Year: 2006

The State of the Union address will be delivered by President George W. Bush tonight at 9 PM EST. I’ll be away from a television during the speech so I won’t be live blogging. You can always go to Technorati to find out who’ll be providing the minute by minute commentary during the address. I’ll be watching a stream of the speech later in the evening and will provide my thoughts shortly after.

Here’s what I hope to hear tonight:

1. Iran – Bush needs to warn Americans about the threat posed by the current regime and not sugar coat the possible result should the Iranians fail to comply with world demands to curtail their nuclear ambitions.

2. Social Security – Get back on the bus with this topic and put it back on the agenda for the mid-term elections. Democrats think they won the argument last time, but they didn’t. If Bush brings it back, Democrats will be forced to talk about their alternative solutions. They have none.

3. The Borders – It’s time for a fence. A majority of Americans want one.

Bush is coming into the speech tonight riding on the success of a’strengthening economy,’today’s’confirmation’of Justice’Samuel Alito, and’the’democratic’elections in Iraq. Yet, he still faces challenges regarding the leadership transition in the House, the Abramoff matter and’his terrorist surveillance program.’I don’t expect to hear anything about the first two issues, but’I’m betting he’mentions something about the importance of the surveillance program’when he’discusses the’status of the war on terror.

I’m looking forward to an exceptional speech tonight.

UPDATE: Here’s a speech preview.

UPDATE II: My reaction to the speech.

The Senate voted 58 to 42 to confirm Samuel Alito as the 110th Supreme Court justice.

All but one of the Senate’s majority Republicans voted for his confirmation, while all but four of the Democrats voted against Alito.

That is the smallest number of senators in the president’s opposing party to support a Supreme Court justice in modern history. Chief Justice John Roberts got 22 Democratic votes last year, and Justice Clarence Thomas, who was confirmed in 1991 on a 52-48 vote, got 11 Democratic votes.

Alito watched the final vote from the White House’s Roosevelt Room with his family. He was to be sworn in by Roberts at the Supreme Court in a private ceremony later in the day, in plenty of time for him to appear with President Bush at the State of the Union speech Tuesday evening.

Alito will be ceremonially sworn in a second time at a White House East Room appearance on Wednesday.

Alito’s confirmation sets a new benchmark for the entire process. Expect future confirmations to be even more nasty than this one was. For now though, we can appreciate this victory, for George W. Bush, and for America.

UPDATE: Alito sworn in.

This is interesting. Chip at Finding Iraq posts’the following’two photos showing ABC News Anchor Bob Woodruff and his cameraman Doug Vogt about 30 minutes before the IED incident.

As you can see, Vogt’is wearing body armor and a helmet, which might protect him from sniper bullets but’seems relatively useless against an Improvised Explosive Device. Now, take a look at Woodruff. It’s hard to tell, but it appears that he has no protection whatsoever. No helmet on (is he’holding it?), and’it looks as if he isn’t wearing’body armor. It might be a bullet proof vest of some kind, but it certainly isn’t of the same caliber as the one Vogt is wearing.

Seems’a bit irresponsible of Woodruff, if you ask me. After reading the news stories, one would get the impression that both Woodruff and Vogt were outfitted to the hilt, much like the soldiers you see above. Obviously, that’s not the case.

It’s one thing to be reporting from a hotel balcony within the green zone. It’s quite another to be riding in an Iraqi jeep’wearin Levi Button Fly’s.

Would their injuries have been less severe had they been completely suited up or are IED’s so deadly that no amount of protection would have mattered? When reporters are embedded with infantry in’the war arena, what are the minimum requirements for protective gear?

UPDATE: ABCNEWS anchor suffered multiple broken ribs, shoulder and skull fracture. Bomb fragments pierced neck and back, though apparently not brain. Doctors have kept him unconscious; extent of head wounds was not clear. Woodruff underwent three hours of surgery on Monday to remove shrapnel…

It’s over.

WaPo – The Senate, overcoming a symbolic filibuster attempt by Massacusetts Democrats Sens. Robert F. Kerry and Edward M. Kennedy, voted to end debate on the nomination of Samuel A. Alito to the U.S. Supreme Court.

Sixty votes were required to end discussion.

A vote by simple majority to confirm in the full Senate is expected about 11 a.m. tomorrow, with a swearing-in to follow shortly, possibly allowing Alito to attend the State of the Union Address as Justice Alito.

The filibuster today was a gesture, not a traditional talkathon, as the speakers were well aware that they would not have the votes to continue and spoke relatively briefly on the floor.

The final vote was 72–25.

What happens when you put a lunatic like Howard Dean in charge of millions of dollars of donations to the Democratic National Committee?

He spends, and spends, and spends, but buys nothing.

Democratic leaders on Capitol Hill are privately bristling over Howard Dean’s management of the Democratic National Committee and have made those sentiments clear after new fundraising numbers showed he has spent nearly all the committee’s cash and has little left to support their efforts to gain seats this cycle, ROLL CALL reports.

Congressional leaders were furious last week when they learned the DNC has just $5.5 million in the bank, compared to the Republican National Committee’s $34 million.

Senate and House Minority Leaders Harry Reid (Nev.) and Nancy Pelosi (Calif.), along with the Senate and House campaign committee chairmen Charles Schumer (N.Y.) and Rahm Emanuel (Ill.), have made their concerns — directly or indirectly — known to Dean, claims the paper.

Emanuel was particularly upset last week upon seeing the latest DNC numbers.

“A lot of people are scratching their heads as to what’s going on,” said one senior Democratic aide.

Another Democratic source familiar with the party fundraising apparatus said there is “obvious displeasure” among the leaders.

So, the DNC cupboards appear to be empty. Will there be an accounting for where the cash went? Will the MSM investigate DNC spending? Will Americans hear anything about this? No. Democrats up for reelection in 2006 will simply focus on raising their own cash, like they normally do, that is, if they have any hope in running sustainable campaigns.

If Republicans lose any seats this November, it will be entirely their own fault. A dysfunctional party is not a winning party, and it’s likely that the DNC’s woes will be GOP gains come November.

Al-Qaida’s number two man showed up on video today a bit more animated than in the past. Why? Because we got close, perhaps a bit too close for Ayman’s comfort.

Al-Qaida No. 2 Ayman al-Zawahri said in a videotape aired Monday that President Bush was a “butcher” and a “failure” because of a deadly U.S. airstrike in Pakistan targeting the bin Laden deputy, and he threatened a new attack on the United States.

Al-Zawahri, shown in the video wearing white robes and a white turban, said a Jan. 13 airstrike in the eastern village of Damadola killed “innocents,” and he said the United States had ignored an offer from al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden for a truce.

“Butcher of Washington, you are not only defeated and a liar, but also a failure. You are a curse on your own nation and you have brought and will bring them only catastrophes and tragedies,” he said, referring to Bush. “Bush, do you know where I am? I am among the Muslim masses.”

The airstrike hit a building in Damadola, killing four al-Qaida leaders. Thirteen villagers also were killed in the strike, angering many Pakistanis.

“The American planes raided in compliance with Musharraf the traitor and his security apparatus, the slave of the Crusaders and the Jews,” he said, referring to Pakistani President Gen. Pervez Musharraf.

“In seeking to kill my humble self and four of my brothers, the whole world has discovered the extent of America’s lies and failures and the extent of its savagery in fighting Islam and Muslims.”

No, you’re wrong Ayman. What the world has discovered is that the U.S. is getting closer to finding you and your ‘brothers’. Your days are numbered sir. If they weren’t, would you be hiding in caves?

Wanna win an election to political office? Keep it buttoned up.

Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi is famous for his ambitious promises, but he is unlikely to be called to task if he breaks his latest pledge: not to have sex before the April 9 general election.

At a party rally in Sardinia on Saturday, the media tycoon received the blessing of television preacher Massimiliano Pusceddu, who thanked him for opposing gay marriage and defending family values.

“Thank you dear Father Massimiliano, I’ll try not to let you down and I promise you two and a half months of complete sexual abstinence until April 9,” Berlusconi replied, in comments reported on Sunday by the daily Il Giornale.

Immediately after making this statement, a simultaneous sigh of relief was expelled by Italian women throughout the country.

An apt comparison made by Benjamin Netanyahu.

While stumping in Netanya on Sunday, Likud Chairman MK Benjamin Netanyahu compared Hamas’ victory in Palestinian parliamentary elections last week to the rise of the Nazis in Germany in the 1930s.

“A few days ago, a new foe arose,” Netanyahu said at a campaign stop at the Park Hotel. “When Hitler rose to power, it was said that ruling would moderate him, and it was also said in regards to the Ayatollahs regime and the Taliban. There are urgent warning signs that [scream] out a lust for murder and destruction.”

“The Likud will not continue transferring territory, [we] need to stop giving them money – neither ours nor the world’s – and [we] must prevent them from establishing an army any which way possible,” Netanyahu said, adding that the Likud will derail Hamas’ continuing ascent.

It’s possible that the Hamas win will swing people back to the Likud Party. Israel will need to adopt a more hardline position due to the power shift, and BiBi brings the right stuff.

She’s God’s gift to the Republican Party. Cindy’s coming back to Crawford, Texas!

Cindy Sheehan, the peace activist who just announced that she is weighing a run for Senate, plans to protest again outside President Bush’s Texas ranch, Venezuela’s president said Sunday with Sheehan by his side. Hugo Chavez, his arm around Sheehan’s shoulders, told a group of activists that Sheehan had told him that during Holy Week, in April, “she is going to put up her tent again in front of Mr. Danger’s ranch.” “She invited me to put up a tent. Maybe I’ll put up my tent also,” Chavez said, to applause from activists invited to his weekly broadcast on the final day of the leftist World Social Forum.

That is, of course, dependent on whether or not the U.S. allows Ms. Sheehan to reenter the country.

Hint, hint.

UPDATE: Heh.

ABC News’ Bob Woodruff and his cameraman remain in serious condition with head and upper torso injuries after the convoy they were traveling in was hit by a bomb.

Both Woodruff and Vogt suffered head injuries. Woodruff also suffered wounds to his upper body. Their four-man team was traveling in a convoy with Iraqi security forces in Taji, Iraq. They had been embedded with the 4th Infantry Division and were in a mechanized vehicle on a combined operation with Iraqi Army and Coalition forces when the explosive went off. The explosion was followed by small arms fire.

Woodruff and his crew had been traveling in a U.S. armored humvee, but then transferred into an Iraqi vehicle — which was believed to be a much softer target for attacks.

“If you’re going to cover the Iraqi military forces, you have to be with them,” White House correspondent Martha Raddatz said. “You have to see how they live. I will tell you one thing, a few months ago when I was there and we wanted to get into an Iraqi pickup truck, one of the American soldiers said, you can’t do that. It’s way too dangerous.”

That last remark is important, because it reveals the possibility that Woodruff and his cameraman had either received permission to ride in a vehicle that exposed them to greater danger, or worse, that as reporters, the story got in the way of safety, and the two somehow pressured their soldier escorts into letting them tag along.

The fact remains that the war arena is a dangerous place for trained soldiers, and no place for untrained reporters who, in the race to get ratings, put themselves and the troops they cover at risk of serious injury, or worse, death. The ‘story’ must be captured, yes. But not at the risk of one’s life.