wide impact the Iraq war has had upon the region.

…

Polls place Iranian public opposition to clerical rule at about 70 percent, and the American wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are credited with increasing the pressure on Iran's "mullahcracy" to embrace liberalization. Nevertheless, political reform remains a distant proposition for Iran.

CONN. SUPREME COURT: FETUS IS BODY PART...

This argument will probably be made in a Supreme Court case; it will be interesting to see how they rule.

Angering both sides of the abortion debate, the Connecticut Supreme Court ruled Wednesday that a fetus is a body part, akin to teeth, skin and hair that are eventually shed.

The ruling unanimously upheld the conviction of a man who tried to induce a miscarriage by slipping his girlfriend labor-inducing drugs. Edwin Sandoval argued he could not be charged with attempting to commit aggravated assault because the fetus was the target, not the mother.

Criminal Probe Launched Into High School Girl-on-Girl Hazing...

And this was just the girls.

At least one parent hired an attorney because of medical expenses for her daughter's injuries from the event.

The video obtained by NBC5 showed how quickly a homecoming tradition between senior and junior girls became rough and ugly when, witnesses said, the seniors forced the junior girls to eat dirt, fish guts and pet food. Then the video showed that the juniors were kicked around and had human excrement poured on top of them.

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 OpinionJournal.com

• Duke of Kent Drops Practice of Bowing to Royal Box Unless Royals Present

• Hooters Will Ask Court to Protect Concept of Scantily Clad Waitresses as “Intellectual Property”

• Best of the Web Today

  • Robert Byrd Makes Absurd Speech Denouncing Bush for Flight to Carrier

  • Saddam Had Perfect Mockup of Israeli Government Buildings, Financed Palestinian Intifada

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The important point here is that a royal must be present in order require bowing. An alternate view would be that by bowing to the royal box they are showing their support of the British political system, a practice similar to playing the national anthem before sporting events in America.

… That probably overstates the matter, but something significant seems to have happened here last week. Players were told that they need no longer bow and curtsy in front of the royal box.

…

The no-more-bowing decision was credited to His Royal Highness the Duke of Kent, an amiable, faintly woebegone chap who is a cousin of the queen. His Grace is Wimbledon's club president. He and his kindly duchess are the most senior members of the royal family to attend "the tennis" regularly. He was said to feel that the "time was right" to stop the tributes.

The change will not register on the Queen's radar, not least because it was announced that the bowing will be reinstated should she or Prince Charles turn up. Unlikely, that. The monarch has been to Wimbledon just once, to see the British player Virginia Wade win the Ladies' Singles final in 1977. She and her family take the view that "sport" is an activity that involves killing animals, be they grouse, pheasant, deer or, occasionally, beaters. Everything else counts as "games," and is generally dreary.

Success breeding imitation is common in American business; it will be interesting to see if the courts rule that Hooters’ concept is protected intellectual property.

After years of fending off banner-waving NOW protesters in Midwestern malls, Hooters of America finds itself in its most compromising position yet: It has inspired imitators. The purveyor of Barbies and bar food is getting a black eye from a most unlikely source--a Hooters wannabe.

So it has done what any red-blooded American corporation would. It filed a lawsuit for "trade dress infringement."

The complaint, filed in an Orlando federal court, alleges that itsy T-shirted waitresses at Ker's WingHouse present "unfair competition" to Hooters girls, known for their inspiring presentation of otherwise ordinary menu items. Ker's filed for dismissal this week, maintaining that sex appeal predates Hooters.

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FrontPageMag.com

• Victory Over Saddam Demolishes Myth That Iraq Operation Wasn’t Part of the War on Terrorism

• Duke University: A Hotbed of Leftists

• Ford Foundation Funds “Anti-war” Movement

• Hollywood Types Taken in by Castro’s Charisma Include Jack Nicholson

• Palestinians Still Follow Muslim Custom of “Honor Killing”

• ABC’s Peter Jennings Slanted News to Support Nicaguaran Communists

• Michigan Iraqi–American Donated to Democrats to Get Sanctions Against Saddam Lifted

• British MP Accused of Taking Saddam Regime Money Suspended by Labor Party

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This column has many good links.

IN THE MONTHS leading up to the War on Iraq, a convenient dodge for waffling Democrats who opposed the war but feared looking weak on national security was to fret about the Bush Doctrine’s impact on the War on Terror. In theory, they said, they had nothing against deposing Saddam Hussein, but to do so now would take precious national resources away from the fight against terrorism.

It’s now time to add that claim to the ever-mounting heap of discredited left-wing lies, misconceptions, and myths.

The really bad part is that none of the college ratings take political correctness into account and that parents of prospective students aren’t told that their children will be exposed to Leftist indoctrination.

The history of the Twentieth Century showed that socialism was an abysmal failure, and those who still promote it are grossly ignorant.

In addition to boasting nationally renowned academic and basketball programs, Duke University is quietly developing an international reputation for academic excellence in something else: Marxist studies. Or, shall we say, pro-Marxist studies. At Duke, it’s becoming increasingly difficult for students to escape their instructor’s fervor for Communism, socialism and fiery rhetoric opposing capitalism and the American way of life; this is true both in the classroom and out.

Most of the public attention to those who have opposed our (now, successful) drive to oust Saddam Hussein has been devoted to organizations like ANSWER and the Not in Our Name movement. Far more important to the anti-war effort, however, has been the quieter, behind-the-scenes work of academics and leftist groups, such as the Lawyer’s Committee for Human Rights, the Center for Constitutional Rights, the Ploughshares Fund, the American Friends Services Committee and journals such as The American Prospect. These organizations have worked to undermine support of the United States’ efforts in the War on Terror, and against the Hussein regime. They are all very well-financed groups, who have one primary funding source in common: The Ford Foundation.

The same kind of people thought Stalin was a genius.

It’s no longer chic to praise Hitler, but that doesn’t mean all tyrants are out of style. Just look at the sadist who has enslaved Cuba since 1959.

…

Several of Stone’s peers in the movie industry share his Castro-philia. Jack Nicholson, for instance, has called Castro "a genius."

It would be much more humane to exile  them to a society in which they would be accepted.

Unlike Western countries, which champion individualism, Arabs focus on the group. The family is more important than the individual.

In the feudal, patriarchal societies of the Middle East, honor is based on what men feel is important, and reputation is everything. Unfortunately, thousands of women have been killed in the name of honor because imagination and rumors are as important as actions and events. Most, but not all, of these killings involve Muslims. Some Jewish communities, from the ancient fortress of Masada to conservative Hasidic sects of today, have similar views of tradition and ritual law but refrain from killing women in the name of honor.

Several thousand women a year are victims of honor killings. Numerous murders are ruled an accident, suicide, or family dispute, if they're reported at all. Police and government officials are often bribed to ignore crimes and hinder investigations. A woman beaten, burned, strangled, shot, or stabbed to death is often ruled a suicide, even when there are multiple wounds.

Having CBS report this is a major pot and kettle situation; perhaps an ABC employee will make its dirty laundry public.

Having kept quiet for 14 years, a former ABC News correspondent has gone public for the first time with allegations that network anchorman Peter Jennings manipulated news scripts during the 1980s in order to praise the Marxist-backed Sandinista government in Nicaragua.

Peter Collins, a newsman with over 30 years experience, including stints with Voice of America, the BBC, CBS News and CNN, recently walked away from the news industry and has "no compunction about telling [my story] now."

…

But he credits a few key individuals and organizations with breaking the monopoly of the establishment news media.

"If it were not for for Rush Limbaugh, the Washington Times,and Fox News -- those organizations, entities, have finally managed to break the dam," Collins said. "Ph.D. pieces could be written about this subject, dozens of them."

An Iraqi-born real estate developer in Michigan with ties to Saddam Hussein has donated several thousand dollars to Democratic candidates since 1996 to gain political support to end sanctions on his homeland.

…

Shakir al-Khafaji, an American citizen who came to the United States in 1976, has contributed to the campaigns of former U.S. Rep. David Bonior, Rep. John Conyers, Sen. Carl Levin — all Michigan Democrats — and the Clinton/Gore 1996 Primary Committee.

al-Khafaji met with Saddam in 1981to discuss the case of his brother, whom Saddam had imprisoned for “political activities.” If he still has relatives in Iraq the contributions may have been coerced by Saddam.

George Galloway has been suspended from the Labour Party, its general secretary David Triesman announced today.

Mr Triesman said the suspension, effective immediately, would remain in place "pending internal party investigations".

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Jewish World Review.com

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 Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
 (Subscription Site)

• Bush Regime to Get Tougher on North Korea Over Illegal Activities

• Scientists Believe They May Have Found Powhatan’s, Father of Pocahantas. Village

• UN Security Council Extends Embargo on Liberia by a Year

• Ark Dept of Education Tells 66 Student District to Prepare to Merge

• LR Board Rejects Sonic at Former Steak and Ale Location on Cantrell

• American Beekeepers Profiteering on Shortage Caused by Tariffs

• Letters

  • State Law May Make Firewall Software Illegal

  • “Voters want term limits”

  • “Term limits good for Arkansas”

  • “Raising taxes is wrong”

The Bush administration plans to adjust its policy toward North Korea by coupling new talks with threats targeting the communist state’s illegal drug and counterfeiting trade, and possibly its missile sales, U.S. and Asian officials said Tuesday.

The illegal drugs and counterfeiting are not the acts of a country which wants to be part of the world community.

GLOUCESTER, Va. — A woman’s habit of finding pottery shards and arrowheads on her farm has led to the discovery of what archaeologists believe was the village of the powerful Indian chief Powhatan, the father of Pocahontas.

The U.N. Security Council extended an arms embargo against Liberia on Tuesday and threatened to ban its lucrative timber trade unless the government stops supporting rebel groups destabilizing the region.

The Security Council, saying it was deeply concerned by the "serious instability in Liberia and neighboring countries," unanimously approved a one-year extension of the arms embargo, a travel ban on senior Liberian officials and a prohibition on the import of Liberian diamonds.

Given that the conflict in central Africa is due in part to the UN’s refusal to declare a genocide it’s hypocritical to single out Liberia.

Convinced that the Witts Springs School District won’t be able to cover its basic expenses next year, the Arkansas Department of Education has told the 66-student district to make immediate plans to consolidate with other districts.

Arkansas has numerous small school districts which are subsidized by the taxpayers of the more populous counties.

The Little Rock Board of Directors voted 8-2 on Tuesday night to deny a conditional use permit that would have allowed a Sonic Drive In restaurant to set up shop at 2917 Cantrell Road, where Steak and Ale operated for more than 30 years.

Sonic representatives’ pledges that they would make good neighbors didn’t sway city directors after a group of neighborhood residents said their quality of life would plummet if Sonic moved in.

…

City Directors Barbara Graves and Michael Keck voted to grant the permit. …

In Little Rock residents’ concerns come in a distant second if local real estate interests are involved.

This would have been an exceptionally bad location for a high-volume business.

Barbara Graves got roughly 20% of her campaign donations from the real estate interests according to The Arkansas Times.

Why are we imposing a tariff on a product that is in short supply? The objective of agricultural policy should be stable prices for consumers.

 Other Links

Complaining of low pay, cold rooms and air laden with paint fumes and charcoal dust, models who pose nude at a Philadelphia art school voted Wednesday to join a union.

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