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United States Deploys USS McCain and USS Chafee With Aegis Anti-Missile Technology Off North Korea
North Korean leader Kim Jong-il (C) visits to the construction place for the Heechon power plant at an undisclosed place in North Korea, in this picture released by North Korea’s official news agency KCNA March 26, 2009. North Korea has put a long-range missile in place for a launch the United States warned would violate U.N. sanctions already imposed on the reclusive state for past weapons tests
The United States Navy has stated that two destroyers (USS McCain and USS Chafee) which are fitted with Aegis anti-missile technology have left port in Japan to patrol the waters off of North Korea in the event of a missile launch.The US Navy spokesman said the two destroyers – the USS McCain and USS Chafee – equipped with Aegis technology capable of tracking and destroying missiles had left Sasebo port in southwestern Japan. “I would say we are ready for any contingencies,” he added.
And, Japan has previously stated that they would shoot down the Taepodong-2 missile should North Korea launch it (Target dates: April 4 – 8).
Stay tuned…….
Technorati Tags: North Korea, USS McCain, USS Chafee, Kim Jong-il, Missile Defense, Aegis
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Day By Day by Chris Muir March 26, 2009 – Roma!
Day By Day by Chris MuirIs there ANY wonder why competing countries are providing President Obama a plethora of advice?They view him as a WEAK President and wish to test him.
Flap wonders who will be the first member of the American MSM who will actually confront Obama about his profligate tax and spend policies?
Exit answer: Jake Tapper of ABC
Previous:
Technorati Tags: Day By Day, Barack Obama
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links for 2009-03-26
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Pavel Felgenhauer, an independent defense analyst in Moscow, says some Russian military leaders fear the U.S. missile defense system planned for installation in Poland and the Czech Republic is really intended to deploy nuclear-armed missiles. Felgenhauer says some Russian military officials warn these missiles could present a deadly first-strike threat against Moscow. Felgenhauer says the Kremlin wants a new arms control treaty with the United States that limits missile defense capabilities. "Though many Democrats are rather skeptical about missile defense, the notion of missile defense is nevertheless popular in the United States, and I don't believe that the two sides could approve any new treaty which will not forbid future development of a global missile defense," he says.
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This is an administration that reaches out to adversaries, without preconditions, while making allies nervous about commitments already made. The former receive a personal video or a button with a pleasing word on it. The latter are gracelessly informed that their prior relationships are being reset.
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Tells reporters en route to Mexico Wednesday America's "insatiable" demand for illegal drugs, inability to stop weapons smuggling fuels the fire.
"I feel very strongly we have a co-responsibility."
The SecState visits Mexico City and Monterrey Wednesday and Thursday.
+++++++
Then, close down the border. Damn it! -
Johnny Dollar has a great post today showing just how unhinged the far left has become.
It is no secret that Bill O’Reilly does a lot of charity work. Much of the proceeds from his books and other merchandise go to charity. One of the charities that Bill O’Reilly is a supporter of is the Alexa Foundation. Alexa is a charity that helps rape victims. O’Reilly is appearing at a fund raiser for Alexa free of charge. Normal people can appreciate such charity work, but to the unhinged left Alexa has become another channel for their hatred.
Alexa is under attack from the far left with phone calls and emails and the nutty zealot Keith Olberman (whose ratings are pathetic) at MSNBC has declared O’Reilly a “worst person in the world†for four nights in a row on his show that almost nobody watches.
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If you’re a center-left, centrist, center-right or conservative and you’ve uttered an opinion in public, chances are far far left loss leaders Media Matters and Air America have a dossier on you. Radio talk show host and friend of Hot Air Tammy Bruce appeared on last night’s “O’Reilly Factor†to talk about far-left outlets (*cough* Media Matters *cough*) who have a hit list on conservatives and moderate/not-so-far to the left Democrats. Tammy explained the elaborate ruse these far-left individuals use to get national news outlets to get their message out. How does Tammy know? She used to do it herself when she was president of the Los Angeles NOW chapter.
Relevance: Media Matters had a staffer whose job was to record Don Imus and listen for gaffes. He found one, alerted the media, and the rest is history. For icing on the cake, the Soros-funded group tried to convince everyone that Imus is a conservative. Imus is to Media Matters’ political right, but then again so is the entire count
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I can no longer effectively perform my duties in this dysfunctional environment, nor am I being paid to do so. Like you, I was asked to work for an annual salary of $1, and I agreed out of a sense of duty to the company and to the public officials who have come to its aid. Having now been let down by both, I can no longer justify spending 10, 12, 14 hours a day away from my family for the benefit of those who have let me down…
The only real motivation that anyone at A.I.G.-F.P. now has is fear. Mr. Cuomo has threatened to “name and shame,†and his counterpart in Connecticut, Richard Blumenthal, has made similar threats — even though attorneys general are supposed to stand for due process, to conduct trials in courts and not the press…
I’m not sure how you will greet my resignation, but at least Attorney General Blumenthal should be relieved that I’ll leave under my own power and will not need to be “shoved out the door.â€
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Strategic Vision's David Johnson tells me, "I have seen three different polls on NY-20 in the past 24 hours. One shows Murphy up by 2; one shows Tedisco up by 3; and the other shows Tedisco up by just 1. The race is tight but as in all special elections, it will depend on turnout."
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A federal judge on Tuesday denied Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's attempt to remove a court-appointed prison health care receiver who is proposing $8 billion in new construction.
U.S. District Court Judge Thelton Henderson in San Francisco rejected the administration's claim that receiver J. Clark Kelso is violating federal law by seeking the construction money. The administration also argued that Kelso is no longer needed because the state is now capable of running its own health care system.
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This is pretty surprising. Barack Obama holds his first party fundraiser tomorrow night, an entire 63 days into his presidency. It's at the Warner Theater, and as of 5 p.m. today . . . it was not sold out. HT, Moe Lane.
In fact, on the web site right now, it's indicating tickets are still available, for as little as $250.
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According to the UK site Blogstorm, Google has started ranking Twitter search pages for topics (think hashtag-style words) higher, often making the front page for certain queries. This is despite the fact that Twitter blocks Google's spider from indexing search result pages. Which begs the question, how is Google determining that these Twitter topics merit a high weight?
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Secretary of State Hillary Clinton Warns North Korea Over Taepodong-2 Missile Launch
Musudan Ri, North Korea, formally know as Taepo-dong missile launch facility, the area where North Korea rocket launch facility is located is seen in this satellite image by DigitalGlobe taken on March 23, 2009
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in Mexico City today warned North Korea that a Taepodong missile launch would have consequences.U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said Wednesday a potential missile launch by North Korea would be a provocative act that would have consequences for talks on Pyongyang’s nuclear ambitions.
Clinton’s comments came as a U.S. official said North Korea had positioned what is believed to be a long-range ballistic missile on a launch pad in what could be a preparation for a launch.
“We have made it very clear that the North Koreans pursue this pathway at a cost and with consequences to the six-party talks which we would like to see revived and moving forward as quickly as possible,” she told reporters on a visit to Mexico City.
“This provocative action … will not go unnoticed and there will be consequences,” she said.
Flap previously noted that North Korea was readying the Taepodong-2 missile for launch and that the missile threatened Alaska, Hawaii and parts of the Western continenetal United States.
Japan has threatened to shoot down the North Korean missile but the United States does have Aegis missile defense assets in the region.
As for US intercept plans, the Navy left two Aegis missile defense ships behind from the armada sent to the Sea of Japan for war games. Could the US shooter be the USS John S. McCain?
Now that Hillary has issue the warning of consequences will the United States deploy its missile defense assets and shoot down the missile or will they merely suspend the 6-party talks should they launch?
The scheduled test is due in the April 4 – 8 time frame.
Will this be President Obama’s fitst major test as President?
Technorati Tags: Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, Taepodong-2, North Korea
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The BOGUS Sarah Palin Arctic Cat Clothes Flap
Governor Sarah Palin wishes Iron Dog racers well at the start of the 2009 race in Big Lake
Well, the LEFT continues its relentless attack against Alaska Governor Sarah Palin.The second ethics complaint in a week against Gov. Sarah Palin alleges a conflict of interest when she wore Arctic Cat logo gear during this year’s Tesoro Iron Dog snowmachine race.
Arctic Cat sponsors Palin’s husband, Todd, in the world’s longest snowmachine race, Big Lake to Nome to Fairbanks.
But Palin, in a statement sent to news media this afternoon under the headline “Latest Bogus Ethics Complaint,” said the criticism is unjustified.
“Yes, I wore Arctic Cat snow gear at an outdoor event, because it was cold outside, and by the way, today, I am wearing clothes bearing the names of Alaska artists, and a Glennallen Panthers basketball hoodie. I am a walking billboard for the team’s fundraiser! Should I expect to see an ethics charge for wearing these, or the Carhartts I wear to many public events? How much will this blogger’s asinine political grandstanding cost all of us in time and money?â€
Linda Kellen Biegel, a Democrat who blogs under the name “Celtic Diva,†said in her complaint that Palin “improperly used her position and state resources to serve her personal financial interests by being a walking billboard for Arctic Cat, a private for-profit company and family business sponsor.â€
What a bunch of crap – just like many of the FLAP’s regarding Palin.
Sarah must continue to be a big threat to the LEFT for them to continually promote this nonsense.
Technorati Tags: Sarah Palin
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North Korea Readies Taepodong-2 Missile for Launch – Obama Begins the End of Missile Defense?
Satellite image of Musudan Ri, North Korea, taken on February 17, 2009. North Korea has positioned what is believed to be a Taepodong-2 long-range ballistic missile on its launch pad at a facility in Musudanri, Japan’s Kyodo news agency reported on Wednesday, citing “sources close to Japan-U.S. relations.”
North Korea is preparing a Taepodong-2 ICBM missile which could threaten Alaska, Hawaii and the Western United States for testing within a few weeks.North Korea has positioned a Taepodong-2 missile on the launchpad at its facility in Musudan in the east of the country, U.S. officials told NBC News on Wednesday.
Pyongyang has said it intends to use the missile to launch a satellite into space. The North Koreans issued an international notice that the launch may occur sometime between April 4 through the 8th.
According to the U.S. officials, while two stages of the missile can be seen, the top is covered with a shroud supported by a crane.
But now that the missile is on the pad, the launch itself could come within a matter of days, a likelihood that has sparked a flurry of diplomatic activity as the event would be in violation of a U.N. ban prohibiting the country from ballistic activity. Some fear the launch is a cover for the test-fire of long-range missile technology.
North Korea has described the pending launch a “peaceful space launch,” but U.S. officials and experts say it would employ the very same technology used to launch ballistic missiles, and if successful it would be the first proof that North Korea would have the ability to launch a ballistic missile against at least Alaska or Hawaii.
Director of National Intelligence Dennis Blair testified before Congress that a successful test of a three-stage rocket would demonstrate North Korea’s ability to reach the continental United States with a ballistic missile.
Japan has threatened to shoot down the North Korean missile but the United States does have Aegis missile defense assets in the region.
As for US intercept plans, the Navy left two Aegis missile defense ships behind from the armada sent to the Sea of Japan for war games. Could the US shooter be the USS John S. McCain?
And, what was the Vice-Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff saying the other day:“Ballistic missiles are about as passé as sea mail. Nobody does it anymore.â€
The Democrats, including President Obama have never been big fans of the missile defense agency or the concept of national missile defense that accelerated its work under President Bush. But, why now, with an imminent threat would the United States begin to scale back its program and eliminate deployments of interceptors.How stupid……
Technorati Tags: North Korea, Missile Defense, Taepodong-2
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Poll Watch: Pat Toomey Beating Arlen Specter by 14 Points in Pennsylvania GOP Primary Race
Sen. Arlen Specter, R-Pa., at podium, is applauded by Gov. Ed Rendell, left, Rep. Allyson Schwartz, D-Pa., Mayor Michael Nutter, University of Pennsylvania President Amy Gutmann, Rep. Chaka Fattah, D-Pa., Rep. Patrick Murphy, D-Pa., Sen. Bob Casey, D-Pa., and Vice President Joe Biden, during a reception at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, Friday, Feb. 27, 2009. The reception was held to honor Specter for his vote for the economic stimulus package
The latest polling is not favorable to incumbent Pennsylvania GOP Senator Arlen Specter.Sen. Arlen Specter’s decision to come out against the Employee Free Choice Act might have come at just the right time.
The Pennsylvania Republican trails former Rep. Pat Toomey by double digits in the first head-to-head poll of their ensuing primary match-up.The Quinnipiac poll, released Wednesday, shows the embattled Specter behind Toomey, 41-27, even though 73 percent of Republicans say they don’t know enough about the challenger to form an opinion.
The poll comes on the heels of Specter’s announcement Tuesday that he would vote against cloture on the union-organizing Employee Free Choice Act, or card-check. Specter’s decision will likely kill the bill for this Congress, as he was a pivotal vote, and should help his standing with some conservatives.
The Quinnipiac poll was conducted before Specter’s announcement Tuesday afternoon. It echoes a Susquehanna poll from last month that showed 66 percent of GOP voters want someone new and only 26 percent would vote to keep Specter.Obviously, Specter is moving RIGHT to shore up GOP primary support. First, it is the Card Check announcement and today Specter will be meeting with Grover Norquist’s weekly conservative meeting. Norquist has supported Specter in the past.
But….. those photos of all of the Democrats back slapping Specter for his vote on the Obama Economic Stimulus Bill (only 1 of 3 GOP Senators to do so) will be coming back to bite Specter in the ass come primary election time.
Previous:Senator Arlen Specter: I AM Running as a Republican on the Republican Ticket
GOP Senators Collins, Specter and Snowe: COMRADES of the MonthPat Toomey to Challenge GOP Senator Arlen Specter in Pennsylvania Primary Race?
Technorati Tags: Arlen Specter, Pat Toomey
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Does the Obama Teleprompter Tell The Story? PLUS CA CHANGE
Obma Upgrade: Teleprompters Swapped for Giant TV Monitor for last night’s news conferencePresident Obama changed out his teleprompter last night. But, does the use of one foretell Obama’s caution?
What kind of politician brings a teleprompter to a news conference?
A careful one.
President Barack Obama took no chances in his second prime-time news conference, reading a prepared statement in which he took both sides of the AIG bonus brouhaha and asked an anxious nation for its patience.
“There are no quick fixes,” he said, “and there are no silver bullets.”
It’s an interesting dichotomy: Obama came before the nation to sell one of the most expensive and politically risky agendas ever offered by a U.S. president, but his language was heavy with caution. A hard-willed plan given a soft sell.
Obama is cautious like a fox. He knows his ambitious tax and spend plan to turn around the economy is showing mixed results and his bloated budget is in trouble on the Hill.
Obama simply wants to avoid a mistake or a gaffe to further impede his agenda.
PLUS CA CHANGE.
Technorati Tags: Barack Obama, Teleprompter
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California Senator Tony Strickland Adds Second Job – Pro Basketball Player
California State Senator Tony Strickland (R-Thousand Oaks) in his Los Angeles Lightening uniform
Well, Senator Strickland won’t be joining the Los Angeles Lakers but he will be joining the professional Los Angeles Lightening professional basketball team.
State Sen. Tony Strickland will join the Los Angeles Lightning for its season debut, May 2, against the Edmonton Energy in the Gilbert Sports Arena at California Lutheran University, Thousand Oaks.
“I’m excited about it,” said the Moorpark Republican, who stands 6-feet-5 and played hoops at Whittier College nearly two decades ago. “I’m as serious about my basketball as I am about my politics.”
Strickland said he knows the Lightning’s owner, Mark Harwell, who was aware of the legislator’s love for basketball and invited him to join the team for one game, perhaps more.
“It didn’t take me long to say yes,” Strickland said.
The Los Angeles Lightning is a member of the professional International Basketball League, which began play in 2005.
Flap supposes this is a healthy hobby for the near 40 year old Strickland and certainly will relieve the stress of State Capitol machinations. And, since the home games are here in Thousand Oaks, Ventura county voters will know where their Senator is on the weekends – on the Cal Lutheran court.
The Lightning will play 14 of their 18 games at Cal Lutheran, starting on May 2-3 against the Edmonton Energy of Alberta, Canada. Games will start at 7 p.m. on Saturdays and 5:30 p.m. on Sundays. In the next two weeks, tickets will be available online at Ticketmaster.com, at all Ticketmaster outlets or to charge tickets by phone, call 800-745-3000.
The Los Angeles Lightening schedule is here.
California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, Lightening Owner Mark Harwell and California Senator Tony Strickland
Technorati Tags: Tony Strickland, Los Angeles Lightening, Mark Harwell
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The Global War on Terror Ends and Replaced With “Overseas Contingency Operation”
US soldiers belonging to the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force stand guard during a patrol outside the Bagram airbase, 50 kms north of Kabul, in February 2009. The NATO-led force in Afghanistan said Monday its troops killed a senior insurgent and nine associates in an operation in the southern province of Helmand
More symbolism over substance and Bush bashing from the Obama Administration.The end of the Global War on Terror — or at least the use of that phrase — has been codified at the Pentagon. Reports that the phrase was being retired have been circulating for some time amongst senior administration officials, and this morning speechwriters and other staff were notified via this e-mail to use “Overseas Contingency Operation” instead.
“Recently, in a LtGen [John] Bergman, USMC, statement for the 25 March [congressional] hearing, OMB required that the following change be made before going to the Hill,” Dave Riedel, of the Office of Security Review, wrote in an e-mail.
“OMB says: ‘This Administration prefers to avoid using the term “Long War” or “Global War on Terror” [GWOT]. Please use “Overseas Contingency Operation.'”
Riedel asked recipients to “Please pass on to your speech writers and try to catch this change before the statements make it to OMB.”
President Obama recently ordered an additional 17,000 troops to Afghanistan to fight in this war against Islamic extremists.
“This increase is necessary to stabilize a deteriorating situation in Afghanistan, which has not received the strategic attention, direction and resources it urgently requires,” Obama said in a written statement.
“The Taliban is resurgent in Afghanistan, and al Qaeda supports the insurgency and threatens America from its safe haven along the Pakistani border.”
This “OPERATION” sounds like a WAR to me. Has the mission changed or do you want to change the name to show disdain to President Bush?
So, what gives, Mr. President?
Technorati Tags: Global War on Terror, Overseas Contingency Operation, Barack Obama, Afghanistan