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JOHN SEMMENS: Semi-News
Reid Touring ‘Red States’ to Counter Dangerous GOP Successes January 6, 2005
“Despite our constant drumbeat of criticism and the help of the media, evidence for a democratic Iraq and a growing economy is seeping through to voters,” Reid said. “Our message of defeat and promise of higher taxes is in danger of being pushed aside by events. This calls for desperate measures.” Reid says he hopes his display of clownish antics, pratfalls and gaffes will charm audiences into forgetting about the Bush Administration’s accomplishments. “Look, clowning around worked for eight years for Bill Clinton,” Reid said. “The Democratic Party needs to return to what works.” Reid, the Senate minority leader, has scheduled a three-day tour with stops in Phoenix, Denver, Salt Lake City, Pocatello, Idaho and Omaha. All are in "Republican red" states that President Bush carried in the 2004 election. Madeleine Albright Distressed by Talk of Victory Former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright says she doesn't like the way President Bush "repeatedly" talks about achieving victory in the Iraq war. "I was very troubled recently, particularly by Bush's speech to the Naval Academy," the former top Clinton diplomat complained. "Victory for the United States means that someone else suffers defeat. This will make them feel bad. Making other countries feel bad is not good diplomacy. President Clinton never would have done such a thing.” “When I heard the president say 2005 has been a year of strong progress toward a freer, more peaceful world, it reminded me that an earlier president had made similar bellicose statements that we would pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe, in order to assure the survival and the success of liberty,” she said. “This is the sort of cowboy mentality that will only cause others to resent us.” The fact that President Bush was quoting former President Kennedy’s inaugural address didn’t blunt Albright’s criticism. “That was 1961,” said Albright. “Times have changed. Trying to stand up for liberty today is the height of foolishness in today’s world.” Albright complained that it isn't fair for Democrats "to be called unpatriotic simply because their public statements on the war undermine troop morale and encourage our adversaries to hold out for an anticipated U.S withdrawal." She also took some pot shots at her successor, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, suggesting that Dr. Rice may be in over her head, telling the DNC: "I think her relative youth reflects poorly on the United States. Our European allies expect us to send a more weathered diplomat -- a withered crone or desiccated geezer -- someone like me." Venezuela President Chavez Spouts Off Venezuela’s moronic left-wing president, Hugo Chavez, said in a recent speech that “the descendants of those who crucified Christ... have taken ownership of the riches of the world, a minority has taken ownership of the gold of the world, the silver, the minerals, water, the good lands, petrol, well, the riches, and they have concentrated the riches in a small number of hands.” President of Italy, Mr. Carlo Azeglio Ciampi, lodged a protest against this “dredging up of ancient crimes. This Venezuelan lunatic knows not of what he speaks,” Ciampi said. “Italy is no longer the Roman Empire. We are a Christian nation. We may be ethnic descendants of the Romans, but we repudiate their brutality toward Christ. As for hogging the riches, Chavez is totally ignorant of both geography and economics.” Upon hearing of Italy’s protest, Chavez issued a clarifying statement. “I was referring to Jews. The Protocols of the Elders of Zion revealed their evil plan for world domination a century ago.” The fact that Israel seems to be largely devoid gold, silver, minerals, water, land and petrol didn’t faze Chavez. He contends that Jews secretly control these resources. “The main sources of wealth -- Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Russia -- all are controlled by Jews,” Chavez said. Chavez rebuffed his critics, pointing out that there is no provision in the Venezuelan constitution allowing a president to be removed from office for idiocy. Mother Who Sent Sons on Suicide Missions Becomes Candidate Arab mother Um Nidal sent three children on anti-Israel death missions. Now she is the first female candidate on the Hamas list in the upcoming Palestinian Authority parliamentary elections. In the film that made Nidal famous, she advised her son on combat techniques before he murdered five Jewish students in 2002. The five students were taking part in a Torah lecture when Nidal's son entered the lecture hall, spraying gunfire and throwing grenades at the unarmed students. In addition to the five killed, 24 others were wounded. In an interview filmed after the terrorist attack, Nidal said her only regret was that so few Jews were killed. "I prayed that dozens would die," said Nidal. "But even the elimination of a single Jew is an event to be celebrated." Nidal's other sons weren't as successful in their bids for martyrdom. Nidhal was killed by the Israeli Army while preparing for an attack. Rawad was in a vehicle laden with Kassam rockets when an Israel Air Force helicopter blew it up with a missile. Um Nidal has three more sons she hopes will carry on the family tradition of murdering Jews. "They are too lazy to get jobs," said Nidal. "So far as I can see, suicide attacks are their best career option." Nidal said she takes comfort in knowing that Muslims outnumber Jews by 100:1 worldwide. "If it takes fewer than 100 Muslim deaths to kill one Jew, we are coming out ahead," Nidal said. In terms of the upcoming Palestinian elections, Nidal is considered a "moderate." New York Times Defends Leak New York Times reporter Jim Risen brushed aside charges that his paper's disclosure of the NSA covert program eavesdropping on al-Qaeda telephone calls may have damaged U.S. security. "Spying on your opponents' 'game plan' is unfair," Risen said. "The U.S. already has tremendous advantages compared to the terrorists. Their only hope of winning is to retain the element of surprise. Taking that away gives them no chance." Risen explained that the Times doesn't take sides in political disputes, but favors a "level playing field" where each party to a conflict has a fair chance to prevail. "Those who say that spying saves lives and who then criticize the Times as unpatriotic are missing the bigger picture," Risen said. "Our obligation is to report the news, not take sides. If reporting this news disadvantages one side, so be it." The allegation that partisan bias may have played a role was dismissed by Risen. "The fact that the Times opposes everything the Bush Administration stands for was not a factor," Risen said. To bolster his non-partisan claim, Risen insisted that the Times would've exposed the Roosevelt Administration's breaking of the Japanese code during World War II if the Times had known about it at the time. Senator Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) defended the Times: “The Bush Administration has been taking unfair advantage of the terrorists with its hi-tech snooping. How are terrorists supposed to make their plans if Bush is overhearing their conversations? How do we know there are any terrorists? They haven’t blown up any buildings in America since 2001. Maybe they’re just a figment of Bush’s imagination. Until we can be sure who the real enemy is, I will continue to condemn the actions of this Administration -- just to be on the safe side.” Chief Justice John Roberts Urges Raises for Judges Chief Justice John Roberts urged Congress to increase judicial pay to help keep good judges on the bench and to recruit new ones. “Our god-like power over mere mortals is insufficient motivation,” Roberts said. “We need more loot, too.” Roberts warned Congress that if judges' pay is not raised, many may be forced into brigandage or beggary. Roberts said judges are leaving the bench in greater numbers than ever before. “The attractions of crime and government welfare are too alluring for too many judges,” he said. Roberts says he has seen several former judges standing on freeway ramps in the D.C. region begging for spare change. “Those ‘will adjudicate for food’ signs, they hold just break my heart,” Roberts said. Environmentalists Assail Alito Nomination Environmental groups have joined liberal interest groups opposing Judge Samuel A. Alito Jr.'s nomination to the U.S. Supreme Court. The Sierra Club has entered a Supreme Court fray, joining Greenpeace, Earthjustice, Friends of the Earth and the National Environmental Trust to work against Alito’s confirmation by the U.S. Senate. "Americans deserve mainstream, independent justices, with unassailable integrity, who will take their marching orders from those who care about the environment," the Sierra Club says. "Unfortunately, Judge Alito's opinions and other statements show that he cannot be trusted to follow our guidance. He must not be allowed to ascend to the Supreme Court." The environmental consortium is split on what strategy to use. Half the group wants to launch a letter-writing campaign. The other half wants to burn down Alito’s house. Iran Complains About Image The Majlis National Security and Foreign Policy Committee said some Iranian non-governmental organizations (NGOs) have presented the United Nations Human Rights Commission an unrealistic picture of Iran regarding violence against women. Iman Wominbedehr, spokesman for the committee, stated that the person who planned and arranged the reports for the UN Commission did not act fairly in selecting the NGOs. “Women’s rights are protected in Iran,” Wominbedehr said. “There are very strict limits on how and when husbands may beat their wives. Honor killings are restricted to immediate family members. Women are now buried only up to the waist for stonings, not up to their necks, as was previously required. These policies are more liberal than those of most Islamic regimes.” Wominbedehr asserted that the western standards allowing freedom and equality for women cited by NGOs were illegitimate for judging Muslim states.
John Semmens'
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Sen.
Harry Reid (D-Nev.) plans to take on Republicans in their own backyards
when he visits five "red states" to promote a theme that Republican-led
Washington is dangerously close to succeeding in both its foreign and
domestic goals.