Posts Made By: Tom Rodstrom

This is the best news I have seen yet from Iraq. The only way to beat al-Qaeda is with support from the local populace. In this case it appears that progress is being made. Sadly, it seems to be a result of al-Qaeda blunders rather than US programs.

Some Sunnis Targeting al-Qaida in Iraq

"Relations between residents and the foreign fighters started to sour, however, when the foreigners started killing Iraqis suspected of having links to the Americans or even for holding a government job."

"Stunned city residents turned on al-Qaida, and al-Jadaan, of the Karabila tribe, announced an agreement with the U.S.-backed Iraqi government to help with security."

"The moves by al-Jadaan's men and Iraqi army units against al-Qaida forced many of the foreign fighters to flee to central and eastern areas of Iraq — some to the mountains near Iran — that have large Sunni populations, al-Jadaan said."

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060309/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iraq_fighting_al_zarqawi;_ylt=Alf5WM_yGy6rpH7nyLJCeZkDW7oF;_ylu=X3oDMTBiMW04NW9mBHNlYwMlJVRPUCUl

A petty thief as domestic policy advisor?


Former White House Aide Is Arrested on Theft Charges

The former aide, Claude A. Allen, 45, was President Bush's top domestic policy adviser until resigning last month. Known as a rising conservative star, he previously served as deputy secretary of the Health and Human Services Department, and in 2003 the White House announced its intention to nominate him to a seat on the federal appeals court based in Richmond, Va. Democrats raised questions about the nomination, and it never came to a vote.

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/03/11/politics/11arrest.html

Former Top Bush Aide Accused of Md. Thefts

Allen, a former deputy secretary in the Department of Health and Human Services, was nominated in 2003 to a federal appeals court seat. He was appointed the president's top domestic policy adviser last year at the start of Bush's second term. That made him the highest-ranking African American on the White House staff.

Working out of a small office on the second floor of the West Wing, Allen shaped administration policy on such issues as health care, space exploration, housing and education.


http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/03/10/AR2006031002328.html?nav=rss_metro

You may see it on the news. I just witnessed something that I thought I would never see, thousands of marchers parading down 16th street past my building carrying the flags of a foreign country at the front with no American flag in sight. It was mostly idiot students, probably many illegals getting a free education on my nickel. I didn't fight for this country just to make a place for the poor from another nation which is good at making hungry babies and but little else.

That is the last straw. I want to see every last immigrant from Mexico who is here illegally booted out immediately and put at the back of the line to get some sort of work visa. I think a good place to start would be to require schools to check immigration status on all students.

Enough is enough.

The news here is that things are getting worse in Iraq. What did you see? What do you think the next few years will bring?

I've heard people with the nerve to claim Bush has a good environmental record. Here is more of his good work.

EPA air-toxics plan sparks internal rift

The changes, the memo said, would "essentially negate" today's limits on industry toxic air emissions like arsenic, mercury, and lead, also called "hazardous air pollutants" or "air toxics."

http://news.yahoo.com/s/csm/apermit;_ylt=Ar9v6W8wQy3Gbwwj43PvAdBhr7sF;_ylu=X3oDMTBhcmljNmVhBHNlYwNtcm5ld3M-

With the Bush bunch it looks like it will take hurricane damage to Chicago before they do anything about global warming and silver colored cod fillets before they curtail mercury emissions.

http://articles.news.aol.com/news/article.adp?id=20060411114009990005

So much for those who have been saying there is no evidence that Iran is enriching uranium or possesses the technology to make weapons.

Let's see. Within two weeks Iran tests a MIRV missile and announces they are currently enriching uranium in defiance of a UN resolution.

Who will be the first to suggest they don't want nuclear weapons. Its all peaceful.

Yea Right.

It looks like another Republican will be taking a vacation courtesy of the government.

Jury Finds Former Ill. Gov. Ryan Guilty

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060417/ap_on_re_us/governor_s_trial

I'll be looking to see if there is anything I need at K-Mart which should be one of the hardest hit.

Home Depot is another likely target. I need a sawzall and a new battery powered drill. Tomorrow is a good day to get them.

and DeWalt

On Monday because of the boycott by immigrant supporters, I decided to buy new power tools. My old set was being used at my business and was showing a lot of wear and tear. As I approached the Home Depot in my old neighborhood, I noticed a large DeWalt yellow semi-truck set up for a promotion. Great, what good luck, I thought.

That was not to be. As I approached the truck I noticed that EVERYTHING except the name DeWalt was in Spanish. Thats right, all Spanish, not one word of English. It had been 15 years since I had bought any power tool other than DeWalt. Now I will not buy another if I live to be 200! I made that clear to the DeWalt rep as I walked out with $800 worth of Milwaukee and other brands. The DeWalt rep informed me that Milwaukee was a Chinese company. That was not the point, Milwaukee did not get in my face on my turf with an all Spanish truck. When I checked a few of the DeWalt tools, they were all made in Mexico.

Immigrant advocates claim that illegals are only taking jobs that Americans don't want. That's BS. During the boycott construction sites at a downtown high rise project and a smaller apartment complex were both nearly silent where they are normally very loud and busy. These are the construction jobs that used to support the middle class.

On Monday I got a look at the Mexican idea of a the "middle class". I sold my house four bedroom house to a middle aged Hispanic who didn't speak English. No one in the family except the pre-teen daughter spoke English. Monday afternoon on the day of the boycott, I stopped by to see my old neighbor. Parked in and around my old yard were seven pick-up trucks. Judging from the family members I saw while the house was in escrow, I'd bet that there are at least 15 people living in the house now. No wonder that they can work for less than an American.

Back to DeWalt. They are marketing heavily to Hispanic construction workers with their "Champions of Industry" program. The pictures say it all.

http://www.dewalt.com/cott/images/cottlogomedium.jpg

http://www.dewalt.com/us/images/cott/4.jpg

http://www.dewalt.com/cott/defaultenglish.asp

I have a fair amount of construction to do on my new (to me) building. I will not allow a DeWalt tool on the site. I vote as best I can with the few $'s I have.

It looks like Kucinich is going to file articles of impeachment against Cheney tomorrow. For a man like Cheney, being attacked by a vegan peacenic like Kucinich and not being able to stop it must be torture.

Impeaching Cheney: Step One

http://news.yahoo.com/s/thenation/1189256;_ylt=Ahd1ERIZWs_yJtasHlLCBgdhr7sF