The RoanokeSlant

Roanoke Times, 12/21/05, Pg Va 9: Commentary by Congressman-D-Rick Boucher: Has the president violated the rule of law?
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A longggggg drawn out essay of innuendoes trying to make the case that Pres. Bush’s direction that the NSA (National Security Agency) use electronic surveillance methods to collect data on "potential" foreign enemies, who are communicating with folks in the US, is a bad thing and is probably illegal.
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Does he or anyone else think that this President or the preceding Presidents who have authorized this type of data gathering just do so without getting the best legal advise available? Did Presidents Carter and Clinton violate the law also? If so, why doesn’t he make that case also?
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What personal responsibility for 9-11 does Rick Boucher acknowledge relative to his involvement as part of our government during the years leading up to 9-11? What did he do about Jamie (the wall) Gorelick’s manifesto that the intelligence agencies couldn’t communicate with the FBI about potential enemies? What did he do to protect America after a series of terrorist attacks against us?
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In reading Rick Boucher’s dissertation, and other anti-Bush bashers, I am not finding any who are saying "STOP"! Isn’t that strange?
Apparently these political jerks are afraid of the adverse consequences. Which then begs the question – why don’t they just "put up or shut up"? Oh-yes – 2006 is a mid-term election year!
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Prior items:
http://roanokeslant.blogspot.com/2005/12/they-still-dont-get-it.html
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Roanoke Times, 12/21/05, Pg A 14: Tap water may have more than people bargan for. The Environmental Working Grouop released Tuesday found 141 unregulated chemicals plus 119 that do not yet have specs by EPA.
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What a crock! They didn’t "FIND" anything! They simply compiled a list of trace materials that are tested for and reported by public water providers.
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This stuff is so slanted it’s sliding off the page!
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How can the average person relate to this type of yellow journalism? Why doesn’t the authors and publishers just go down to the theatre and yell FIRE!
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The public drinking water in the US is constantly monitored and when issues develop folks who are experts on public health get involved immediately.
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Perhaps these "Working Group" folks own stock in Evian! By the way – who is testing and publishing all the 260 chemicals in their products?
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Prior items:
http://roanokeslant.blogspot.com/2005/08/tabloid-journalism.html
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Roanoke Times, 12/16/05, Pg Va 1: Half of the governor’s proposed transportation spending targets one-time expenses. "Strong revenue growth is enabling ----"
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Yes indeed, strong revenue growth, and where did these funds come from after the Clinton recession (http://www.roanokeslant.org/ClintonRecession.jpg), the 9-11 attack, the cost of the war on terrorism, and a volley of hurricans?
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The answer of course is the Bush tax cuts and economic policy – but let’s not mention that anywhere in the RT – lets just rejoice in the concept that Gov. Warner can spend lots of the taxpayers money as fast as the state can collect it.
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Prior items:
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http://roanokeslant.blogspot.com/2005/12/more-bad-good-economic-news_14.html
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Roanoke Times, 12/11/05, Pg A9: Nobel laureate warns of nuclear disaster risk. Mohamed ElBaradei said "We are in a race against time "to prevent nuclear terrorism.
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ElBaradei is the Chief UN Nuclear Inspector who has been on watch while North Korea developed their nuke bomb and now while Iran is busy working on theirs. He was barred from Iraq until the US had 50,000 troops on the Iraq border in Kuwait, at which time he got some limited run-around access.
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It’s certainly not clear what he has done to earn the Nobel Prize other than Pres. Bush doesn’t think he’s doing a good job! Of course that would be enough!
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The bottom line is rather simple: North Korea and Iran are now into nuclear weapons, both countries are run by unstable dictators who support terrorist organizations and who have clearly stated their violent intentions toward the US and our allies.
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The real question now is: when the next nuclear bomb goes off – will ElBaradei have to give his prize back? Apparently not -- Jimmy (malaise) Carter still has his for mid-East peace accomplishments! (Talk about your premature announcement of "mission accomplished")
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Prior items:
http://roanokeslant.blogspot.com/2005/11/irans-declaration-of-war.html
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http://roanokeslant.blogspot.com/2005/08/iran-nukes.html
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After loosing 3,000 of our people here on our own soil on 9/11, and in-addition to all our losses prior to that, and enduring the 911 Commission extravaganza, The Editor and his left-wing associates still don’t understand that we are AT WAR!
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Listening in on emails and telephone calls by folks who are under investigation for connection to terrorists is NOT A BAD THING!
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How many times have the righteous members of the 911 Commission told us how stupid and naïve our government was for not getting the information that could have been gathered and then "connecting the dots".
Incredibly on that Commission was Jamie Gorelick, a high-level lawyer in Clinton’s justice department, who was a key author of directives that kept our intelligence and law enforcement people from even talking to each other prior to 9/11 no less getting the data they needed.
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The bottom line is simple for most of us:
We are at WAR
We need to get as much advance information about terrorist plans as possible
This is NOT a domestic crime situation where we wait until a crime is committed, then we investigate
If there are reasonable intrusions upon privacy – they are less disturbing than the personal intrusions when we enter an aircraft for a trip
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Relative to the numerous following Roanoke Times articles that explain what a big issue this is:
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What responsibilities do all these "kibitzers" have?
When the next attack occurs who will hold them accountable?
What role are they playing in protecting us?
How are they helping find, fix, fight and finish our enemies before they kill us?
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Roanoke Times:
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12/17/05, Pg A 8: Lawmakers demand inquiry into allegations of domestic spying. Sen. Russ Feingold, D-Wis said this shocking revelation ought to send a chill down the spine of every American.
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12/17/05, Pg Va 7: Editorial: Bush subverts checks and balances. A presidential order allowing warrantless spying on American citizens goes far beyond even the Patriot Act in eroding constitutional liberties.
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12/18/05, Pg 1& 15: Bush: secret spying is OK. Makes it clear that he doesn’t intend to halt his NSA authorizations. As a result of the media disclosure of this activity our enemies have learned information they should not have. It has damaged our national security and put our citizens at increased risk.
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12/19/05, Pg A5: GOP senators react to spying program. Question if Bush followed terms set in a 1978 intelligence surveillance act.
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12/20/05, Pg 1: Bush defends domestic spying; said leading details was a shameful act. The Attorney General said it was probably the most classified program that exist in the US government involving electronic intercepts of telephone calls and e-mails of people with known ties to al-Qaida.
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Prior items:
http://roanokeslant.blogspot.com/2005/12/patriot-act.html
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http://roanokeslant.blogspot.com/2005/08/pre-911-info.html
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Roanoke Times, 12/19/05, Pg 1 & 5: Bush admits losses, says US is winning war.
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Kudos to the RT for their best coverage yet of what President Bush actually said during a major address.
Significant direct "quotations" of key parts of his message.
Major improvement over past ‘news’ coverage’s
See prior blog items:
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http://roanokeslant.blogspot.com/2005/12/minimizing-bush-ongoing.html
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Roanoke Times, 12/17/05, Pg 1: Senate rejects Patriot Act bill
"In a stinging defeat for President Bush"
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This says it all – it’s not about 911, it’s not about being at war, it’s not about protecting the American people – it’s all about the anti-Bush frenzy displayed by a number of left-wingers who are not responsible for the safety of the American people but are totally focused on the 2006 midterm elections!
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Should there be another terrorist attack in the US these jerks have no responsibility or accountability but they will demand another 911 Commission to find out why we didn’t know someone was going to do something bad before it happened.
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This measure, that was negotiated with the Senate, was passed overwhelmingly by the House. However a number of Democrats decided to use the filibuster again so that the will of the majority of the Senators (52) was thwarted.
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Prior items:
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http://roanokeslant.blogspot.com/2005/06/patriot-act.html
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http://roanokeslant.blogspot.com/2005/04/true-patriots.html
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http://roanokeslant.blogspot.com/2005/08/pre-911-info.html
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Major Iraq turnout at election (estimate 10 million)
All major groups participated
Low level of violence or disruptions
People on the street showing pleasure at this new beginning
Voters proud of their "inked finger"
200,000 Iraq soldiers and police provided the security
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LOOSERS:
Iraq insurgents
Foreign terrorists
America’s domestic insurgents
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Prior items:
http://roanokeslant.blogspot.com/2005/12/minimizing-bush-ongoing.html
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http://roanokeslant.blogspot.com/2005/02/iraqui-election.html
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http://roanokeslant.blogspot.com/2005/10/lets-play-hide-election.html
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Roanoke Times, 12/15/05, Pg A3: Bush defends war, acknowledges faulty intelligence. Pres. Bush wrapped up a series of speeches about Iraq.
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This article pretends to summarize the four major one hour public speeches the President has made during the past two weeks. The speeches were clearly designed to answer his critics’ (domestic insurgents) attacks upon him and his policy.
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I counted 51 "quoted" Bush words! Wow – could The Editor and his associates spare all 51 out of four hours of dialogue? The rest of the article was filled with "paraphrasing", "analysis", "opinion", "conjecture" and lots of negative anti-Bush heifer-dust.
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It is indeed sad that our "news" organizations have reverted to mere political rags espousing the party line and not even giving token coverage of major presentations by The President of the U.S. on an item of major national focus and importance!
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Most of the front page was devoted to the empty seats at the local hockey game. And they call this journalism and people get degrees in order to do this stuff!
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Prior Item:
http://roanokeslant.blogspot.com/2005/12/pres-bush-addresses-issues.html
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The Editor, his left wing associates and Democrats have whined and lamented that Pres. Bush has not told them about the plans and status of the war in Iraq.
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Editor of Roanoke Times --- here’s your challenge. The President has now had four (4) major addresses to the American people about Iraq. These public presentations were specifically meant to address your stated concerns.
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During this time The Roanoke Times has used the front page to tell us all about artificial turf, John Lennon’s killers’ Roanoke connection, The extreme makeover, We got ice for sledding, and Holiday shopping.
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By my measurement The Roanoke Times has not printed even 10 square inches of what Pres. Bush actually said during over four hours of discourse. And I can find nothing on page 1 of what The Editor and his associates have claimed is the number one issue in the country.
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With this level of slant and bias it would appear that The Roanoke Times should stop presenting itself as a "news" paper. You-all certainly have forfeit any justification you might feel you might have had to continue your wining and moaning about the President’s candor and public statements and access!
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Just stick with lots of coverage of your friends Kennedy, Kerry, Reed, Palosi, Murtha and Dean. These folks are not just an embarrassment to our country but the majority of Americans will long remember them as a sad sack of losers.
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Roanoke Times, 12/9/05, Pg 12 A: Oil, gas production may suffer until next summer. The infrastructure took a real blow. Even now we have about a third of the gas and a third of the oil production still shut down. Short supplies will continue and prices will be up about 50%.
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Baghdad Iraq? Down due to war
No!
Gulf of Mexico! Down due to Rita and Katrina
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Why doesn’t someone just run out there and fix that stuff?
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Click to see an example:
http://www.roanokeslant.org/Oil%20Rig.jpg
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Roanoke Times, 12/7/05, Pg Bus 8: Strong gains for factory orders, productivity. The reports indicate that the economy is bouncing back from two hurricanes and high energy prices.
Manufactured goods orders rose to 2.2%. Productivity raced up to 4.7%. Over past 5 years represented fastest growth rate since WW II. GDP growth rate up to 4.3%.
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What to do? What to do? Is this any way for The Editor and his associates to enter the 2006 mid-year elections?
Let’s get going – Spin Baby – Spin! Because without good spin the economy might look good and Pres. Bush might get some credit for his economic policy.
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Prior Item:
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http://roanokeslant.blogspot.com/2005/12/more-bad-good-economic-news.html
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Roanoke Times, 12/7/05, Pg 1: Game chief quashes speed limit idea at lake. There’s no evidence that speed limits would improve safety at SML.
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Given the ever increasing water-craft congestion at SML and the narrowness of much of the lake it is interesting that the chief game warden of Virginia opposes reasonable and prudent speed limits on the lake.
Every foot of road in Virginia has a speed limit.
Most lakes in most states have speed limits.
The Chief said at the meeting that warden’s do not indicate speed issues on accident reports because there are no speed limits or criteria on the lake. Does chicken vs egg ring a bell here?
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There clearly is more to this story than meets the eye and begs the question: why would we need more wardens on the lake given the current set of rules?
If there were no speed limits on I-81 what would additional troopers do? Apparently they would investigate more real bad accidents!
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The noise issue could and should be handled as county noise ordinances and should apply to all sorts of noise sources. Good luck there too!
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Prior items:
http://roanokeslant.blogspot.com/2005/11/anglers-like-speed.html
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Roanoke Times, 12/3/05, Pg A 9: Vatican: Homosexuals shouldn’t lead, teach at seminaries. No new practicing gays to become priests. Gays are prohibited from leading or teaching at seminaries and are not to be appointed as rectors or educators in seminaries.
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Roanoke Times, 12/6/05, Pg Va 9: Ellen Goodman: Catholic Church scapegoats gays and abandons them.
Ms. Goodman writes that being homosexual is an inborn trait. That 30 years ago the Catholic Church accepted the homosexual condition and knowingly ordained gay men into the priesthood. And now after priests have been involved in thousands of child molestation cases in the US the church hierarchy has labeled homosexuality as "intrinsically disordered".
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Some folks are questioning if the priest abuse issue is homosexual based or a mental illness involving pedophilia? Based on the AP data it appears that 81% of the cases involve man-to-boy contact and that 78% involve boys 11 and older.
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Also, if 10,000 males have come forward to file complaints, one wonders how many cases there were, given the extreme hesitancy of any man to admit to having homosexual contacts even if they were victims of and older man.
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There are millions of homosexuals who do NOT molest youngsters or anyone else. In many cases they include our friends and relatives. The issue now is how to do what’s reasonable and prudent for all concerned.
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What will our society determine is inappropriate proximity between homosexuals and young people? Is it appropriate to have lesbian coaches in the girls locker-room or to be girl-scout leaders? Is it appropriate to have gay coaches in the boys locker-room or to be boy-scout leaders?
And, how would you know? Haven’t they always been there?
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The Army’s don’t ask don’t tell policy does not exclude homosexuals!
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Key Figures From a Catholic Abuse Survey By the Associated Presshttp://www.beliefnet.com/story/141/story_14121_1.html* Individuals making accusations: 10,667.* Victims' ages: 5.8 percent under 7; 16 percent ages 8-10; 50.9 percent ages 11-14; 27.3 percent ages 15-17.* Victims' gender: 81 percent male, 19 percent female.
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Prior items:
http://roanokeslant.blogspot.com/2005/06/diocese-to-pay-victims.html
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Pay for Good News
Roanoke Times, 12/5/2005, Pg A 8: Pay-to-print program in Iraq disturbs Bush. Stories often praise the activities of US and Iraqi forces and denounce terrorism.
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Why is Bush disturbed? Aljazerra and the left-wing media are making every effort to minimize our good news and amplify our bad news here, in Iraq and around the world.
As an example Pres. Bush has made two major speeches about Iraq during the past two week and The Roanoke Times hasn’t printed 20 square inches of prime space to what he has said. Instead they give unending coverage to his adversaries.
If Pres. Bush were to get the essence of his speeches into the RT he would have to pay for it as advertising as he had to do doing the election campaign.
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Since the liberal and anti-US media has no interest in being fair or balanced, why not pay for all the positive news we can!
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As NY Gov. Cuomo said: if I didn't toot my own horn -- there wouldn't be any music!
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Roanoke Times, 12/5/05, Pg A 4: Loss of habitat to development has forced many black bears to seek food in populated areas of NJ.
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No! That’s not it! Would you like to guess again?
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In 1970 NJ had about 100 bear. In 2005 they have approximately 3,100! If development was such a huge negative impact on the bears, where did the 3,000 new ones come from?
Perhaps they were bussed in from Pennsylvania on the Pennsylvania Turnpike.
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Now that NJ has added 3,000 bears, probably more than they’ve had since 1776, they need to manage their sloth of bears. The traditional and low-cost way of doing that is to let the deer hunter’s harvest a limited number based on a permit system. PETA members need not apply!
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Roanoke Times, 12/8 & 12/9/05, Pg Va 2: Picture and story: researcher adds 14 Virginians to the 40 previously identified as KIA at Pearl Harbor.
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This recognition of Pearl Harbor Day was personalized by the research that reflected the impacts to many Virginia families on that day of infamy.
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Prior item:
http://roanokeslant.blogspot.com/2005/12/day-that-will-live-in-infamy.html
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Roanoke Times, 12/5/05, Pg A 3: Some members of the former Commission give the government more F’s than A’s for its response.
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More posturing by the "I told you so" folks. It’s a no-brainer – of course there will be more terrorist strikes in the US.
We had Oklahoma City and the Atlanta Olympics without Osama’s help! It’s not clear who might have been behind the DC sniper team! And in the Bath Michigan School Disaster, May 1927, 45 people, including many school children, died by explosive devices set in the school by a member of the school board.
http://www.msu.edu/~daggy/tbsd/index.htm
http://www.msu.edu/~daggy/tbsd/tbsd-x.htm
Violent people are everywhere and we need to do the best we can to deter them and to mitigate their damage.
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Commission Member Hamilton says that funds should be focused primarily on the large metropolitan areas and minimal amounts in the suburban areas because the terrorists want to kill lots of Americans.
Has this guy ever been to a major College football game? Are there not over 50,000 people packed into very tight quarters at lots of games in the suburban areas of this country? More people in fact than were in the World Trade Towers.
The distribution of homeland security funds is indeed being heavily debated with primary contention between the urban and suburban representatives. Hopefully there will be a reasonable distribution of funds to help us all.
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Prior items:
http://roanokeslant.blogspot.com/2005/08/pre-911-info.html
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Roanoke Times, 12/7/05 – Cannot find “any” reference to Pearl Harbor Day
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What a sad commentary on the editorial staff at The Roanoke Times.
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At this time when the U.S. is again under attack and at war it would be fitting and proper to recognize this historic day and event.
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As President JFK lamented at the Fliegerhorst Kasserne in Hanau Germany on his way to Berlin:
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God and the soldier we adore
In times of danger, not before
The danger passed and all wrongs righted
Gods forgotten and the soldier slighted
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Please Click to view a unique graphic (you are welcome to save a copy)
http://www.roanokeslant.org/Infamy/
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Click for the Arizona Memorial where 1200 of our sailors are still entombed
http://www.history.navy.mil/photos/images/u030000/u036055.jpg
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Click for "Some Gave All" -- sound ON
http://www.roanokeslant.org/SomeGaveAll/Some.html
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Roanoke Times, 12/3/05, Pg 1: tree lights discord. Some residents unhappy that Roanoke is calling the Christmas tree a holiday tree. Mayor says it's not his doing!
The Roanoke Times wonders if this is a "gracious" attempt to acknowledge diversity or PC run amok.
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What’s "gracious" about trivializing the celebration of one of the two most important events in the Christian religion?
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Click for an example that the PC folks aren't doing! Wonder why?
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http://www.roanokeslant.org/Holiday/
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Prior item:
http://roanokeslant.blogspot.com/2005/05/religions-rightful-role-in-democracy.html
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Two dates that will live in Infamy
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Dec 7, 1941 and Sept 11, 2001
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Click on the link for a unique graphic:
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http://www.roanokeslant.org/Infamy/
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Roanoke Times, 12/1/05, Pg Bus. 8: Economy posts healthy showing. GDP was 4.3 and above expectations in spite of multiple Gulf hurricanes.
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Roanoke Times, 12/2/05, Pg Bus. 8: Good inflation news sends stocks up.
And US home prices rise 12%.
And Reports suggest economy may be gaining even more strength
Pg. 7: And personal spending rises too
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Wow! Just how much good news can folks expect from the Bush economic policy? And how can The Editor and his associates spin and slant this into bad news, and fast. After all, the 2006 midterm elections are coming! It appears the Clinton Recession and the economic crash of 911 have been offset by the Bush economic policy!
This is serious! What to do? What to do?
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Prior items:
http://roanokeslant.blogspot.com/2005/08/when-is-good-news-bad-news.html
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http://www.roanokeslant.org/ClintonRecession.jpg
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Roanoke Times, 12/1/05, Pg Va 10: Virginia will complete year with no executions.
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No, that’s not it! There were lots of executions in Virginia this year and Roanoke had more than its share with the distinction of being one of the worst high crime cities in Virginia.
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The problem is that the bad guys were doing the executions and not being executed in return!
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Apparently that’s the way The Editor and his left-wing associates like things!
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The poster-boy for life imprisonment of a viscous killer is Lemuel Smith. After being convicted multiple times of killing and mutilating women he was imprisoned for life. But that didn’t stop him, by befriending the prison chaplain he was able to setup a situation in which he killed prison guard Donna Payant in the same gruesome way that he killed the other women.
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Apparently placing prison guards and other personnel in harms way is OK with The Editor and his associates who oppose the execution of the executioners.
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http://www.schenectadyny.info/GoodBadUgly/lemuel_smith.htm
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http://www.crimelibrary.com/notorious_murders/not_guilty/lemuel_smith/12.html
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Roanoke Times, 12/2/05, Pg A 9: Dem. Rep. Murtha predicts troops will be out in a year.
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There you have it! The left-wing Democrats worst nightmare! The reason the media and left-wingers are pounding on prewar intelligence and a cut-and-run policy!
Murtha and Polozi and their associates including The Editor of The Roanoke Times see Iraqi successes that cannot be hidden or denied any longer and are terrified that Pres. Bush will get some positive recognition for doing "the right thing" in Iraq!
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What a disaster! Positive news could come right in the middle of the 2006 mid-term elections!
What to do? What to do? Don’t just stand there – do something – even if it is harmful to our troops and our struggle against our enemies!
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What a sad sack of losers!
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Prior items:
http://roanokeslant.blogspot.com/2005/11/fear-of-success.html
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http://roanokeslant.blogspot.com/2005/12/lieberman-inon-iraq.html
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Roanoke Times, 12/1/05, Pg A 6: Evangelicals focus on AIDS problem.
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Roanoke Times, 12/2/05, Pg A 3: World AIDS Day, 40 million infected.
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As the HIV+AIDS pandemic rips through the US and the world the media and the government still refuse to address the basic set of issues that have been used to contain and restrain other STD and communicable diseases since Typhoid Mary. Data for the US problem is listed as "estimated"; what a farce! California and New York, the two states with the highest rates of infection, DO NOT report any data to the CDC!
Talk about gross malfeasance and "stuck on stupid"!
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Prior Items:
http://roanokeslant.blogspot.com/2005/02/hivaids.html
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http://roanokeslant.blogspot.com/2005/11/current-pandemic.html
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http://roanokeslant.blogspot.com/2005/07/roanoke-hiv-testing.html
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Didn’t see much detail in the Roanoke Times about Dem. Sen. Lieberman’s latest trip to Iraq and his statements following that trip. Perhaps The Editor couldn’t find these items on the wire service. Attached are links that apply but that I’m sure he doesn’t want to see or repeat!
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Having someone of Lieberman’s stature and creditability support our troops and our effort for success is clearly not consistent with The Editor’s left-wing agenda.
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ABC
http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory?id=371269&CMP=OTC-RSSFeeds0312
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Newsday
http://www.newsday.com/news/politics/wire/sns-ap-ct-lieberman-iraq,0,3986691.story?coll=sns-ap-politics-headlines
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CNN
http://www.cnn.com/2005/POLITICS/11/23/liberman.iraq/
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FOX
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,177019,00.html
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Prior Items:
http://roanokeslant.blogspot.com/2005/11/fear-of-success.html
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