Rep. Charlie Rangel

U.S. Representative Charles B. Rangel (D-NY) has served nearly 36 years in the Congress. His life story is rather interesting. Rep. Rangel served in the Korean War, which is very respectable. He is a gutsy, plain-speaking guy, and willing to risk arrest for various political protests. Not the kind of politician the Humble Patriot prefers, but certainly preferable to the legion of slick, fickle legislators who do not really stand up for anything.

For the last few years, Rep. Rangel has promoted legislation that would return conscription (the draft) to the United States Armed Forces. He gives two reasons for such a change: First, if the children of members of Congress and the Executive Branch had children serving in the military they would be less likely to get us into wars like Iraq. Also, he thinks that a draft would make our military more representative of the American public. In a letter to the New York Times in 2002, Rep. Rangel claimed, "A disproportionate number of the poor and members of minority groups make up the enlisted ranks of the military, while most priv­ileged Americans are underrepresented or absent." That statement is false, by the way. Check out some demographics on military recruits in this study by the Heritage Foundation.

Yesterday Rep. Rangel was interviewed on Fox News Sunday, where he essentially repeats the insults of John Kerry (or Jon Carry) from a few weeks ago. Here is the video of his interview by Chris Wallace, courtesy of Power Line Blog:




Wow, Rep. Rangel is planning for some House investigations to prove that American soldiers are uneducated and stupid. During my ten years of service I have come across some military members who are uneducated and stupid. Perhaps some feel they were duped into an enlistment due to a lack of choices or whatever. However, the majority of the enlisted troops I encounter are bright and smart. Many are well-educated. There are many different reasons for our Nation's children to enter military service as they also enter adulthood, but there is a common thread. Most of them want to serve this great Nation because they cherish the freedoms our Nation protects.

Thanksgiving

For me, Thanksgiving has a much different feel while deployed to a combat zone. In all my 36 years, this is the first Thanksgiving during which I was not surrounded by family members. Yes, I would rather be home in Maryland with my wife and dog, preparing our home for a small invasion of loving family to join us in giving thanks. (The photo at left is my dog Heidi, waiting for my return.)

So, this Thanksgiving is different for me, and my family too. I understand the dining hall at this deployed location is planning an impressive feast, striving for a traditional turkey dinner to get everyone in the spirit. My unit has curtailed its operations in observance of the holiday, so after an incredibly busy period here I find myself with time for reflection. After spending a few months here, in what must be one of the world's poorest countries, I truly have much for which I can be thankful. To my extended family and friends, thank you for all the support you have given me during this deployment. Every time I receive a package or card in the mail, or even an e-mail from a well-wisher back home, I feel the love of a Nation.

The United States is more than just a 230-year-old experiment in freedom. It is a special place in a world full of evil and fear and violence. This fight we undertake in far corners of the world is misunderstood by many. Our War on Terror may be a minor blip on the screen of history, or it may be the opening salvos of World War III; I don't know. To all my Humble readers out there, please understand why I take up arms in defense of the United States: I truly cherish our freedoms. During the brief history of our Nation, many of my brothers and sisters in arms have paid the ultimate sacrifice upon the altar of freedom, and for their sacrifice I am truly thankful.

I close this posting with a quotation from the 1983 movie Uncommon Valor. When his team reaches a crossroads and must split into two smaller teams, Col Rhodes (Gene Hackman) senses the emotions of the others and with a few lines from Shakespeare's Julius Caesar sums up his own feelings thus:

If a man were to know the end of this days business ere it come

Then the day will end and the end be known.

And if we meet again, then we'll smile

And if not, then this parting was well made.

Keith Olbermann

Who is this guy?

I have been away from home for several months now, and my only links to the "world" are the American Forces Network (AFN) and the Internet. Unlike the old days, AFN Television now has several channels to choose from, which include sports, news, and movies. I keep a rather busy schedule here in Afghanistan, and the only time I find myself watching AFN is when I eat breakfast. In the dining hall they show AFN News, which is a mixture of various news shows from different TV networks. When it's 5:30 am here it's 8:00 pm Eastern time in the U.S., which is the prime news slot for the cable news channels.

So, Your Humbleness sits down for some fruit and Cherrios, ready for some serious thought gathering before embarking on another day in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. I glance up at the nearest big plasma TV, and some guy's face is filling the screen. His name is Keith Olbermann, host of the show Countdown. I was completely unfamiliar with Mr. Olbermann hitherto. After watching him a few times I have some very strong opinions about the man. He wears nice suits, my only favorable comment about this guy. Countdown includes an odd mixture of news, analysis, and humor. As an added bonus, viewers are sometimes treated to a kooky rant at the end of the show. The "news" coming out of Mr. Olbermann's mouth appears to contain a liberal helping of Democratic talking points. He hits all the Dem's hot topics and is certain to bash President Bush on every show.

Okay, so I don't like Keith Olbermann's Countdown. What's that, you say? Oh, his show usually ranks dead last among the four cable news shows during that time slot? So why doesn't AFN broadcast The O'Reilly Factor during that time slot instead? Good question. I sent a nice e-mail to the folks who run AFN at March Air Reserve Base in California, asking why they show the President-bashing, anti-war ranting Countdown. I asked them why they don't show more Fox News Channel offerings like O'Reilly (Fox News Channel was the hands down favorite when I did an informal poll among my deployed comrades here in Afghanistan). The AFN people, ever the efficient bureaucrats, sent me a rapid reply. Humble Patriot likes rapid replies! However, the milquetoast response from AFN indicated that they are less concerned with what the troops want, and more concerned with presenting a "balance of different shows." Barf!

Humble Patriot's suggested reading:
Olbermann's Arrogance from Real Clear Politics
Media Research Center's latest article on Olbermann
Michelle Malkin on Olbermann's Worst Person in the World

Milton Friedman

1912-2006

Nobel Prize winner Milton Friedman passed away yesterday at the age of 94. Most Americans have probably heard his name, but I'll wager most people have no idea of his contributions to the field of economics and laissez-faire capitalism.

Dr. Friedman literally transformed the minds of world leaders and entrepreneurs with his infectious passion for freedom and liberty through free markets. He showed the importance of the money supply, and how the Federal Reserve was the primary cause of the Great Depression. Dr. Friedman even had a hand in the elimination of the U.S. Military draft in the early 1970s.

Much of Dr. Friedman's latest efforts were his advocacy of school vouchers that can be used to pay for tuition at both private and public schools. He said, "What is needed in America is a voucher of substantial size available to all students, and free of excessive regulations." The mission statement of the Milton and Rose D. Friedman Foundation is "Promoting school choice to improve, through competition, the quality of K-12 education for all." The Friedman Foundation continues to advocate free-market alternatives to our broken public education system.

In my Humble opinion, Dr. Friedman is the finest example of a classical liberal. A classical liberal, as opposed to today's social liberal (read moonbat), is one who supports sovereignty of individuals, private property rights, and a laissez-faire economic policy. According to A Companion to Contemporary Political Philosophy:

For classical liberals, rights are of a negative nature – rights that require that other individuals (and governments) refrain from interfering with individual liberty, whereas social liberalism (also called modern liberalism) holds that individuals have a right to be provided with certain benefits or services by others.

I hold Dr. Friedman in the same regard as our Founding Fathers. His teachings are far-reaching, and his sage advice has benefitted millions around the world.

More:
Michelle Malkin's column
Dr. Friedman's 2004 article on Ronald Reagan
Free to Choose video archive of Dr. Friedman

"Swift Boating" John Murtha?

U.S. Representative John "Jack" Murtha (D-Pennsylvania) is upset at his fellow Democrats for blocking his path to become the next House Majority Leader. His quote:

"I thought we were above this type of swift-boating attack," he said… "This is not how we restore integrity and civility to the United States Congress."

In the race for Most Corrupt Congressman, Murtha ranks high. Here are some of the reasons:

- Recently the left-leaning Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington listed Murtha under "Five Members to Watch" in its 20 Most Corrupt Members of Congress annual report.

- Rep. Murtha was involved in the Abscam sting operation conducted by the FBI in 1980, barely escaping prosecution when then-Speaker Tip O'Neil arranged to have the charges dropped.

- Rep. Murtha was instrumental in making Rep. Allan Mollohan the top Democrat on the House Ethics Committee, effectively slowing ethics reform to a crawl. Earlier this year Rep. Mollohan was booted off the ethics committee after evidence surfaced of his undisclosed personal assets and his steering of earmarks to various political allies.

- Rep. Murtha is the ranking Democrat on the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee and for three years running has been the House's top recipient of defense appropriation earmarks. That spells "pork."

- Rep. Murtha's brother, Robert "Kit" Murtha, was a K-Street lobbyist until his retirement a few months ago. Kit Murtha earned a legendary reputation as an "earmark specialist" during his time at KSA Consulting. In 2005 the Los Angeles Times reported that "most of KSA's defense contractor clients hired the firm in hopes of securing funding from Rep. Murtha's subcommittee, according to lobbying records and interviews. And most retained the firm after Kit Murtha became a senior partner in 2002."

- Gary Ruskin, the former director of the Congressional Accountability Project, said, "When it comes to institutional policing of corruption in Congress, John Murtha is a one-man wrecking crew."

A sealed-ballot election tomorrow will determine the next Speaker of the House. For the sake of all citizens of our great republic, the Humble Patriot hopes that Jack "Semper I" Murtha is defeated by Rep. Steny Hoyer. The Democrats decried a "culture of corruption" prior to the recent election, and the perception of such a culture probably helped them at the polls. Even considering Rep. Murtha for such a position speaks volumes about the real priorities of the left.

More:
Michelle Malkin - How the Democrats "Clean House"

Waging War on Kids

JROTC Under Attack in San Fran

The San Francisco Board of Education is likely to cancel the Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps program in San Francisco public schools this week. The reason: School leaders must confront the Department of Defense "don't ask, don't tell" policy on gay service members, and the war in Iraq.

The JROTC program has been around a long time, created as part of the 1916 National Defense Act. It has grown considerably in the past fifteen years, and currently there are about 3000 high schools across the U.S. that have a JROTC program. Taken from Title 10 of the U.S. Code, JROTC "instills in students in United States secondary educational institutions the value of citizenship, service to the United States, personal responsibility, and a sense of accomplishment." Clearly, such words do not dovetail with San Francisco values.

Our Nation's children who are JROTC cadets benefit immensely from the program. Many of today's kids lack structure and discipline in their lives, and have an inward yearning for a program based on such values. Punctuality, teamwork and camaraderie are important for today's youth, and JROTC is a great place for kids to spend their time.

Links:
San Francisco Chronicle article urging the Board to keep JROTC
Michelle Malkin's column on the same subject
Army JROTC
Navy JROTC
Marine Corps JROTC
Air Force JROTC

The Honorable
Donald Rumsfeld,
Secretary of Defense

Personally, I am a big fan of Secretary Rumsfeld. His is a long list of accomplishments, and he serves well as our military's highest civilian authority during time of war.

Do a Google search of "Rumsfeld" and you will find all manner of stories, videos, columns, etc. about our 21st Secretary of Defense. Some are flattering, some are matter-of-fact news, but a great many of these Google "hits" come from the goofy fringe of conspiracy theorists, "Bush lied" polemicists, and other purveyors of moonbattery and craziness. The Humble Patriot has no wish to give credence to the leftist masses by replying to their dubious claims. Instead, I present some facts about Secretary Rumsfeld and my gentle readers can come to their own conclusions.

- He was born in 1932. In addition to his current service as the 21st Secretary of Defense, he served as the 13th Secretary of Defense under Gerald Ford, making him both the youngest and the oldest person to have served in the role.

- Secretary Rumsfeld is an Eagle Scout.

- He served as an active duty Navy officer from 1954-1957, and continued as a drilling reservist until 1975 and retired as a captain.

- Secretary Rumsfeld worked at investment bank A. G. Becker for two years

- At the age of 30 he was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives for the 13th District in Illinois, and he won re-election by large majorities in 1964, 1966, and 1968.

- Secretary Rumsfeld served in the Nixon administration as the Director of the United States Office of Economic Opportunity, Assistant to the President, Counselor to the President, and Director of the Economic Stabilization Program.

- He served as U.S. Ambassador to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.

- Before serving as Secretary of Defense in the Ford administration, Secretary Rumsfeld held posts as transition chairman and White House Chief of Staff.

- From 1977 to 1985 he served as CEO, President, and then Chairman of pharmaceutical company G.D. Searle & Company, which is now part of Pfizer.

- From 1985 to 2001, Secretary Rumsfeld held a number of positions in both the private and public sectors, including Chairman and CEO of General Instrument Corporation, Chairman of the RAND Corporation, President Reagan's Special Envoy to the Middle East, Chairman of Gilead Sciences, Honorary Vice-Chancellor of Yale University, and Chairman Emeritus of the Carlyle Group.

Secretary Rumsfeld is certainly an accomplished man. Although I have no doubt that some of his critics (I'm thinking about retired flag officers, not the moonbats) have raised legitimate concerns over some of his decisions, those critics are all speaking from the advantage of hindsight. Clearly, serving as the Secretary of Defense during the Global War on Terror is no simple task.

I love the way Secretary Rumsfeld handles reporters during his press conference. They ask him the most ridiculous questions! If the reporters had their way, the Secretary would spill all the secrets in the Pentagon, with no thought given to the effects on the troops in the field or the advantage lost by our country. Here are some of my favorite quotes from Secretary Rumsfeld's press conferences:

"Our task, your task... is to try to connect the dots before something happens. People say, 'Well, where's the smoking gun?' Well, we don't want to see a smoking gun from a weapon of mass destruction."

"Secretary Powell and I agree on every single issue that has ever been before this administration except for those instances where Colin's still learning."

"I can't think of anything funnier than a handful of congressmen walking around (Iraq). They'd have to be there for the next 50 years trying to find something. It's a joke."

Q: Mr. Secretary, at the White House last night, a senior White House official after the president spoke said that the decision to make the strike was made some time between 6:30 and 7:00 Eastern time. It's apparent that that decision to strike was not in line with what we have been led to believe about the war plan. Was the intelligence you got fragile enough where you felt you had to go at that moment and not start with, say, shock and awe or some other phase of the war?
A: "Well, Dick, calibrate me, but the first thing I'd say is I don't believe you have the war plan, a fact which does not make me unhappy."

"We aren't running out of targets; Afghanistan is."

Q: "What about the -- [inaudible] for the public who -- you know, beyond the criticism from human rights organizations for using the cluster bombs, they're calling for a halt -- could you explain the tactical rationale for using them?"
A: "They are being used on front-line al-Qaeda and Taliban troops to try to kill them, is why we're using them, to be perfectly blunt."

"Beware when any idea is promoted primarily because it is "bold, exciting, innovative, and new." There are many ideas that are "bold, exciting, innovative and new," but also foolish."

Q: "Secretary Rumsfeld, can you give us -- or maybe even General Pace -- can you give us any idea of what's happening..."
A: "What do you mean 'even General Pace'? (Laughter) (To the general) You don't have to take that from him!"

"I mean, let's face it. They weren't exactly baking cookies in those caves."

Mr. Secretary, thank you for your service to the United States.

Chuck Norris

I don't know if it's just a military thing, but these Chuck Norris Facts are everywhere. All deployed servicemembers with e-mail seem to get a daily allotment of Chuck Norris Facts in their inboxes. Here is an assortment:

There is no theory of evolution. Just a list of animals Chuck Norris allows to live.

A Handicapped parking sign does not signify that this spot is for handicapped people. It is actually in fact a warning, that the spot belongs to Chuck Norris and that you will be handicapped if you park there.

The leading causes of death in the United States are: 1. Heart Disease 2. Chuck Norris 3. Cancer

When Chuck Norris sends in his taxes, he sends blank forms and includes only a picture of himself, crouched and ready to attack. Chuck Norris has not had to pay taxes, ever.

Chuck Norris is the only man to ever defeat a brick wall in a game of tennis.

Okay, let's transition from silliness to the real Chuck Norris. Chuck Norris is a veteran, having served in the U.S. Air Force from 1958-1962. Everyone knows about his martial arts savvy, but he is also a loving family man, a devout Christian, and founder of the Kick Start youth program.

Chuck Norris is also a big supporter of the U.S. Military. He understands sacrifice, as his younger brother Weiland Norris was killed in Vietnam. Recently, Mr. Norris visited U.S. Marines in Iraq during a USO tour. See the video:



Thanks, Chuck Norris, for your support of the U.S. Military.

Thanks to Blackfive for their Chuck Norris article, which was a catalyst for this posting.

The Press at War

"What ever happened to patriotic reporters?"

James Q. Wilson lectures at Pepperdine University in California as their Ronald Reagan Professor of Public Policy. Wow, I wish I had Ronald Reagan in my job title! Anyway, he wrote a great column for the Wall Street Journal called The Press at War. I suggest you read the entire article, but here is a portion of the article where Prof. Wilson demonstrates the absurdity of today's mainstream media and their war coverage:

Suppose the current media posture about American military and security activities had been in effect during World War II. It is easy to imagine that
happening. In the 1930s, after all, the well-connected America First Committee
had been arguing for years about the need for America to stay out of "Europe's
wars." Aware of these popular views, the House extended the draft by only a
one-vote margin in 1941. Women dressed in black crowded the entrance to the
Senate, arguing against extending the draft. Several hundred students at Harvard and Yale, including future Yale leader Kingman Brewster and future American president Gerald Ford, signed statements saying that they would never go to war. Everything was in place for a media attack on the Second World War. Here is how it might have sounded if today's customs were in effect:

December 1941. Though the press supports America's going to war against Japan after Pearl Harbor, several editorials want to know why we didn't prevent the attack by selling Japan more oil. Others criticize us for going to war with two nations that had never attacked us, Germany and Italy.

October 1942. The New York Times runs an exclusive story about the British effort to decipher German messages at a hidden site at Bletchley Park in England. One op-ed writer criticizes this move, quoting Henry Stimson's statement that gentlemen do not read one another's mail. Because the Bletchley Park code-cracking helped us find German submarines before they attacked, successful U-boat attacks increased once the Germans, knowing of the program, changed their code.

January 1943. After President Roosevelt and Prime Minister Churchill call for the unconditional surrender of the Axis powers, several newspapers criticize them for having closed the door to a negotiated settlement. The press quotes several senators complaining that the unconditional surrender policy would harm the peace process.

May 1943. A big-city newspaper reveals the existence of the Manhattan Project and its effort to build atomic weapons. In these stories, several distinguished scientists lament the creation of such a terrible weapon. After Gen. Leslie Groves testifies before a congressional committee, the press lambastes him for wasting money, ignoring scientific opinion, and imperiling the environment by building plants at Hanford and Oak Ridge.

December 1944. The German counterattack against the Allies in the Ardennes yields heavy American losses in the Battle of the Bulge. The press gives splashy coverage to the Democratic National Committee chairman's assertion that the war cannot be won. A member of the House, a former Marine, urges that our troops be sent to Okinawa.

August 1945. After President Truman authorizes dropping the atomic bomb on Japan, many newspapers urge his impeachment.

My nod to Little Green Footballs for pointing me to Prof. Wilson's column.

Undecided About the Elections? Ask the Terrorists!

Terror leaders reject Nancy Pelosi's comments on Iraqi insurgency

Not sure who to vote for? Fed up with the Republicans? Thinking about voting Democrat to "teach those Republicans a lesson?" Read this excerpt from World Net Daily:

Many Democratic politicians and some from the Republican Party have stated a withdrawal from Iraq would end the insurgency there.
In a recent interview with CBS's "60 Minutes," House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, stated, "The jihadists (are) in Iraq. But that doesn't mean we stay there. They'll stay there as long as we're there."
Pelosi would become House speaker if the Democrats win the majority of seats in next week's elections.
WND read Pelosi's remarks to the terror leaders, who unanimously rejected her contention an American withdrawal would end the insurgency.
Islamic Jihad's Saadi, laughing, stated, "There is no chance that the resistance will stop." He said an American withdrawal from Iraq would "prove the resistance is the most important tool and that this tool works. The victory of the Iraqi revolution will mark an important step in the history of the region and in the attitude regarding the United States."
Jihad Jaara said an American withdrawal would "mark the beginning of the collapse of this tyrant empire (America)."
"Therefore, a victory in Iraq would be a greater defeat for America than in Vietnam."

Read that last sentence again: a victory in Iraq would be a greater defeat for America than in Vietnam.

The United States must prevail in every campaign of the Global War on Terror, and Iraq is the most important front. Read Humble Patriot's March 29 post titled The Last Helicopter. Many of our past military actions were ended before the job was done (Vietnam, Iranian hostage rescue attempt, Somalia, etc). We simply cannot run away from the fight in Iraq when we know the enemy is willing to pursue their campaign within the United States. The terrorists are waiting for that "last helicopter" in Iraq before they make their next big move.

If you are undecided about the upcoming election, think about which party has the will and moral clarity to continue the fight and protect our homeland. Hint: it ain't the Democrats.

More reading on this subject: Amir Taheri's latest article.

Downfall of the Print Media

"He had never heard of Powerline."

The Orange County Register is a decent newspaper based in Santa Ana, CA. I preferred their news coverage to the LA Times when I lived in California. A woman named Janet G. sent this e-mail to Hugh Hewitt, describing a conversation she had with a man at the Register's news desk. She complained about the Register not running the Halp Us photo that had already circled the globe on the blogosphere. He asked Janet where she saw it; she sent him to Power Line. He had never heard of Power Line! How could a modern newsman not have heard about Power Line? It shows how out of touch the print media is in today's world of immediate news.

Read Mr. Hewitt's latest column on the mainstream media.

Halp Us!

This photo was posted on Drudge, and nearly the entire world has seen it already, but I can't resist. Click on the photo for a larger version.

I am told the soldiers in this photo are members of the "Desert Bulls," 1st Brigade Combat Team, 34th Infantry Division, Minnesota Army National Guard. The unit headquarters is in Bloomington, MN. 1 BCT deployed to Iraq in March 2006 for a 12-month stint. Stay safe, Desert Bulls!