-Caveat Lector- WJPBR Email News List [EMAIL PROTECTED] Peace at any cost is a Prelude to War!
THE FEDERALIST(r) DIGEST The Conservative e-Journal of Record * Veritas Vos Liberabit * 8 February 2002 Federalist Edition #02-06 Friday Digest *To support The Federalist, Link to -- http://www.Federalist.com/support.asp *To sponsor an edition of The Federalist, Link to -- http://www.Federalist.com/sponsor.asp *To retrieve today's Digest as HTML printer-friendly text or PDF Link to -- http://www.Federalist.com/current2002.asp *To change your e-mail address or format, see instructions in footer. CONTENTS: The Foundation Federalist Perspective ______----********O********----______ THE FOUNDATION "I hold the maxim no less applicable to public than to private affairs, that honesty is the best policy." --George Washington ______----********O********----______ FEDERALIST PERSPECTIVE Top of the fold... President George W. Bush rolled out his budget proposals early in the week -- to the tune of "Money" -- $2.13 trillion to be precise, a 3.7 percent increase over this year. Turning the spotlight on needed defense spending for the war against Jihadistan (and, more importantly, to begin the process of rebuilding what was left of our military after the last administration), Mr. Bush spoke to cheering troops at Eglin Air Force Base: "We're unified in Washington on winning this war. One way to express our unity is for Congress to set the military budget, the defense of the United States, as the No. 1 priority and fully fund my request." The President's plan includes a defense-spending rise of $48 billion, a 14 percent increase, to overcome eight years of not-so-benign neglect. Budget projections for the next five years boost Pentagon spending by $120 billion to $451 billion by 2007. (You will, of course, recall that in 1993 Mr. Clinton cut $128 billion out of defense spending.) Protecting the home front, Mr. Bush nearly doubled planned expenditures for homeland security, to about $38 billion. And he increased DHHS's budget by about $30 billion -- the largest portion of that earmarked for defense against biological attack. (All other spending increased an average of 2%, with the Departments of Labor, Transportation and EPA being cut 3.2%, 3.5% and 3.6%, respectively.) And CIA Director George Tenet Wednesday reiterated the continuing danger of Jihad attack on U.S. citizens: "We know that they will hurt us again, and we have to minimize their opportunity to do so." Tenet further noted anti-terrorist progress to date: almost 1,000 al Qaeda operatives are in custody in around 60 countries -- many times that number are dead! But where might head Jihadi terrorist Osama bin Laden be these days? One possibility: "There isn't any doubt in my mind but that the porous border between Iran and Afghanistan has been used for al Qaeda and Taliban to move into Iran," Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said Sunday. "We have any number of reports that Iran has been permissive and allowed transit through their country of al Qaeda." Our sources say that a November convoy of 50 off-road vehicles spirited 250 senior Taliban and al Qaeda members into Iran on a smugglers' route through the hills. And one report from Afghanistan is that groups of Taliban and al Qaeda are still traversing the mountains of central Afghanistan to the Iranian border. Haji Mohamad Akram, the Saudi chef who cooked for bin Laden, says he believes that bin Laden planned to escape through Iran and then eventually end up in Azerbaijan or possibly Chechnya: "Osama had three offers of escape. One from Iraq, one from Iran, and another from some mafia types. ...We received a lot of Iranian currency, and the commanders distributed it to the soldiers." Speaking of Iran, Mr. Bush's SOTU reference to the "Axis of Evil" is already paying dividends! Regarding the Leftmedia brouhaha over the president's reference to Iran, Iraq and North Korea as the "Evil Axis," only the most nescient of national security observers would suggest that this shoe is not a perfect fit! "The Islamic Republic of Iran is honored to be the target of wrath and anger of the most hated Satan in the world [America]," replied Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. But Foreign Minister Kamal Kharrazi was more conciliatory, saying, "We are doing our utmost effort, but the reality is that it is not possible to control this long border completely." He further promised to return to their home countries any al Qaeda or Taliban terrorists captured crossing into Iran, and pledged Iran would not develop nuclear weapons. Although North Korea continued spouting a defiant line, Iraqi diplomats made overtures to the United Nations to discuss that pesky matter of the UN weapons inspectors barred from Saddam Hussein's enslaved country. Testifying this week before the House of Representatives, Secretary of State Colin Powell admitted that "regime change" for Iraq is being planned by Team Bush -- and with "the most serious set of options" imaginable under consideration. Long past time for that, but better late than too late, given Saddam's fondness for acquiring -- and using -- weapons of mass destruction! Quote of the week... "Our federal government, which was intended to operate as a very limited constitutional republic, has instead become a virtually socialist leviathan that redistributes trillions of dollars. We can hardly be surprised when countless special interests fight for the money. The only true solution to the campaign money problem is a return to a proper constitutional government that does not control the economy. Big government and big campaign money go hand in hand." --Rep. Ron Paul (A reminder: "Campaign finance reform" comes to the House floor next week! And, despite all the nonsense about the "special influence" bought by Enron's donations, one need only pause briefly to ask, "What exactly did it buy them -- they are bankrupt!") On cross-examination... "Many conservatives and [Leftists] alike cringe at the suggestion that the United States should become the 'world's policeman.' This has always been a straw man. The correct question is whether the United States should police the world when it is in our interest. And the answer now and for the foreseeable future is clearly yes. This administration made it known time and again that it will work with the 'international community' when the international community works for us. But when it comes to America's vital national interests, the United States will do what it's got to do, help or no help." --Jonah Goldberg Open Query... "How many sunglasses do you have?" --Bill O'Reilly to Geraldo Rivera, after the latter completed his hitch in Afghanistan as Fox's "war correspondent." We have already argued, ad nauseum, that if Fox wants to be taken seriously, their choice of a tabloid jockey like Geraldo to mix it up with American warriors on a battle front, was, at best, bad judgement. After Geraldo got caught in one of his theatrical stunts -- tearfully claiming he was on "hallowed ground...I said the Lord's prayer," when, in fact, he was hundreds of miles from where several of our military personnel were killed by friendly fire -- we challenged O'Reilly to take Geraldo on. But he never debunked this charade -- not when it happened and not in his "interview" with Geraldo von Munchausen Thursday night. O'Reilly admitted, in an interview last month with media watchdog Brent Bozell, that Fox hired Geraldo "to go overseas, to dig up stories, and to be a flamboyant guy that is a provocateur..." Later, O'Reilly claimed Fox "is a news place where we have to be responsible, fair and balanced..." Memo to Bill: You can't have it both ways. We thought you were hired to do more than flatter Leftmedia charlatans with "fair and balanced" spin about "sunglasses." The BIG lie... "I may be old-fashioned, but as the daughter of a small businessman who did not believe in living outside our means and who even paid cash for the house that we lived, I just don't believe we should spend what we don't yet have in the bank. President Bush's extremely large tax plan would spend trillions we don't have, and may never have." --Sen. Ms. Hillary Rodham-Clinton Memo to New York: "It is a mistake to underestimate the extent to which Clintonism is based on, informed by, and takes its very shape from the Big Lie. ...This highly credentialed rube, this mere operator, this person who never ponders what is right but only what they'll buy -- this person is not towering and generous but squat and grasping. She is ... too corrupt for New York; she is too cynical for the place that gave birth to Tammany Hall...." --Peggy Noonan News from the Swamp... In the Executive Branch, in a fine 91st birthday tribute to The Federalist's beloved mentor, Ronald Reagan, Mr. Bush signed legislation making Reagan's childhood home in Dixon, Illinois, a national landmark. Friend of The Federalist and longtime Reagan right-hand Lyn Nofziger explain why the honor is fitting: "Reagan was the first president since the end of World War II to face up to World Communism and to draw a line in the sand against its ongoing advance. During his eight years in office, Communism for the first time since World War II gained not one inch of new territory. Reagan believed there was room in the world for only one superpower and that was the United States. When he left office the U.S. was indeed the world's sole superpower. The driving force behind Reagan was his strong faith in God and his belief that He had set American here between two oceans for one purpose -- to be a beacon of freedom to the rest of the world. America, in his eyes, was 'a shining city on a hill.' He was determined to keep it that way, not only as a shining city but also as a beacon of freedom. And I suspect that if he could know what is going on today he would be thinking he couldn't have a better birthday present than this President Bush's equal determination to end terrorism, to defend freedom and to insure that America remains that shining city on a hill." On the Hill, a joint resolution honoring Mr. Reagan's birthday passed the Senate unanimously, while the House approved it 408-0, with these four Democrats refusing to join the good wishes: Reps. Eddie Bernice Johnson of Texas, and Pete Stark, Barbara Lee and Diane Watson, all of California. The Gipper still gets their goat, doesn't he? In the House of Commons, House Majority Leader Dick Armey has issued a castigation entitled "Free the Daschle Fifty," urging Senate Demo Leader Tom Daschle to schedule Senate votes on 50 bills that have passed the House, but are languishing in the upper chamber. "The American people want action," Armey said. "They don't want political posturing. The Democratic-led Senate has a responsibility to vote on legislation. In fact, it's their job." Bills withheld include even anti-terrorism laws. Mr. Armey also leveled an objection against President Bush's SOTU proposal for revamping the Clintonistas' AmeriCorps into a USA Freedom Corps at a cost of $560 million next year for nationwide "volunteer" programs: "I do not understand why anyone would embrace AmeriCorps. It was not a good idea then, and it is not a good idea now.... I consider the conceptual framework of AmeriCorps as obnoxious. We give least well when we give at the direction and supervision of the government, you know, and the idea that government can teach charity to America rings very hollow with me; for example, like AmeriCorps, where we are going to give our kids $30,000 worth of jobs and benefits to teach them about volunteerism.... [Americans] give best when we give from our own hearts." We second that! In the House of Lords, Senate Demo Leader Tom Daschle tipped his partisan "spin" hand early this week, saying he would remove any consideration of economic stimulus legislation to address the recession "with great regret" -- another BIG lie! But then he backtracked, allowing competing Democratic and Republican to be debated Wednesday. Surprise, surprise! Neither the Demos' $69 billion plan (mostly targeted toward the unemployed and lower income earners) nor the Republicans' $89 billion package (focused on individual and business tax cuts) had the 60 votes needed to end debate. *COPYRIGHT NOTICE** In accordance with Title 17 U. S. C. Section 107, any copyrighted work in this message is distributed under fair use without profit or payment to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for nonprofit research and educational purposes only.[Ref. http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml ] Want to be on our lists? Write at [EMAIL PROTECTED] for a menu of our lists! Write to same address to be off lists! <A HREF="http://www.ctrl.org/";>www.ctrl.org</A> DECLARATION & DISCLAIMER ========== CTRL is a discussion & informational exchange list. Proselytizing propagandic screeds are unwelcomed. Substance—not soap-boxing—please! These are sordid matters and 'conspiracy theory'—with its many half-truths, mis- directions and outright frauds—is used politically by different groups with major and minor effects spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought. That being said, CTRLgives no endorsement to the validity of posts, and always suggests to readers; be wary of what you read. CTRL gives no credence to Holocaust denial and nazi's need not apply. Let us please be civil and as always, Caveat Lector. ======================================================================== Archives Available at: http://peach.ease.lsoft.com/archives/ctrl.html <A HREF="http://peach.ease.lsoft.com/archives/ctrl.html";>Archives of [EMAIL PROTECTED]</A> http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/ <A HREF="http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/";>ctrl</A> ======================================================================== To subscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SUBSCRIBE CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] To UNsubscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SIGNOFF CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] Om
