Berkeley City Council Cries Foul over Semper Fi Retaliation Act

On January 31, the Berkeley California City Council drew a literal line in the sand against the Marines and its recruiting station located in the city and, much to their chagrin, the largess of the Federal Government.

Not satisfied with merely voicing their opposition with the war on terror and Iraq, the city council took several steps, steps which invoked using the powers of the city council to harass the Marines into packing up their recruiting station and getting "off of town."

The City Council voted to officially sanction the anti-war group Codepink, giving the group a free city parking space in front of the Recruiting Station and a sound permit to protest. They voted to "explore" enforcing its law prohibiting discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation against the Marines because of the military's, Don't Ask, Don't Tell policy, and they also voted 6-3 to warn the Marine recruiting station to get out of town, they were not wanted in Berkeley, that the Marines were now considered "uninvited and unwelcome intruders."

Hey-hey, ho-ho, the Marines in Berkeley have got to go.

That's the message from the Berkeley City Council, which voted 6-3 Tuesday night to tell the U.S. Marines that its Shattuck Avenue recruiting station "is not welcome in the city, and if recruiters choose to stay, they do so as uninvited and unwelcome intruders." Source - Contra Costa Times

Reaction from Washington was uncharacteristically rapid:

Six Republican senators, led by Sen. Jim DeMint, R-S.C., and an Orange County representative on Wednesday introduced companion bills called the Semper Fi Act of 2008 that seek to take away $2.3 million from Berkeley earmarked in the 2008 Omnibus Appropriations bill and give it to the Marine Corps.

The funds are designated for school lunches, Bay ferry service, disability organizations, UC Berkeley and public safety. Source - Contra Costa Times

Demint issued a statement on the Berkeley Council's actions:

"Berkeley needs to learn that their actions have consequences," DeMint said in a statement. "Patriotic American taxpayers won't sit quietly while Berkeley insults our brave Marines and tries to run them out of town. Berkeley City Council members have shown complete ingratitude to our military and their families, and the city doesn't deserve a single dime of special pet project handouts."

The mayor of Berkeley, a former military man himself, issued an apology:

There's really no correlation between federal funds for schools, water ferries and police communications systems and the council's actions, for God's sake," said Bates, a retired U.S. Army captain. "We apologize for any offense to any families of anyone who may serve in Iraq. We want them to come home and be safe at home."

Wishing to "clarify" their "position" further the Mayor said that the council's actions were merely "symbolic."

We suppose the same argument could be made by the Republicans working to introduce the Semper Fi Act of 2008, that their legislation could be construed as "symbolic" too.

Much was made of the monies that would be "slashed" from "starving" kids and their school lunches. The total amount going to the lunch fund was $243,000 bucks for 10,000 school lunches.

Ann Cooper, director of nutrition services for the Berkeley Unified School District, which receives federal funds through the Chez Panisse foundation, called the congressional effort "absurd."

"Why anyone would want to take healthy food away from children is just beyond me," Cooper said. "We're in the throes of a health crisis due to childhood obesity, and Berkeley is one of the very few cities in America that's actually really working on children's health through school food."

If we read Ms. Cooper's words correctly, the school lunches are for kids who are obese. Perhaps the City Council could issue a statement to the overweight kids and tell them they need to "suck it up" and pack an organic gluten free sandwich at home for the good of the Berkeley dogma.

We're quite sure the City Council could find the money for those lunches and crying foul is patently absurd if you take at look at who and what the rest of the two plus million in Federal funds is headed for:

Federal money proposed to be transferred from Berkeley institutions to the U.S. Marines in the Semper Fi Act of 2008:

# $243,000 from the Chez Panisse Foundation, which provides 10,000 daily school lunches for Berkeley public schools

# $243,000 for the Ed Roberts Campus, a project that houses offices for disability organizations

# $750,000 for water ferry service planned from Berkeley to San Francisco

# $94,000 for a police and fire emergency communications system

# $975,000 from UC Berkeley's Matsui Center for Politics and Public Service, which houses the papers of the late U.S. Rep. Robert Matsui

We believe the Berkeley City Council has the right to do whatever it chooses and thus, when it takes action, it should learn to stand by its decisions. Waffling, crying foul or just plain crying over their "militant" stand is childish and immature.

In the end, for all their "ideals" it was the money, wasn't it, that counted. If they truly believed in their principles they'd be willing to stand by them and not capitulate and crumble when the first check doesn't come in the mail.

By LBG
Image - Ozarkia



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A Slither Through The Hate-Filled World of Tedrall

Yesterday, Little Green Footballs pointed out the latest offering from the twisted little cartoonist known as Ted Rall. After looking at some of Rall's other hate-filled scribblings, it might be good to offer a tour. So here's a slick slither through the Hate-Filled World of Tedrall:

Ted Rall on October 24:

When Bill Clinton was president, Republicans said he should be afraid to speak at military bases. That should go double for Bush. The next he shows up to use you as a TV prop, soldiers and fellow Americans, boo the crap out of him. What's the worst he can do? Kill you?

The cartoon that got everyone upset:
[click on cartoons to enlarge them.]

Perhaps, though it's hard to imagine why, a perfectly intelligent person might have joined the military early in the Bush Administration. Four years into Iraq and six years into the meatgrinder of Afghanistan, however, it's fair to say that only a less than brilliant person would sign away his life for, literally, nothing. (Save your e-mails, righties: citing "patriotism" as a reason to enlist doesn't work. French patriots didn't fight for the Vichy regime during World War II. They joined the resistance. A patriot would have nothing to do with the military while the White House is occupied by an illegitimate coup leader.)

Anyway, if the carnage continues in Iraq for another 500 years, it stands to reason that the average I.Q. of those who remain behind will increase. Thus this cartoon...

The smiley face is a nice touch, for someone making money off the deaths of soldiers. Maybe he's auditioning for Official Cartoonist of Code Pink? Chicago Ray takes issue with Mr. Tedrall.

This human shitbag really takes free speech to it's limits with these disgusting and near treasonous during wartime kiddie scribbles, damning the very people that give that p***y the right to draw what he draws. He also pens a paid column excerpted below that spits out the same anti military and general America hating garbage in word form, including one yesterday that is nearly the most despicable thing I've read throughout the entire war without a doubt.

Chicago Ray is just getting warmed up.

Yesterday's column is just another hate filled left loon statement spitting and pissing on the soldiers that this worm wouldn't have the guts to get near in real life nor anyone like myself for that matter while spewing this drivel out loud, his perverted way of supporting them is his mantra. Lest he'd get his dimunitive ass whipped, just like he obviously did all through his entire life judging by his inner hatred for people who unlike himself are stronger than he filled with character and strength, just like these soldiers that protect this country and the people within it including scum like himself day in and out without question 24 /7 - 365.

Again, providing him along with the rest of us the very freedom that he abuses hiding behind the first amendment to say and write the vile things that he does and get paid for it no less while he's at it. So in other words and ironically not only does that scrawny little shitbag owe his freedoms to those very soldiers he despises, but the very food he eats, clothing he wears and the air he breathes.

in other words his entire pathetic useless existence is provided courtesy the sacrifice and deaths of US soldiers of today and yesterday that he claims to be fighting for by his twisted opposition to them following their commander in chief's orders fighting a war against terrorism and terror.

Tedrall got fired from the New York Times in March 2004. How nutbaggish do you have to be get fired from the Times? Pretty whacked, one would be tempted to answer. Tedrall, while mocking people who suit up and die for their country, really is a little girl when his own little piggies are getting stepped on.

After the Times canceled his cartoonish cartoons, he wrote and whined and complained and begged the three guys who read him to write letters. For those who have a bathos Jones, the whole mawkish story as related by Tedrall, can be perused. A sample (from March 9, 2004):

Right-wing bloggers are at it again. It wasn't enough to get my cartoons pulled from The New York Times--now they say my "whining" about it is unseemly. Of course, the warbloggers like to keep this tactic to themselves, they're so damned good at it. But to hell with that.

If you're tired of losing every cultural and political battle, then please join me in mimicking the relentlessness of the right. Write to the Times to let them know how you feel about them pulling my cartoons in response (solely, as they admit) due to Republican pressure:

If one is going to go in for hate, it's the hate of giving Tedrall's website more attention than it would ever get otherwise. So let's give a little attention to Cox & Forkum. The conservative cartoonists took a look at their Tedrall below.
The cartoon that attracted their attention follows. Notice his use of "Afghan resistance" instead of the "Taliban".

Just so you think that Tedrall's thoughts never turn to love, that's just not true. We leave this last cartoon as evidence.
Tedrall's work can be viewed by Borat & buddies in central Asia these days. One place his work is featured is Turkmenistan. If it's any consolation, at least these little love notes won't be seen by New York Times' readers.

Tedrall's latest from Central Asia:
It's just one big, steady climb up the career ladder for Tedrall.

by Mondoreb

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The Nineteen Percenters

For a great explanation about who the 19% of Democrats who wish the U.S. to lose the war, go over to Red Planet Cartoons.

Or, you could just go read DailyKOS or Huffington Post.

America at WarTHEN AND NOW

[graphics by RAPH]

RidesAPaleHorse graphically illustrates a key difference between America at war in 1942 and 62 years later. Can you think of any other differences?

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More Bad News for the LeftU.S. TROOPS KILL ANOTHER AL QUAEDA LEADER IN IRAQ

by Mondoreb[CNN photo]

September has proven to be a month of unrelenting bad news concerning the War in Iraq--for the American Left and the Democrats. From CNN:

A U.S. military commander Friday reported the death of a senior al Qaeda in Iraq leader, a Tunisian who was considered the "emir of foreign terrorists in Iraq."

U.S.-led coalition forces killed militant leader Abu Usama al-Tunisi on Tuesday in Mussayib, south of Baghdad, said Army Brig. Gen. Joseph Anderson, speaking to Pentagon reporters via teleconference from Iraq.

Insurgents killed, tough but significant American gains, Iraqi tribes switching allegiance to the US, the Petraeus Report, figures of 19000 enemy combatants killed--and now this. Another terrorist leader killed in Iraq.

This good news for U.S. troops is bad news for Code Pink. The anti-American Left is being forced to ask some hard questions. "Did we back the wrong horse," "Weren't the Iranians supposed to be helping out here," and "What's it going to take for the insurgents to start winning again"? Any day now, a Democrat-sponsored bill to help the seemingly-inept 'militants' might be expected.

Anderson called the death "a significant blow" to al Qaeda in Iraq -- a Sunni-dominated militant group that takes its inspiration from Osama bin Laden's al Qaeda.

Like a schoolyard bully who's been picking on the little kid, only to discover the kids's much larger and more powerful older brother behind him, the anti-war crowd is suddenly shocked and disturbed. One telling bit information from the above report.

Military commanders have said the leadership in the Iraqi group includes many foreigners, while the rank-and-file members are Iraqis.

Google "civil war in Iraq" and one gets over 16.3 million results. The Mainstream Media has been unwavering in their reportage about this Bush blunder into something that has no solution. It's a bizarre 'civil war': where the leaders come from other countries and the Iraqi people complain of being killed by foreigners.

More good news for U.S. troops resulting in: more hands wrung in torment on the Left, louder and more strident anti-war rhetoric receiving more coverage in the MSM. Also expect to see Democrat presidential candidates, dancing like angels on the head of a pin: performing the 'Talking-Point Polka', in an attempt to deal with continuing good news coming from Iraq.

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Skips Out on Court DateTHE WIT AND WISDOM OF CINDY SHEEHAN

[AP]
By Mondoreb

"Thank God for the Internet, or we wouldn't know anything, and we would already be a fascist state."

On the surface, Ms. Sheehan and I probably share few views, but on this I'm solidly on her side. My local newspaper didn't carry any news this morning about Cindy, so without the Internet, I wouldn't know about the following.
From FoxNews.com.
WASHINGTON — A bench warrant was issued Thursday for antiwar activist Cindy Sheehan, who did not appear for arraignment Thursday in a Washington, D.C., courtroom to face charges related to her Sept. 10 disorderly conduct arrest on Capitol Hill.

Her spokeswoman, Tiffany Burns issued a statement, "She wasn't aware that there was a court appearance today". If I were the judge, I'd want to know if this was the view of Sheehan herself. Or if was absent from court to call attention to an earlier pronouncement.

It's up to us, the people, to break immoral laws and resist. As soon as the leaders of a country lie to you, they have no authority over you. These maniacs have no authority over us. And they might be able to put our bodies in prison, but they can't put our spirits in prison."

Perhaps she thought the court had no authority over her and the judge immoral. Surely a question the judge might want to know when the defendant skips out on a court date.

"Because they need to go to prison for what they've done in this world. We can't have a pardon. They need to pay for what they've done."

Cindy Sheehan is certain President Bush murdered her son, who was killed in Iraq. She made herself the center of a bizarre media circus last summer. One suspects it would have died the quick, quiet death any conservative protest is accorded. Say, if it had concerned Congressional Democrats' attempts to cut off funding for a U.S. army in the field.

That circus, albeit muted, continues this morning. As Cindy Sheehan readies her attempt to unseat Nancy Pelosi, she continues to make the news. According to Sheehan, President Bush should not be accorded any "special treatment" for his conduct concerning the war. Now she comes to ask the court for special treatment for her conduct, her arrest at the Petraeus hearings.

"Don't do the crime, if you can't do the time"

Seaching the Internet for the source of this quote proved fruitless. But it's a certainty that it's not part of the "Wit and Wisdom of Cindy Sheehan".



All Cindy Sheehan quotes taken from Cindy Sheehan Quotes.
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-All I Want For ChristmasIs a Grand InquisitionTHE HUFFINGTON POST PUBLISHESA LEFTARD'S WISH LIST

by Mondoreb

Like Martin Luther King, Byron Williams over at Huffington Post has a dream.

We need to follow the South African government's lead under former President Nelson Mandela by assembling a courtlike body after the Bush administration leaves office, calling on key administration officials and key staff within the CIA, State Department, Pentagon, etc., to give testimony on the run-up to the Iraq war. And, like South Africa, grant immunity to those who request it prior to their testimony.

The leaves are turning colors and all a young Leftist's thoughts turn to--an Inquisition?

Williams is just no idle dreamer, however. His dream is about getting at the "truth"! It is elusive; it is a chimera. Never mind: Williams will arrive at it in due time.

We have lifted al-Qaida to the level of the former Soviet Union in terms of a threat and few can say how we arrived at a point that has us simultaneously engaging in two wars and saber rattling toward a third.

One is tempted to remind Mr. Williams that the Soviets killed almost 3000 less Americans on U.S. soil than the al-Qaida has. One might also remind Williams that wars are never fought when they are convenient or pleasing to the Left, as per Darfur. But again, never mind. He can't be bothered with idle facts: he's busy digging for the truth!

How did we become a country that goes into war touting the superiority of our ideals while engaging in similar practices that we condemn? Guantanamo Bay and Abu Ghraib certainly blurred the lines of our perceived good and evil.

The lines are certainly blurred on the Left. Guantanamo Bay and Abu Ghraib are equated with an organization that routinely kills women and children throughout the world on a daily basis. When one has no moral compass, the lines between what is truly good and evil are so indistinct. But don't let it be said that our hero is downcast. He ends the piece on a high note.

I would very much like to see our next president, by the second State of the Union address, stand before a joint session of Congress in the spirit of former President Ford and state: "Our long Constitutional nightmare is over!"

And so, another anti-war Leftie fantasizes: when Bushitler is gone, balance will be achieved, peace will reign and our Constitutional republic will be restored.

Byron Williams and most at the Huffington Post share this same dream. Many other Americans have a dream also. It is not the dream of B. Williams, however. It is this dream: that the Left, and all their uni-thinking fellow travelers, will one day grow a not insignificant pair of balls.

From The Huffington Post
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Bill Richardson at HuffPo: WHEN WAR ADS ARE ABOUT KILLERS,ONLY KILLERS WILL HAVE WAR ADS--or Something Like That

[above: Democratic presidential hopeful Bill Richardson answers a question about how many U.S. troops support his candidacy.]
by Mondoreb

Democratic presidential candidate Bill Richardson was out among the people when he came to a realization: If only he were in charge, HE'd figure out the absolute quickest way to lose the Iraqi War. At least that's the spin he puts on his wide-eyed article over at the Huffington Post earlier today.

Two days ago the Senate had a chance to help get more of our soldiers home for longer periods of time -- but the measure failed. Yesterday they had a chance to set a timeline to start withdrawing troops -- but that failed too. And today, another measure that would've required a withdrawal of U.S. forces from Iraq failed. Three chances to make a difference, lost. But instead of continuing to push on the most important issue facing our country right now, yesterday Congress spent their time debating and condemning a newspaper ad by an anti-war group.

Richardson apparently doesn't think there's anything wrong with groups calling the general in charge of Iraq "General Be Tray Us". U.S. commitments abroad? Forget it. American prestige in an area of the world that places a value on such things? A mere inconvenience.

Let's get some perspective here -- ads don't kill people -- wars kill people. And it is long past time to end this war.

Like Dorothy in Oz, Richardson wants the troops home. Any way possible. Even if he has to use a giant hot-air balloon and bring them all back to Kansas.

Full retreat backwards and damn the torpedoes!

It's a wonderful world that the Democratic presidential contenders inhabit: it's all warm and fuzzy, actions have no consequence, and the Jihadi lions will lay down with the Leftist lambs. Like a modern day Moses, Richardson is pleading: Let my troops go!

But sadly, there is a price to pay for a country tucking it's tail and running--even if it's the strongest in the world. Bill Richardson won't likely have to pay that price, but American companies, Americans abroad and Americans at home will. The Jihadis will soon follow the last troops out of Iraq to U.S. soil. But that's another day, another HuffPo article for Richardson.

The world does not conform to Bill Richardson's creamy, dreamy worldview. The world's a dangerous place.
No matter how many times he closes his eyes, clicks his heels and says, "I want the troops home."
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