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Jeb, Laura, Noelle, Rutger, Wilbur, Cletus, or their clones?

Which Bush should be our next president? Wilbur and Cletus Bush are still a bit too young, as are P. and the twins. On the other hand, Rutger is still tied up in Saudi Arabia for a while. Perhaps he could commute or something...?

What about Noelle? She'd be the Party President. Is she still in rehab though?

That leaves a couple other fine, Bush-related choices:

From "Elder Bush would like son Jeb to run for president":

...In an interview on CNN's "Larry King Live," former President Bush said he would want Jeb to run for president "someday," but now was not the time...

OK. Well, here's a suggestion! From "She'd vote for Laura Bush":

"I think Mrs. Bush ought to run for president," Cheney joked during an interview with CNN's Larry King Live scheduled to air yesterday. "If we want to have a Bush dynasty, let's get Laura Bush."

Cheney sat for the interview with her husband, Vice President Cheney, who said he had no plans to run for president or any other office after he puts in his eight years with President Bush. "I've got other things I'd like to go do," he said...

Tell me this is all just a very, very bad dream.

Previously:
"Jeb in '08? Jeb in '12? P. in '16? P. in '20? Wilbur [Bush] in '24? Wilbur in '28? Cletus [Bush] in '32? Cletus in '36? W. [first clone] in '40? W. [first clone] in '44?"
"W's 2nd term agenda: Set Jeb up"
"You can probably figure out where this story is going" (all about P.)
Which candidate is less "American"?

Posted to Politics at 08:29 PM | Comments (0)

The hidden risk of biodiesel

Sure, it sounds good. Take some fast food grease and put it into your tank. Save money, save the environment, la de da de da. But, think about what that means for a minute: your car will end up smelling like cheeseburgers. And, simply because of this, a Connecticut man found his biodiesel car vandalized, broken into, and the hoses damaged...

Details here.

Posted to WackyHumor at 02:01 PM | Comments (1)

Hiking or biking in Azusa considered unaesthetic

Earlier today I bagged Azusa Peak. Unfortunately, said Peak is mainly a weed covered bump that's only at an elevation of 2081'. I decided to do this based on the description here of the Garcia Trail that leads to near the summit:

This great little trail starts at the fire station on Sierra Madre Avenue between Azusa and Glendora and climbs 1,040 feet in 1.2 miles! Once you arrive at the Glendora Ridge Motorway, a dirt service road that runs along the ridge, you can hike east to several summits with splendid views of Azusa, Glendora, and the valleys beyond. And there are great views up the San Gabriel Canyon and to the back ranges beyond.

Garcia Trail is steep, climbing some 866 vertical feet per mile... A typical trail in the San Gabriels gains 400 to 600 vertical feet per mile, so Garcia Trail not only gives the legs and lungs a workout, but it also provides a reference mark in evaluating other trails...

It is steep, but not as steep as I would have liked. Despite carrying a 32 lb. pack and it being hot out, it was only a moderate hike, mostly because of the short distance over which that steepness plays itself out and also because of the low altitude. If you're in the area and you want a short workout, the trail itself is not that bad. For a slightly less steep hike that's much more difficult, try Mt. Baldy's Ski Hut trail.

On the plus side, there was no one else around during the middle half of the hike and there were a fair number more flowers and interesting vegetation trail-side than other nearby hikes. And, because the trail is steep you're quickly looking down on Azusa.

Unfortunately, looking down on Azusa isn't exactly the treat for the senses that it would have been 50 or 100 years ago. Nowadays there's that catchment basin. And, the large bare area which used to be a nursery but which is now being prepared for a housing development.

And, lo!, off in the distance, what are those hammering sounds? Why, that's the folks at the local gun range. You mostly only hear that when you get to the motorway, but, together with the traffic sounds, it's still annoying. When you get to the motorway, keep walking a bit and you will get a good bird's eye view of the West Fork of the San Gabriel River. You will also, however, get a view of and the sound from Highway 39 (aka "Diaper Alley").

In a way this trail is similar to the new Fish Canyon Trail, which I hiked part of a few years ago. When I got to the fence I couldn't find exactly where the trail continued, so I turned around. That part of the trail is also steep and sun-exposed, and it affords a similar view. You can, however, hear the gun club much better.

And, some months ago I biked up the San Gabriel River bike path past the quarries, scoop loaders, possible Superfund sites, etc. etc. and that goes within half a mile or so of the gun club, so you can be serenaded even closer than both of the hikes can get.

My advice is to avoid front range hiking in the Azusa area.

Posted to OutdoorSports at 05:59 PM | Comments (1)

Major UFO Breakthrough in Brazil!!!

Whitley Streiber removes the probe and reports:

The nation of Brazil is relaxing its policy of UFO secrecy. It is the first among a number of countries known to be considering the idea of abandoning the secrecy mandate that has been in place worldwide since the phenomenon first began to be publicly known nearly fifty years ago.

A.J. Gevaerd of the Brazilian Committee of UFO Researchers reports that a number of important files have just been released, including a folder containing documents from 1977 that cover dozens of cases of UFOs in the Amazon with over 100 pictures made during Operation Saucer, an official Brazilian military investigation that was carried out between September and December, 1977...

The second and most important meeting took place just after this one at the very reserved facilities of Brazilian Air Defense Command (Comando de Defesa Aerea Brasileiro, Comdabra), an even more sensitive installation that controls the entire air defense situation in the country and surrounding areas of Atlantic Ocean and South America. In this facility the UFO researchers were given full briefing of the top aspects of aerial defense of the country.

It was in this facility that its own commander, brigadier Atheneu Azambuja, admitted to the UFO researchers how concerned the Brazilian military are about the UFO phenomena...

More information here (Portuguese) and here (different content, in English).

Posted to WackyHumor at 10:49 PM | Comments (1)

NYT goes to Idaho, discovers illegal immigration

Monday's New York Times has a front page article about illegal immigration to Idaho and County Commissioner Robert Vasquez's attempts to do something about it: "A Battle Against Illegal Workers, With an Unlikely Driving Force".

In what might be a first for the NYT, it's not a PIIPP, and the bleeding heart "liberalism" of Nina Bernstein is nowhere to be found.

It does, however, approach this issue with the idea that being Hispanic implies that one must also support illegal immigration. If that's true, does that mean that all or most Hispanics don't respect our laws and put their race before their country? Perhaps the NYT should look into that in more depth in a future article.

The article also says, "Mr. Schwarzenegger was criticized by many Latinos after he praised a group of citizens patrolling the border." Do far-left (or worse) racial demagogues (including one with alleged links to the Mexican government) really count though?

The NYT also generally supports the idea that without all those illegal serf laborers Idaho would be forced to declare bankruptcy and be sold to Canada or something. For the answer to that, see "How Much Is that Tomato in the Window?" or "The Mirage of Mexican Guest Workers":

...California Farmer reported in 1963 that if the flow of braceros stopped, tomato growers and canners "agree the State will never [again be able to plant] the 100,000 to 175,000 acres planted when there was a guaranteed supplemental labor force in the form of the braceros..."

Reality, however, never confirmed these dire predictions. In 1960 some 45,000 farm workers (mostly braceros) had harvested 2.2 million tons of processing tomatoes. By 1999, it took only 5,000 workers to operate machinery that harvested some 12 million tons. Thanks to these efficiency gains from mechanization, the real price of processing tomatoes declined 54 percent while per capita consumption rose 23 percent...

It's a good start, but I hope the next time the NYT will look into this in a bit more depth. And, perhaps they should consider coming to Los Angeles and reporting on our situation here.

Posted to Immigration2005a at 09:55 PM | Comments (3)

New South Federal Savings Bank... and RICO?

Dimitri Vassilaros might be an unforgivable idiot when it comes to biking ("Keep Bicycles off the Road"), but he does have an interesting column about home loans for illegal aliens. From "Banking on illegals":

New South Federal Savings Bank is giving illegal aliens home mortgages to help them realize the American dream.

Its Casa Mia program is designed to help tax-paying immigrants "without traditional forms of documentation" -- like anything indicating they are Americans...

If enough illegals apply, New South plans to offer Casa Mia mortgages in Atlanta, Phoenix and Houston "in the near future."

Unless, that is, the bank officers are arrested for helping to harbor illegal aliens.

"What this bank is doing is a clear violation of the U.S. Immigration and Nationality Act," said Craig Nelsen, executive director of Friends of Immigration Law Enforcement...

...[FILE] is threatening to use the Racketeering Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO) to file a civil damages lawsuit against the bank...

Previously: "Most banks would sell the kidneys of Brazilian garbage men if they could get away with it".

Note that this article also mentions Atlanta's Mexican Consul general, Remedios Gomez Arnau, who I seem to recall from the Pedro Marin story. See Mexican agents in the state houses? Part 2.

UPDATE: Here's the FILE letter:

...It is very likely a court would find the issuance of a mortgage under your new program to be a criminal violation of 8 U.S.C. 1324 (Bringing in and Harboring Certain Aliens), which makes it a felony to encourage an alien to reside in the United States knowing that such residence is in violation of law. §1324(a)(1)(A)(iii) It is hard to imagine any court taking seriously a claim that helping an illegal alien buy a house situated inside the United States isn't knowingly encouraging the illegal alien to reside illegally in the United States...

Posted to Immigration2005a at 08:40 PM | Comments (0)

Why there will never be a "President Condi"

From a much longer article about an appearance in San Francisco:

...[Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice was] asked for her opinion about the role of armed volunteers guarding the border with Mexico.

"As to enforcement, that is a role for the United States government and the United States government alone," she said bluntly...

Yes, well, unfortunately, the U.S. government is intentionally not doing the job.

If she ever gets close to being nominated for an elected office, expect her support for Bush's various Open Borders goals to be a major part of the opposition from anyone to the right of things.

For previous examples, see "She's a team player!", "Borderline Insanity - Part IV: Globalized Insanity", and "Visas for Terror".

Posted to Politics at 08:09 PM | Comments (0)

AVWatch: Mexico to play important role in Villaraigosa's policies

Los Angeles mayor-elect Antonio Villaraigosa was interviewed by Mexico City's El Universal a few days ago, and:

[he said] that Mexico will play an important role in shaping his policies...

Furthermore:

...Villaraigosa stressed that as mayor he would look to improve relations with Mexico.

"We are starting a new era. Instead of closing the borders, as stated by (California Governor Arnold) Schwarzenegger, we should look at our border as an opportunity," said Villaraigosa. "This is a time of great importance, not just for us to rediscover our roots, but looking to create a mutually beneficial relationship."

...He said he would not support policies that persecute the city's large migrant population...

"I support Special Order 40 (prohibiting police from making migration-related arrests)," he said. "We need our police officers to fight gangs and organized crime. That will keep them more than busy."

He lamented the Real ID act, recently passed by the U.S. Congress, that if signed by President George W. Bush would prevent undocumented migrants from getting driver's licenses.

"Politicians in the United States need to understand that immigrants come here for the same reason that immigrants have always come: To work," he said. "Instead of punishing and demonizing them, we should try to integrate them."

He added that while his position does not allow him to make policies on immigration, he will speak out in favor of "humane, realistic and effective" migration reform...

Not being able to make policy hasn't stopped him from doing things like congratulating former MX president Zedillo on helping to block Prop. 187. And, while he might not have federal legislative powers, he can set immigration policies for Los Angeles by doing things like exactly what he says above: opposing Special Order 40.

Note also that AV misquotes Arnold Schwarzenegger above. Since Arnold made clear he was only referring to securing the borders, and AV undoubtedly knows that, wouldn't you consider that AV is intentionally trying to mislead the readers of this article?

Regarding Special Order 40, see also "Immigration Laws Might Have Stopped Sept. 11 Plot" and a similar policy discussed in "'Sanctuary' practice in Houston draws fire". The fire came from 9/11 Commission member John Lehman, who might be better able to speak to this issue than the mayor "for all of Los Angeles."

Note to all of AV's apologists, defenders, and supporters: expect this only to get worse as our Open Borders mayor drives Los Angeles even further down the road to ruin. Get out now while you still have some slight credibility left.

Note to the NYT: I see that you published "In New York, Fringe Politics in Mainstream" in your NY Regional section. Could you please come out to Los Angeles and do a special on our politics here? Sure there will be some bias, but I have no doubt you'll do a much better job than the L.A. Times. (Readers are urged to contact public *at* nytimes.com and ask them to do this.)

Posted to Immigration2005a at 02:15 PM | Comments (0)

SEIU to split from AFL-CIO?

Andrew Stern of the Service Employees International Union - which is one of the unions in the AFL-CIO conglomeration - is considering leaving the federation and forming a new group of unions. According to the L.A. Times article "Head of Big Service-Workers Union Weighs Separation From AFL-CIO", he wants to concentrate on just two areas: recruiting new members and consolidating small unions into larger groups.

The Times Q&A is at about the level of a Robert Hilburn Q&A, but it includes this from Stern:

For our union, there are three challenges. One is to continue to build a global union. We thought we had made a big step forward because we put someone to work in Geneva. Now we have people working in Australia, in London, South Africa. We hope to have people in South America soon. We're about to have a second meeting of a group of unions to talk about launching a couple of different global campaigns. So we are well on our way to try to do what's never been done: to try to figure out how to have a global union or global campaigning...

Hey, it's been tried, but that time it was called a "Soyuz." But, seriously, previous coverage starts in "SEIU's Hostile Leftist Takeover".

Posted to Politics at 02:06 PM | Comments (3)

Rich Lowry on the McCain-Kennedy amnesty bill

From NRO:

This bipartisan deal cut by Sen. John McCain is noxious. No, the issue isn't judges. (Or campaign finance, or health care, or any number of other things.) It's illegal immigration and a proposal that has just been cooked up by the Arizona maverick and the Massachusetts non-maverick Sen. Ted Kennedy to grant an amnesty to millions of illegal immigrants...

The bill could make illegals stand on one foot and wave their arms before becoming legal - but it would still be an amnesty...

...The McCain-Kennedy bill has the hallmarks of continuing in the tradition of the 1986 legislation... "A lot of it seems intended actually to handcuff DHS enforcement people," says [Mark] Krikorian. The rest of the enforcement provisions are a mishmash of calls for reports, coordination plans, advisory committees - in other words, the usual dodges when politicians want the public to think they are doing something they don't want to do...

Posted to Immigration2005a at 08:24 PM | Comments (4)

Sierra Club to rent Goodyear blimp

From the Angeles Chapter of the Sierra Club's website comes this (older) news:

Sierra Club members turned out in historic numbers in April to elect five of their peers to the Board of Directors and to reject a ballot initiative that would have forced the group to support restrictions on immigration. Over 15 percent of the Club's membership returned 122,308 ballots - the second highest in the Club's recent history - and defeated the anti-immigration measure by more than a 5 to 1 margin...

That's linked from their home page by the headline "Club elects new board; measure to restrict immigration soundly defeated". The prominent placement given to the defeat of the measure, and the use of the word "soundly" immediately prompted me to add, "Did you hear that, Mr. Gelbaum?"

For those who don't know the name, David Gelbaum has given the Sierra Club Foundation over $100 million. Here's a quote from him:

"I did tell Carl Pope [Executive Director of the Sierra Club] in 1994 or 1995 that if they ever came out anti-immigration, they would never get a dollar from me..."

In case they want to make sure that he hears their message, perhaps they should rent the Goodyear blimp, buy billboard space, print up some coasters, or do all three.

Posted to Immigration2005a at 08:10 PM | Comments (1)

Why I hate Seattle, Part 4519

From "Weather Service issues first ever heat advisory for Seattle area":

While much of the country bundled up for rain and stormy weather, Seattle residents dusted off the sunscreen and shorts Friday as the National Weather Service issued its first-ever heat advisory for the city.

The advisory... was prompted by a second day of expected record temperatures. Thursday's high temperature of 89 degrees at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport broke a 58-year-old record. A high of 87 was forecast for Friday...

In sunny-but-hugely-troubled Los Angeles, it's that temperature before noon several days a year. And, of course, Arizona and other Southwest states are even hotter. Have another double frosted mocha latte capuccino frappe, wimps.

Posted to WackyHumor at 06:20 PM | Comments (18)

"Sens. Cornyn, Kyl Prepare Massive Guestworker Plan"

Paul Egan of FAIR reports on a Senate immigration hearing attended by John Cornyn (R-TX) and Jon Kyl (R-AZ). Those two worthies are preparing their own massive guest worker plan/amnesty (not to be confused with the McCain-Kennedy Open Borders, Open Wallets bill.)

According to Egan the meeting was one-sided in favor of Open Borders types:

...Deputy labor secretary Stephen Law proposed a wide-open foreign worker program, for every sector of the U.S. economy. He was joined in supporting this proposal by the other witnesses, including Tom Donohue president of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Dan Griswold director of Trade Policy Studies at the CATO Institute, and Princeton sociology professor Douglass S. Massey.

The witnesses also told senators that illegal immigration would solve the social security problem. Assistant Secretary Law made the incredible observation that the use of h-1b guestworkers in the high-tech industry, proves there is continued job growth in the high-tech industry, completely ignoring the record high levels of under- and unemployment for U.S. high tech workers...

For his part, CATO's Griswold responded to a question about the tax burden of illegal aliens on local communities by claiming that illegal aliens pay more in taxes than they get in benefits. He went on to offer another gem, saying one of the main problems of the 1986 IRCA legislation was that it didn't liberalize legal immigration. (Meaning, unlimit it.)

Egan says that neither Kyl nor Cornyn endorsed the statements of the pro-Open Borders crowd, but I doubt whether they renounced them either.

In case you think Law's comments were just a one-off or didn't reflect Bush's opinions, bear in mind that Margaret Spellings (former assistant to Bush for domestic policy and our current Secretary of Education) said the same things in January 2004. That's discussed in Bush "guest worker" program to be "open to any type of employee", and, strangely enough, Dan Griswold was on the same panel at that time. See also Bush immigration plan could affect techies.

Posted to Immigration2005a at 05:48 PM | Comments (5)

Illegal immigration activist offended, media alerted

Mayra Latimer - a counselor at high schools somewhere in Wisconsin - is angry. Very angry.

You see, there's a TV commercial playing in Wisconsin which opposes WI Gov. Jim Doyle's plan to give illegal aliens a better deal than U.S. citizens. Doyle wants to give citizens of other countries discounted college educations. Meanwhile, U.S. citizens who live outside WI but who want to (for some reason) attend WI colleges would be forced to continue to pay the full rate.

Let me put Jim Doyle's plan in chart form:
Illegal aliens: discount
U.S. citizens: the shaft

But, back to Latimer:

[she] says the ad makes her angry not just because it exists but because it drives an even bigger wedge between the people on both sides of the issue.

"We want to create a better future for our kids, and as a parent it's hard for me to see that kind of reaction."

That's nice, but it still doesn't explain why the U.S. citizens in Wisconsin should pay for the educations of citizens of foreign countries and give the shaft to other U.S. citizens from other states.

So far, I've only been able to come up with two explanations as to why this high school counselor was given air time: either the station agrees with her and was using her to make their point, or the news director is high on cheese.

Posted to Immigration2005a at 04:13 PM | Comments (0)

Nigerian blog spams?

Yes, you read it here first. "Dr. Nate Obaseki" just left a comment, and he wants you to know that his group deals on raw materials and export into Europe/America. They want representatives who can "help us establish a medium of getting to our clients in America/Europe as well as making payments through you to us... There will be no financial obilgation required from you in this transaction..."

Of course, we can see what comes next: there's the minor perfunctory nature of the transfer fees. You see, those need to be paid beforehand, and to be on the up and up, it has to come from your account. It's just a minor matter, and it will make get the 17 Million and Four Hundred Thousand Dollars U.S. ($17,400,000 USD) to you that much quicker.

Posted to Bloggage at 02:30 PM | Comments (0)

Chinese illegal immigrants detained in Texas

From this:

Goliad County wrote a new chapter Tuesday in its ongoing dealings with human smuggling. Sheriff Robert DeLaGarza said more than a dozen Asians who appear to be illegal immigrants were caught traveling through south Goliad County by a deputy patrolling an area north of Sarco.

DeLaGarza said the suspected illegals had passports from the Republic of China. It appears they are obtaining passports to enter Mexico as tourists, then making their way to the United States border, he said.

A U.S. Border Patrol agent who picked up the immigrants later in the day told DeLaGarza the agency is seeing more and more Chinese coming across the Mexican border...

There are no reported ties to terrorism or spying. Note that this article could have been a bit clearer. When they say "Republic of China" I assume they mean it in the Taiwan sense, and their use of that term is not just shorthand for the People's Republic of China.

Posted to Immigration_terror at 01:07 PM | Comments (0)

Richfield Minnesota gets infiltrated

Keep reading, because you might be shocked how this ends up. From "Mexican consulate representative joins in ordinance debate":

A representative of the Consulate General of Mexico in Chicago joined several other panelists last week in supporting a proposed ordinance that would officially restrict Richfield city employees from asking about immigration status in most cases.

Consulate representative Joyce Graciela Stellick took part in a community forum sponsored by the Richfield Human Rights Commission. She said that in her 2 1/2 years of experience in Minnesota and Wisconsin, she has seen many cases in which Mexican victims of crime have been unwilling to come forward to report crimes because they fear police...

...The Mexican government has a stake in policies outside its borders just as the United States has a stake in what happens to its citizens in Mexico, Stellick said.

"It's just like you wouldn't want something to happen while you're sitting on a beach in Mexico, with someone asking for your passport or visa," she said...

...Although Stellick wasn't originally a panelist, Human Rights Commission Chair Mark Olson asked her to join the panel after she introduced herself...

Of course, you already know that Mexico's "stake" in their exported population is a multi-billion dollar industry. And, you know that there are not 10 to 20 million illegal Americans living in Mexico, unlike our situation. I don't have to go into all the other ways her analogy is just a line that only the most brain-dead liberals would fall for. And, if you've been following along the idea that Mexican consuls would try to meddle in our laws - even attending local council meetings, sometimes with an illegal alien cheering section in tow - is not that surprising.

But, what's disturbing is what you find when you search for more information on this representative of a hostile foreign nation. From this:

...Joyce Graciela Stellick, who was born the daughter of a high ranking civilian government interpreter in Puerto Rico. "My mother spoke six languages and was an interpreter for the U.S. government for three presidents," Stellick explained, "Franklin D. Roosevelt, Eisenhower and Kennedy."

...Stellick moved to Colorado when her mother was transferred in 1964. Growing up there, she said, was sometimes difficult for a young Puerto Rican girl. "When I went down for my drivers license test, they asked me for my Green Card," she said, shaking her head.

Puerto Ricans are born U.S. citizens, and are not immigrants when they come into the United States.

Stellick never thought it was unusual that, while growing up, she had been in the Pentagon, the White House and NORAD, and it was not until after her mother's death that she learned why her mother was traveling in those circles. "I didn't realize this until after my mother died, but she actually worked for the CIA," Stellick explained. Stellick, although not working for the CIA, did follow in her mother's footsteps by becoming an interpreter, speaking six languages. She is certified to provide interpreter services all the way up to the Minnesota Supreme Court Roster, a high honor for interpreters...

Hey, what a coincidence! I'm thinking of the "T" word too.

Posted to Immigration_consul at 05:19 PM | Comments (1)

They take the jobs teens won't do. Or something.

From the article "Finding summer job is no child's play. Teens have to slog to find work, more so in some states":

Employment rates for younger Americans have been falling steadily, hitting a historic low last year and likely to be about as low this summer. An expected improvement in teen jobs has failed to materialize even as the overall job picture has brightened.

Teens, facing stiff competition from older workers, immigrants and college kids, will fare about as well this summer as they did last summer, predicted Andrew Sum, director of the Center for Labor Market Studies at Northeastern University in Boston.

About 36.7% of U.S. teens age 16 to 19 will work this summer, Sum said, just about matching the 36.1% of teens employed last summer, which was the lowest rate in 57 years...

"Teens really benefit a lot when employers add a lot of jobs," [Sum] said. And because of a stable influx of older workers, immigrants and young adults age 20 to 24, "employers just haven't had to reach back that far in the queue to reach the kids..."

Why are we giving low-wage jobs to people from another country, when we could be giving them to our own citizens? And, is how socially healthy is this situation? Shouldn't teenagers get crap job experience as part of their development?

Previously: "[Illegal aliens] do the jobs that even blacks won't do."

Posted to Immigration2005a at 05:08 PM | Comments (3)

Tucson: free educations for all!

Tucson's a nice little city, but it has its problems. Two of those problems appear to be Pima County Schools Superintendent Linda Arzoumanian and, in the same county, Ajo Unified School District Superintendent Robert Dooley.

From this:

The state's top school official said Wednesday that students who live in Mexico regularly attend public schools in Ajo at the expense of Arizona taxpayers and that Pima County's school superintendent has refused his request to investigate the matter.

That refusal could result in a challenge of future per-pupil funding requests, said state schools superintendent Tom Horne

Horne said the allegations first raised a year ago in news reports were confirmed by a private investigator he sent to the border. The investigator videotaped students walking across the Lukeville border and boarding a nearby school bus...

...Horne said Pima County Schools Superintendent Linda Arzoumanian declined to investigate further, and Ajo Unified School District Superintendent Robert Dooley has yet to respond.

Should Arzoumanian or Dooley fail to take action, Horne said he may challenge schools' requests for per-pupil funding, an annual allotment which is currently set at $5,000 per student...

[Arzoumanian] said discriminating against students based on citizenship, race or national origin is unconstitutional - and because address checks aren't common practice - she hesitates to focus on border-area students of apparent Mexican heritage.

"It's not within my right to do an investigation," she said.

If, as in the Ajo schools, students provide the rent and utility receipts, or guardianship documents that they need to prove they live in the district, then they are eligible to attend public schools.

"I'm not sure that any (students from Mexico ) are attending. … There's no way to know," she said...

Other than the videotape and the investigation, of course.

Previously: "Southwestern schools root out illegal pupils"

Posted to Immigration2005a at 04:45 PM | Comments (0)

Another Drudge classic

Isn't Drudge setting the bar a bit high for 48-point red? How will we know when something actually important happens? Will he have to go to double-sirens and flashing 64-point red?

Posted to WackyHumor at 11:32 AM | Comments (0)

Oriana Fallaci on trial; some "liberals" support her

From Reuters:

A judge has ordered best-selling writer and journalist Oriana Fallaci to stand trial in her native Italy on charges she defamed Islam in a recent book.

The decision angered Italy's justice minister but delighted Muslim activists, who accused Fallaci of inciting religious hatred in her 2004 work "La Forza della Ragione" (The Force of Reason)...

The "liberal" who posted this story at DU sounds a bit, well, "classical" in his liberalism:

I have to say that, independently of what Oriana Fallaci said, this is NOT a good development. This should not stand in a free society, and allowing a writer to stand trial because she "defamed" a religion is tantamount to censorship. By the way, Fallaci has not gone nearly as far criticising Islam as some of our domestic loudmouths like Coulter. To her credit, Fallaci was both a feminist activist and a war reporter (sort of an Italian Christianne Amampour) in the Middle East for a decade.

Furthermore, it's my humble opinion that charging this writer with "defamation of Islam" is tantamount of forcing Islamic laws into our societies. I may not fully agree with Oriana Fallaci, but she deserves full protection of the right to free speech that we defend in western civilization...

Surprisingly, some of the DUmmies agree.

Posted to Terrorism at 05:30 PM | Comments (2)

Tortured by Tyson, whipped by Lisa Franzetta

PETA's gone out and bought a new domain: TorturedByTyson.com. They intone:

From December 2004 through February 2005, a PETA undercover investigator worked on the slaughter line of a Tyson Foods chicken processing plant in Heflin, Alabama. Using a hidden camera, he documented the treatment of the more than 100,000 chickens killed every day in the plant. Anyone would be horrified by what he saw: live birds who had their heads torn off by hand because workers couldn't be bothered to kill them by slitting their throats; birds who had their bodies mutilated by throat-cutting machines that didn't work properly, including one bird who had the skin torn entirely off her chest; workers who threw chickens around and were cruel to them just for fun; and chickens who went through the "scald bath" (a tank of scalding-hot water used to remove their feathers) while still conscious and able to feel pain. Watch the video and see for yourself the agony of these animals' last moments...

It'd be nice if they could expend this same amount of energy going after the reputed other activities of Tyson, such as hiring illegal workers ("Federal Court OKs Suit Against Tyson for Hiring Illegal Aliens"; see also "Mmmm... Tyson Chicken and TB").

But, if like me you'd prefer to think happy thoughts, here's a page about Lonewacko's favorite loony animal rights' activist Lisa Franzetta. It features a pic of her in a leather dominatrix outfit. And, from her essay "It's Better to Bare Skin Than Wear Skin":

For several years now, I've spent a good deal of time caged and nearly nude, my body painted like a tiger or other exotic animal. It's not what I imagined I'd end up doing when I was a student at Brown University, but I'm an animal rights activist, and if there is one thing I've learned, its that baring a little skin certainly shines the spotlight on animal issues...

Indeed.

Previously: "Sultry activists bare their skin in freezing weather to protest wearing fur".

Posted to Miscellania at 01:30 PM | Comments (1)

Legislature pay raise: It's only a million and a half a year

The California Legislature was recently given a pay raise by an independent commission. Before each of our 120 reps was getting $99,000 per year. In the future, they might get $110,880 per year. That works out to just $1.44 million, a mere drop in the bucket.

Now, as for that $70 million that Gov. Schwarzenegger wants to spend on a special election, that's real money, and it's right for the California Nurses Association to oppose that waste of money.

Continuing with the mockery:

In his speech before about 2,000 state business leaders, Schwarzenegger said he had been willing to consider the idea that legislators deserve a raise after seven years of no increases.

"So I sat down and started thinking about it," he said in a mocking voice, relating how former Gov. Pete Wilson, Davis' predecessor, left the state a surplus. "They have spent all of that money and they went and created a $22 billion debt. And They continue to spend more than we have. And they have chased businesses out of the state and jobs out of the state. They took the economy right down into the toilet and almost made the state go into bankruptcy.

"Yes, they deserve a raise! That's fair!" he said, drawing laughs from the crowd. "Under any normal circumstances, they would be fighting to keep their jobs, and keep their salaries."

Posted to California at 01:20 PM | Comments (0)

Chris Cannon, Grover Norquist, WSJ, Fox News all linked together?

Regular readers of this blog are probably familar with Rep. Chris Cannon (R-UT). (If not, see "Rep. Chris Cannon, great American and great Republican" for the latest or see "Aide to U.S. Rep. Chris Cannon (R-UT) solicits campaign contributions from illegal aliens" for a classic.)

On Monday, the NYT published "Link to Lobbyist Brings Scrutiny to G.O.P. Figure", which showed all the links between Grover Norquist and indicted lobbyist Jack Abramoff.

Now, Project USA reports:

On May 02, 2004, Norquist wrote a dishonest article for FoxNews.com attacking Matt Hayes of Friends of Immigration Law Enforcement after FoxNews.com ran a piece by Matt detailing the negative impact on working Americans of the immigration policies pushed by Rep. Chris Cannon of Utah...

By the sheerest of coincidences, in the last election cycle, Chris Cannon's campaign paid Janus Merritt Strategies, the firm Grover Norquist started with David Safavian, Cannon's chief of staff in 2001, $5,960 for "Campaign Consulting & Fundraising Exp." Also during the 2004 cycle, Cannon's campaign paid $5,614 for fundraising expenses to Williams Mullen, the influence-peddling company that was in the process of buying Norquist's influence-peddling company.

Matt had a crushing response to Norquist ready to submit (crushing responses to immigration extremists, forced as they are to rely on dishonesty in order to be convincing, are very easy to write), when he got word that word had come from higher up not to print any more articles by him that mentioned Chris Cannon...

...In the 2004 cycle, News America Holdings gave $5,000 to Cannon for Congress...

Note that American Patrol says that Norquist is supposedly now in favor of greater immigration control, but who cares.

Posted to Immigration2005a at 11:41 AM | Comments (1)

Soros-funded Media Matters now deleting comments?

Media Matters - which admits it receives money from George Soros - appears to have deleted several comments from this thread about Bill O'Reilly discussing Harvard's plan to spend $50 million to promote "faculty diversity." O'Reilly said: "Any woman who signs on to work at Harvard gets 100 pair of shoes ... because all women want shoes."

I left a sarcastic comment in the Manolo Shoe Blog style, and linked to that blog. I also said, "I think MMFA, they have no sense of the humor." That comment is now missing, as are about 50 others that were there.

Posted to Bloggage at 11:31 AM | Comments (0)

A dozen or so "nurses" hold pathetic anti-Arnold protest in Chicago

My title again! MSM report actually titled "Chicago Protesters Greet Gov. Schwarzenegger".

Schwarzenegger was in the city to attend a private fundraiserevent at the Chicago Hilton and Towers, but several local nurses protested outside the facility... The local nurses are supporting their California counterparts who say Schwarzenegger may try to privatize their pensions...

The reader is invited to try to count all of the nurses shown in these photographs. It looks to me like there were a dozen there, but some people might be able to spot one or two more.

I note also that all of them appear to be carrying the same printed sign. And, I wonder if it's entirely accurate to simply refer to them as "nurses." While the article does mention the American Nurses Association, wouldn't it be more accurate to describe them as nurses who are members of nurse's unions or of membership/lobbying groups like the ANA?

Note that the ANA is (I believe) affiliated with the California Nurses Association, which is working with the California Teachers Association on their anti-Arnold smears.

And, note that the ANA has 150,000 members and is only open to R.N.s, yet our own Census Bureau is eager to inform us that there are 2.4 million R.N.s in these United States.

Posted to California at 12:20 AM | Comments (2)

"Immigrants rally against Schwarzenegger"

The SB Sun family of newspapers reports on the anti-Arnold rally yesterday in which busloads of "immigrants" were brought to Sacramento to support illegal immigration.

After the comments previously discussed and a few others of the same level demanding massive state benefits for all, we get this:

Schwarzenegger spokesman Vince Sollitto said in an interview afterward that Schwarzenegger, as an immigrant from Austria, understands the contributions immigrants have made to California and the nation.

But the governor also "appreciates the difference between legal and illegal immigration' and the need for "public safety and homeland security.'

Obviously, the protestors and the organizers do not, prefering to place their ethnicity and their ethnic power base above those more generally American concerns.

Posted to California at 12:13 AM | Comments (0)

Far-lefties support illegal immigration, use strawman argument

There I go again, giving MSM reports my own title. In fact, what we have is "Speakers say immigrants don't get fair shake":

"Immigrant bashers" got bashed Monday afternoon at a rush hour rally in support of immigration reform.

[...quote from SEIU deleted...]

...Speakers at the event denounced "Real ID," which they said makes it virtually impossible for an undocumented immigrant to get a driver's license...

But, isn't that a good thing?

I realize this is just a blurb, and it's probably from a cub reporter, but perhaps that reporter could have made a slight attempt at journalism and asked them what they mean by "bashing" rather than just serving a stenographic role. Can they give examples of this "bashing?" Could they in fact be referring to U.S. citizens simply asking that our immigration laws be enforced? And, could the reporter have given a slight clue to the far-left nature of the SEIU rather than requiring her readers to search for that information? And, by "immigration reform", don't they in fact mean "the Kennedy-McCain massive guest worker and amnesty program"?

Send your thoughts to metro at RockyMountainNews.com

Posted to Immigration2005a at 12:03 AM | Comments (0)

David Hasselhoff partly "responsible for a lot of world peace"

This is from May 1, but consider it a classic. At the recent Bollywood Movie Awards - held in Atlantic City - Mitch Buchanan a.k.a. David Hasselhoff won the award for international star of the year.

Over to Mitch:

"I'm proud of shows like Baywatch and Knight Rider because it's about saving lives, not taking lives," he told Reuters.

"It's entertainment, it's tongue in cheek, it brings the world together," he said, adding that the entertainment industry was a powerful force for good in the world.

"I think it's responsible for a lot of world peace," Hasselhoff said, adding that he was hoping to work in India soon on a project based on a series of romantic novels.

"I never knew exactly how to get there. Now I've got this (award) it's like my key to India," he said.

As everyone knows, David Hasselhoff is a Megastar in Deutschland, but what few know is his impact on the world stage: "Did David Hasselhoff really help end the Cold War?" See also "Hasselhoff ready to make Knight Rider return" for more good news.

The picture has nothing to do with the awards or Hasselhoff, it's just some eye candy from the older post "Today's news from India".

On a personal note, I met someone from the German consulate. One of her jobs was to go out to (the street outside) David Hasselhoff's house and collect her countrygirls who'd come to L.A. hoping to meet the Megastar himself and had not only been unsuccessful but had run out of Geld as well.

Posted to Celebrities at 07:51 PM | Comments (1)

Should Bryan Barton sue San Francisco?

The San Francisco Board of Supervisors is voting on a resolution that would condemn Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger for his support of the Minuteman Project.

The resolution is in this PDF file. As you might expect, it's full of innuendo and misleading statements.

However, it also contains at least one thing that I consider to be an outright lie:

WHEREAS, The federal border patrol had to call in the County Sheriff's Office when Minuteman vigilantes held a 26 year old Mexican man against his will, physically restrained him and forced him to hold a t-shirt with a mocking slogan while his picture was taken and he was videotaped...

That refers to Bryan Barton. I realize that in the alternate reality of Frisco the above statement might be true, but it's false in our reality. Even the Mexican consul agrees no crime was committed.

We can laugh about those wacky S.F. Supes all day long, but when the state lies about you and falsely accuses you of having committed a crime, that affects all of us irrespective of ideology. If I were Barton I know what I'd do, and I'm sure I'd win and collect a large judgment as well.

Posted to Immigration2005a at 06:30 PM | Comments (3)

Far-left illegal alien advocates bus in anti-Arnold demonstrators (my title)

Wouldn't it be a wonderful world if my title had been used, rather than "Angry Immigrants Protest at Capitol"?

In that case, we'd actually know what's going on. Instead, we get this naive and misleading report:

Angry immigrants tried to get the governor's attention Monday with a noisy protest outside his office...

[...they don't like his support of the Minuteman Project...]

[Assemblyman Alberto Torrico, D-Newark informs:] "The governor of the people is afraid of the people... He's become an embarrassment to our state."

...Immigrant groups began boarding buses for the Capitol just after sunrise to celebrate Immigrant Day. In Sacramento, they delivered an open letter to the governor and the legislature, asking them to recognize the contributions of immigrants and reject vigilantism.

[Reshma Shamasunder of the California Immigrant Welfare Collective intones:] "...Let's support comprehensive immigration reform. Let's not invite lawless folks into our state."

Some of these people might in fact be immigrants. Others, perhaps most of them, are actually immigrants. Oops! I forgot to call them "illegal immigrants" just like the article did. Thankfully I believe in calling things by their true names.

I note also that the California Immigrant Welfare Collaborative (the correct name of the group mentioned, although collective is certainly accurate) is a far-left organization:

(CIWC) provides information on public benefits for immigrants in California. Some of the issues CIWC addresses include: Cash Assistance Program for Immigrants (CAPI), health care, domestic violence, language access, Supplemental Security Income (SSI), Food Stamps, CalWORKs, public charge, and affidavits of support.

At this point in time you're probably thinking of that guy who sells books telling you how to get as much government money as possible. Except, when they say "immigrants", I think they're talking about "immigrants" too. As in the illegal variety. And, I don't know whether Matthew Lesko has chapters on that yet.

CIWC's homepage is here. You'll note two things: one of their collaborators is Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles. Click the link to see why that's not a good thing at all.

And, another of their collaborators is the National Immigration Law Center, which also hosts the CWIC's site. Read that link for much more on CWIC and their fellow travelers.

See also "The Enemy Within the Justice Department's Office of Special Counsel". The DOJ at one time linked to the NILC.

And, here's an action alert from the CWIC and their fellow groups advocating for the Mexican government's Matricula Consular cards.

Now, if I could do the foregoing, why couldn't CBS 5's John Lobertini?

Posted to Immigration2005a at 10:25 PM | Comments (2)

Other-than-Mexicans give themselves up to get released into the U.S.

"OTM" means "other than Mexican", and refers to Central Americans, South Americans, Middle Easterners, North Koreans, etc. who are caught sneaking over our southern border. The article "Officials: OTMs 'a very grave problem'" states that many crossers choose Texas as the place to cross because they know they won't be detained due to limited detention space. Not only that, but:

"Down in Eagle Pass, we'll see them sitting by the side of a road, and they'll chase us down and nearly beg to be arrested," said one field agent who asked to not be identified.

"They know they’ll be released pretty fast, and that paper (court "notice to appear" document) is like their ticket to go wherever they want."

...Berg explained that OTM release actions have been widely broadcast throughout Central America and beyond, causing the Texas section of the U.S. border, from Del Rio to Brownsville, to be the geopolitical objective in the sights of millions of would-be border crossers...

From October 2004 to the present they detained 42,239 illegal aliens. 14,569 of which were OTMs, and about 13,000 of those were released into the U.S.

See also:
"Illegals detained at border released onto U.S. streets"
"Bonilla demands review of OTM release policy"
"Illegals from terrorist nations are crossing the border into Arizona."

Posted to Immigration_terror at 03:14 PM | Comments (3)

60 illegal aliens arrested at critical infrastructure sites

From "ICE arrests 60 illegals working in sensitive areas":

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents have arrested 60 illegal aliens working as contract employees at a dozen critical infrastructure sites nationwide, including seven petrochemical refineries, three power plants, a national air cargo facility and a pipeline company.

There was no evidence that any of them had terrorist ties or were engaged in a terrorist plot, although they had access to sensitive critical infrastructure locations and posed a serious homeland security threat, said Department of Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Michael J. Garcia, who heads ICE...

The arrestees are from Mexico and Central America, and all of them worked for Brock Enterprises, which is reportedly cooperating with and isn't a target of the investigation.

The above is a Jerry Seper report; the AP report is similar except papers seem to have given it various interesting titles:

The Houston Chronicle's title manages to not be the longest and still be the clearest: "60 illegal immigrants arrested at plants in 6 states".

The S.F. Chronical stresses the arrestors and not the arrestees: "US immigration agents arrest 60 illegal workers across country".

An HR site gets PC: "60 Undocumented Workers Arrested".

And, the L.A. Times continues to lead the way with impartial, journalistically-excellent headline writing: "60 Immigrant Workers Held".

See the other posts in this category for many other examples of illegal aliens - even including gang members - working at secure facilities, including military bases.

Posted to Immigration_terror at 03:04 PM | Comments (0)

"Immigration excuses need some work"

David Harsanyi of the Denver Post gets it right:

Did you know some consider it racist to oppose illegal immigration but perfectly reasonable to support a system that casts illegal Mexican immigrants in the most menial and undesirable jobs?

The enlightened, it would seem, need someone to wash the dishes when they are done with their seared ahi and pinot noir in the finest Cherry Creek bistros.

Makes you wonder, though: Who are the bigots here?

...Colorado provides illegal immigrants free use of hospitals and city homeless shelters, while they make up around 20 percent of the Colorado jail population. And the state affords tens of thousands of immigrant children free schooling.

Is it racist to point out these facts? Or do open-border advocates cleverly equate rational immigration control with irrational bigotry?

He goes on to discuss Denver's sanctuary for illegal aliens policy and their current and former mayors John Hickenlooper and Wellington Webb. For more information on that sanctuary policy, see this.

Posted to Immigration2005a at 11:15 AM | Comments (2)

How Insty does it

How does Insty post all those informative posts? AutoBlogger!

AutoBlogger is a powerful content-authoring software tool designed for online columnists and bloggers. Upon installation, AutoBlogger uses a sophisticated Artificial Intelligence algorithm to 'read' the public entries of your journal/blog to triangulate a sense of your writing style. From that point forward, any time you hit a writer's block, want to take a vacation, or simply wish to step away from your computer for a few days, AutoBlogger can be set to take over, using what it has learned about your posting and writing patterns to author original content in a voice consistent with your existing prose.

Heh. Indeed.

Posted to Bloggage at 12:38 AM | Comments (0)

N.Y. Daily News, Albor Ruiz: Lying, Misleading, Joking, or Telling the Truth?

Welcome to the premier edition of "Lying, Misleading, Joking, or Telling the Truth", or LMJOTTT as it shall henceforth be known. In this series we'll examine editorials and news reports, and try to decide which of those the author is doing.

For this edition, we'll look at "Immigrants get new hope for fairness" from Albor Ruiz in the New York Daily News:

The new bi-partisan immigration reform bill introduced this week in Congress brings some hope for moving the immigration question away from prejudice, partisan grandstanding and merciless repression.

I think I'll put this part in the "he must be joking with his hyperbole scare talk" and part in the "he's misleading verging on outright lying". Is it really "prejudice" or "merciless repression" to enforce our immigration laws? So, is he joking, or just outright lying?

...current anti-immigrant climate...

I think he's referring to the fact that 75% or more of the American public is opposed to illegal immigration, and they seem to actually be demanding that their representatives share their concerns. Is that "anti-immigrant"? No, it isn't. Misleading.

It is too soon to give a verdict on the merits of the proposed reform law, but something is certain: It puts back some needed common sense in the immigration debate.

I get the impression that Albor didn't have the time to go to Kennedy's site and read up on the details. He lays it all out. Perhaps he's waiting for talking points or something.

Then, Ruiz includes a quote from the New York Immigration Coalition. This was the same group discussed in the earlier entry "Hats off to the New York Immigration Coalition", which - surprise! - featured Ruiz discussing a misleading poll that, unfortunately, was performed by an academic rather than a regular-grade hack.

We'll end with this highly misleading statement:

Immigrants are our neighbors, the parents of school children like our own, they are hardworking people who pay taxes, fight wars and hold the most difficult jobs out there.

That's good to know. However, isn't Ruiz mainly discussing illegal immigrants in this piece? Why doesn't he identify them as such? Why does the NYIC suffer from that same problem? Are they... trying to mislead their readers?

Note: just a couple weeks ago, a N.Y. Daily News "news" report was discussed in the post "Get out your hankies, here comes a PIIPP", which also contains the email I sent the NYDN.

Contact editor *at* nydailynews.com with your thoughts.

Posted to Immigration2005a at 09:04 PM | Comments (4)

The upside of hot weather hiking

It appears to have been around 95 degrees in Sierra Madre when I started a brief hike up the Old Mount Wilson trail. It wasn't that hot, or it didn't feel that hot, but it was definitely hot. How hot was it? I personally spotted snakes and lizards falling out of trees and sizzling on the trail.

Want quality trails information including descriptions and topo maps?
Sign up for this 14-day free trial offer.

I only went to First Water, for about 2.6 miles round trip and 1000' of gain. I wasn't exactly being stingy with the water, and I drank over 2L going up and down. Total pack weight was about 22 lbs.

There was enough intermittent shade on the trail and a slight breeze so it wasn't that bad. Going up a trail without any shade would have been a different matter.

The upside is that I saw less than a dozen people on the trip. On a cooler day it could have been twice that number. And, there was no one else at the pool at First Water. So, it had that going for it.

Posted to OutdoorSports at 08:12 PM | Comments (0)

Newsweek: Racial Power!

This week's Newsweek focuses on racial power, specifically White Power. They cover recent elections won by white people, and suggest that, while White Power is great, in order to win future elections whites need to reach out to other races.

Oh, wait! I got that wrong! This week's Newsweek features Black Power.

Ooops. I've been informed that was wrong too. The cover is actually called "Latino Power". Whew! For a moment there I thought they were discussing the bad kind of racial power. Instead, it's the good kind!

The whole issue is about racial power, and the link is to what we can assume is their flagship article. It states that John Kerry could be president today if he'd won Nevada, Arizona and New Mexico. That part is true. However, they're confused over how he could have won. Instead of reaching out to Hispanics by, for instance, being even more Open Borders than he already was, he could have won by stressing the American concept of borders.

It also contains this:

Some Latinos see a political opening in Bush's immigration policies—arguing that the president's guest-worker program, for example, does not do nearly enough to help the community that has shown him so much support.

So, despite what 75% of Americans want, President Bush should be even more "liberal". Then, millions more will come. And, they will presumably have even more power to invite in even more people of their same race. And on and on...

And, of course, there's the issue that the Open Borders policies of both Bush and the Dems actually hurt Hispanics by inviting in millions of cheaper workers to compete for their jobs.

In the same issue there's a guest essay from our old buddy Gregory Rodriguez, which includes the following:

"Villaraigosa, a onetime militant campus activist, fashioned his first race for the mayoralty in 2001 around a labor-left-Latino alliance. He lost. Four years later he broadened his message, built a more ideologically moderate multiethnic coalition and won by nearly 20 percentage points."

Great! Pretending to be a moderate in order to win elections works! But, at least the phrase "onetime militant campus activist" is slightly fact-based, even if it's misleading, implying that his far-left activities are in the past.

Posted to Los_Angeles at 07:53 PM | Comments (0)

"Chirac counts on jungle tribes to swing EU vote"

From The London Times:

Among the Wayampi Indians it is not uncommon for children to give birth at 10 and become grandparents in their twenties. They hunt and fish in red loincloths. Their favourite food is smoked alligator.

...1.4m voters [from "the impressive French portfolio of dominions around the globe from the Pacific to the Amazon jungle"] could swing the result in the closely fought May 29 French referendum on the European Union’s constitution and determine the future of Europe, not to mention influence the timing of Tony Blair's departure from No 10.

The Wayampi do not know him but excitement was building last week at the prospect of playing their part in the politics of the palan isi lena, or the "land of the white man", as Europe is known.

Many speak only rudimentary French and have little understanding of qualified majority voting, but an election is always a welcome occasion for a gathering in this alligator-infested corner of French Guiana in South America...

Posted to Miscellania at 12:58 PM | Comments (1)

Anti-Schwarzenegger, anti-Minuteman screed noted

Domenico Maceri, an Italian immigrant and teacher of foreign languages at Allan Hancock College in Ventura County, offers us the charming guest editorial "Arnold plays politics with immigration". It hews to Template #3: "Arnold is attacking defenseless undocumented immigrants and stirring up hatred to become popular again." From the screed:

The prejudice against undocumented immigrants is strong among Americans, and Schwarzenegger is using this bigotry to show that he is a true conservative -- even more conservative than Bush, who disapproves of the Minuteman Project...

When the president of the United States and the Border Patrol say that the Minutemen may not have the legal right to patrol the border, you would think that a governor would pay heed...

Congratulations, Domenico Maceri! You're the 1000th commentator to note that Arnold is pro-MMP while Bush is anti-MMP. Come over here and collect your winnings. Yes, that's right, it's a little thing called "analysis." As in, why would Bush be anti-MMP? Could it have anything to do with Bush and the GOP getting contributions from those companies that profit off illegal immigration? Could the BP leadership being anti-MMP have anything to do with their boss's stated stance on illegal immigrants?

For another example of Template #3, see "Did Pilar Marrero lie about Arnold Schwarzenegger?"

Posted to California at 12:27 PM | Comments (1)

CNN aired Soros-funded documentary?

Well, not exactly. Parse carefully Accuracy in Media's first paragraph from "AIM Report: CNN's George Soros-gate":

Clear and convincing evidence indicates that billionaire money manipulator and anti-conservative activist George Soros provided financing for research on a CNN documentary...

Remove the "research on" and you'd really have something. However:

The program, "Reasonable Doubt: Can Crime Labs be Trusted?," which CNN aired several times last January as a "CNN Presents" documentary, was prepared in cooperation with the Center for Investigative Reporting (CIR) and hosted by Aaron Brown.

In its own account of its role in the show, CIR acknowledged that "Funding for this investigation was provided in part by a 2003 Soros Justice Media Fellowship awarded to Robin Mejia by the Open Society Institute, and by a grant to CIR from the Ford Foundation and CIR's Investigative Venture Fund."

The Soros Open Society Institute (OSI) reported that the CNN program was "based on the reporting" of "Soros Justice Media Fellow Robin Mejia." The OSI said that the CNN show was the "culmination of more than a year of investigation by Ken Shiffman (CNN) and 2003 Soros Justice Media Fellow Robin Mejia."

But the program itself did not disclose to viewers any role played by Soros or his institute. It also did not reveal that the program promoted his political agenda...

The article goes on and loses its focus a bit by encompassing several other issues, like the recent Million-Word March for Media Reform (alternet.org/mediaculture/22049). Attendees at the latter included Air America's Al Franken. The article also discusses attempts to use the FCC's Fairness Doctrine to "balance" out the media. The article does lose focus, but that's only because all of these groups appear to be interconnected. Next time, they should provide a handy graphic containing hundreds of lines showing the various connections and money flows.

Previously in Soros news: "Media Matters doesn't understand epidemiology, statistics, immigration".

Posted to Politics at 12:05 PM | Comments (2)

Midget Death Cults... in Cambodia?

I knew they were widespread in the South Pacific, but not in Southeast Asia. From the BBC's "Lion Mutilates 42 Midgets in Cambodian Ring-Fight":

...An African Lion (Panthera Leo) was shipped to centrally located Kampong Chhnang especially for the event, which took place last Saturday, April 30, 2005 in the city’s coliseum.

The Cambodian Government allowed the fight to take place, under the condition that they receive a 50% commission on each ticket sold, and that no cameras would be allowed in the arena.

The fight was called in only 12 minutes, after which 28 fighters were declared dead, while the other 14 suffered severe injuries including broken bones and lost limbs, rendering them unable to fight back.

Shocking, truly shocking.

Posted to WackyHumor at 12:10 PM | Comments (0)

Arkancides in Linux Land?

Whodda thunk it indeed. Most tech "journalism" consists of things like, oh I dunno, The LAMP "Cooperative" ("LinuxWorld Magazine's Editor-in-Chief Compares LAMP's Evolution to Farmers' Cooperatives") or the more standard fare of just rewriting press releases.

However, the very same Editor-in-Chief's latest missive is "A Letter To Our Readers":

The editorial staff of LinuxWorld Magazine would like to set the record straight on our efforts and intentions with regards to what we publish on LinuxWorld.com and LinuxWorld Magazine. Due to an unfortunate series of events, we recently advised our publisher to remove content from a sister Web site of another title that does not adhere to the company's publishing guidelines...

...We want to express our sincere best wishes to Pamela Jones of Groklaw (www.groklaw.net) and wish her the best in her endeavors.

It appears there was a cat fight going on between the latter named person and one Maureen O'Gara, both of whom are "journalists" in the Linux space. That feud is described in February's "The Jones-O'Gara Feud".

It seems to involve a lawsuit between IBM and SCO (a Unix vendor) over Linux. Microsoft is on SCO's side and owns part of them. Or something.

On May 12 came "Tragic End to Jones-O'Gara Feud". The feud reportedly "ended with O'Gara's professional destruction." That post includes the following comment:

Except of cause if you are Val Kreidel or Robert Penrose. In which case it become tragically personal.

It is telling you feel that her new found 'persona non grata' status is 'tragic', what do you consider the supossed "suicide" of two people ?

Holy Moses. From the 3/22 Salt Lake Tribune:

The Orange County, Calif., Coroner's Office and Huntington Beach Police Department confirmed Monday that Val Noorda Kreidel, daughter of technology entrepreneur and Canopy founder Ray Noorda, died of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound.

Kreidel's death came less than a week after her attorneys and those for fired Canopy Chief Executive Ralph Yarro and two associates formally announced a settlement of their dueling lawsuits over control of Utah's premier technology venture capital firm...

Now, back to feudee Pamela Jones. From a May 9 post entitled "Intimidation":

SCO and its minions can never again complain about Linux "zealots", not without being laughed right off the stage, because compared to them and their tactics, it's clear now who are the pros at intimidation and terror.

Darl McBride and Laura DiDio have complained bitterly about receiving nasty email and late-night phone calls. That's kid's stuff by comparison. Without commenting on the latest O'Gara article's contents, because I am considering legal action and can't comment directly at this time, think about this: Have Linux "zealots" ever put up personal info on how to find Darl McBride's mother, with pictures of her home and the number on her mailbox so any stalker can find her readily? That was O'Gara's intent. Has anyone published who DiDio calls from her landline phone? Can you imagine the press conference SCO would hold, and what names they would call the FOSS community, if anything like that happened?

...On a personal note: I've heard from several who are seriously warning me that they think SCO is setting me up so that they can arrange my "suicide". You know, like Val Kreidel allegedly was so overwhelmed by what was printed about her by Maureen O'Gara and others that she ended it all?

I have no experience in such things, so I can't evaluate their warnings, but I have taken note that three persons on the SCOX Yahoo Finance board, one known to be a SCO supporter if not an insider, have already predicted my suicide, two of them since this article...

Maybe I could find someone to help me write a screenplay about this.

Note that back on the 10th, this site had much the same reaction as I did above. I'd imagine we aren't the only ones. Who knew nerddom was so full of (classic) tragedy and pathos?

Posted to Miscellania at 10:40 AM | Comments (0)

What happened to Curly?

I was getting him ready for the County Fair, but I thought he could use a little bit of a sun tan, so I left him at the tanning salon...

OH NO!

P.S. I didn't take the above photo. This is just a joke post. Yes, I realize the subject is quite serious and nothing that should be joked about. However, what can I do? The picture was no doubt taken months ago. There's no way to bring Curly back.

Posted to WackyHumor at 10:10 PM | Comments (0)

"Mexican residents gain ID benefits"

There's so much wrong with this May 1 article from Oregon that I don't know where to start:

For the first time in Ashland - and with no questions about immigration status - Mexican-born residents of the valley flocked to get a highly valued card called the matricula consular, a secure ID card that enables them to open bank accounts, get a driver's license and start on the road to work and legal residency.

Wow. The FBI says the cards aren't secure. Who are you going to believe, them or some smalltown newspaperman who seems to have believed everything he was told by the guy who was handing out IDs for illegals? Plus, these cards do nothing to help people gain legal residency. They only make it look like they're here somewhat legally.

The optically scanned, photo ID cards were given to 200 locals by the Mexican consulate from Portland, whose officials travel to the main towns of Oregon once a year for that purpose...

... Claudia Guzman of Medford, speaking through an interpreter from RCC, said her three trips to the DMV resulted in widely varying requests for documents, with the matricula finally being named as the vital, missing piece of ID.

"It's very important," said Guzman. "You can't get a license without it. And I've found out that it will definitely be accepted at Wells Fargo to open an account."

... Oregon, she added, is in a small minority of states that don't require a Social Security card to get a driver's license. California, Arizona and many other states have set up that hoop, Copeland noted, thus producing a ripple effect of Mexican immigrants to Oregon...

... Consulate official Martin Alcalia from Portland, who was issuing the cards, said determination of one's legal status in the United States is solely the job of the INS and that "it's not a matter for us. We just care if they are Mexicans."

See also "Their money or your safety" for other examples of Mexican consuls doing an end around of our immigration laws.

Posted to Immigration_consul at 04:01 PM | Comments (0)

Jesse Jackson, MALDEF creating "human rights" group

Disturbing news from the Reverend's latest junket:

On the heels of a meeting with Mexican President Vicente Fox over his comments about American blacks, the Rev. Jesse Jackson announced he is forming a group that will address issues affecting blacks and Hispanics...

On Thursday, Jackson, along with Ann Marie Tallman, president and general counsel of the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund, said they were forming a human rights council that would focus on issues such as fair immigration policies, voting rights and a balanced trade policy...

MALDEF, like many other open borders groups, gets most of their money from the Ford Foundation. See the link for more information on them. Even someone like Jackson should have qualms about forming a group with them. Maybe the other Reverend can do better:

...In a phone interview with The Associated Press, Sharpton said he wasn't satisfied with the contradictory expressions of regret issued by the administration of Vicente Fox this week. He said he would seek an "unequivocal, formal" apology during a meeting with Fox on Monday in Mexico City...

He said illegal migrants in the United States millions of whom are Mexican are working for low wages and no benefits, taking jobs from other minority groups who are in the United States legally.

"We also need to deal with the fact that there has been an inordinate amount of tension where people have come across the border for almost slave wages, competing with Latinos and blacks," Sharpton said. "It's almost like a 21st century slave trade."

Posted to Immigration2005a at 12:29 PM | Comments (0)

"Border police initiative might face roadblocks"

From this:

Assemblyman Ray Haynes' proposal to create a state immigration police force to help patrol the border and enforce immigration laws statewide could meet resistance from the federal government and be disputed in the courts...

Haynes, R-Temecula, cites a 1996 provision of a law that allows state and local agencies to negotiate agreements with the federal government to enforce immigration laws. But federal officials [specifically, Manny Van Pelt, a spokesman for Immigration and Customs Enforcement] say the law has never been applied to create officers strictly devoted to immigration, and they have no intention of doing so...

One of the legal experts cited is from the American Immigration Lawyers Association. The related group American Immigration Law Foundation was mentioned in this post.

See also the site for the California Border Police.

Posted to California at 10:56 PM | Comments (1)

AVWatch: no California border patrols

Welcome to the first installment of Antonio Villaraigosa Watch, a feature that will highlight the thoughts of the new mayor of Los Angeles.

Today's feature is "LA mayor-elect breaks with governor on civilian border patrols":

Mayor-elect Antonio Villaraigosa said Thursday he opposes civilian volunteers patrolling the U.S.-Mexico border to discourage illegal immigration, putting him at odds with Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.

AV: "We need our Department of Homeland Security, which patrols the border ... to address the issue of security... It doesn't make any sense for people to take the law into their own hands." [1]

...It's a three-hour drive from City Hall to the border, but illegal immigration was only a passing issue in the mayoral campaign. [2]

...Mayor James Hahn and Villaraigosa, a city councilman, each called on the federal government to enforce immigration laws. And both said they did not believe police officers should contact immigration officials when illegal immigrants are discovered during traffic stops or arrests.

[1] "take the law into their own hands"? Technically, none of the MMP volunteers did so. They called the Border Patrol when they spotted crossers. That phrase also has, of course, negative connotations.

[2] Part of that is because, of course, none of the candidates except Walter Moore made it an issue. And, Moore was shut out of the more important debates. Another of the main reasons it wasn't an issue is because the local media is too scared and/or corrupt to mention it.

Note that like almost all the other articles on Schwarzenegger's comments, this mention that Bush called the MMP volunteers "vigilantes."

Posted to Los_Angeles at 10:46 PM | Comments (0)

"Immigration's not-so-hidden costs hurt American workers"

Liberal Clarence Page informs us:

"We are a nation of immigrants," Kennedy said in announcing the new bill. "And we always will be, and our laws must be true to that proud heritage." I agree with that. But I also know that the nation can have too much of a good thing, especially those who have entered the workforce illegally.

Controlled and orderly immigration is enriching for our country. But massive large-scale immigration puts a squeeze on low-wage workers who already are here and facing a shrinking demand for their low-skilled labors...

...Yet we continue to hear about how illegals only take the "jobs nobody wants." Ideally, there is almost no job that somebody would not want and make themselves available to do, if you offer them enough money to do it. Whenever I hear someone talk about the "jobs nobody wants" what I really hear is: "jobs that pay less than most Americans need to support their families."

Posted to Immigration2005a at 10:34 PM | Comments (4)

"Analysts say racism unrecognized"

The Dallas Morning News article "Analysts say racism unrecognized" gives a bit more background on Vicente Fox's recent comment that Mexican illegal aliens do the jobs "that not even blacks want to do".

President Vicente Fox's controversial comment about blacks in the United States is typical of a Mexico that fails to recognize its own racist attitudes, even as skin tone and economic success move in near lockstep, analysts said Tuesday.

In the official census, Mexicans of African descent are not even counted as a distinct group. White Mexicans dominate TV programs and advertising. Most politicians have light brown skin or are white like Fox, whose mother is from Spain.

"Racism is very deeply ingrained here, but no one accepts (that fact)," said Sergio Aguayo, a longtime human rights activist. "What Fox said was part of the language of all Mexicans. The paradigm of beauty is white skin and blue eyes..."

Previously: "Jesse Jackson and MALDEF go to Mexico".

Posted to Immigration2005a at 10:21 PM | Comments (0)

El Paso poll: no driver's licenses for illegal aliens

From the El Paso Times' "Many oppose licenses for undocumented, poll shows":

El Pasoans, Hispanic and non-Hispanic, largely favor allowing some undocumented immigrants to work and live legally in the United States, but strongly oppose giving them driver's licenses.

An El Paso Times/KVIA-ABC 7 poll indicates that 59 percent of the 300 registered voters interviewed in April favored the creation of a work program for undocumented immigrants. But 65 percent of the same voters said they opposed giving undocumented immigrants driver's licenses, a much-debated issue for years...

In the poll, the answers to the two immigration questions were similar among Hispanic and non-Hispanic voters. Sixty-one percent of Hispanics and 72 percent of non-Hispanics disapproved of driver's licenses for undocumented immigrants, and 64 percent of Hispanics and 50 percent of non-Hispanics favored a work program. The margin of error was plus or minus 6 percentage points...

El Paso is, of course, right on the border and it's around 3/4 Hispanic, almost all of which are Mexican-American.

Posted to Immigration2005a at 08:18 PM | Comments (2)

Gil Cedillo, driver's licenses for illegal aliens, Part 48310

The latest attempt from CA Sen. Gil Cedillo (Democrat - Los Angeles, Mexico) to give driver's licenses to illegal aliens has passed a Senate committee. It now goes to the Senate Appropriations Committee.

Note that this current bill is good ol' SB 60, which is distinct from SB 591. That latter bill is described here, and it gives illegal aliens - and only illegal aliens - a pass on the impound period when caught driving without a license.

The AP reports in "Senate panel passes bill to extend licenses to illegal immigrants".

I believe at this point in time it's important to ask yet again: what country does Gil Cedillo really represent? Can anyone say with absolute certainty that he represents the U.S.?

Posted to Immigration_dls at 07:21 PM | Comments (2)

Breaking: Wendy's chili finger settled $50 debt

More shocking revelations were revealed in the Wendy's Chili Finger Watch 2005 case.

San Jose Police now believe the finger to have been obtained by Anna Ayala's husband - to settle a $50 debt!

...The co-worker's right ring finger was sheered off after his gloved hand was caught in a mechanical truck hoist at a Las Vegas paving firm on Dec. 20, San Jose police Detective Jose Martinez said in a statement filed Wednesday in Santa Clara County court.

"Plascencia subsequently purchased the injured co-worker's detached finger, and advised that he intended to create a lawsuit by planting the finger in food at an undisclosed restaurant," according to the statement...

Our Wendy's Chili Finger Watch 2005 Team will have team coverage of this breaking news tonight at 5pm somewhere.

Posted to WackyHumor at 01:58 PM | Comments (0)

Illegal aliens working for the Pentagon, repairing Navy planes

No, really. From "N.C. airport workers arrested on alleged immigration violations":

Nine workers who service U.S. Navy planes at a Winston-Salem airport were arrested Tuesday on alleged immigration violations...

The "Operation Shield America" raid at Smith-Reynolds Airport is aimed at finding illegal aliens doing work for the Pentagon.

Reports also said that those arrested were working on P-3 Orions - surveillance planes known as "submarine killers."

...The arrests come two months after federal authorities arrested 27 workers at the Piedmont/Triad International Airport in Greensboro for using counterfeit documents...

These are just the latest in a long series of such incidents. Start in "DHS: Naval contractor employed 86 illegal aliens".

Posted to Immigration_terror at 01:32 PM | Comments (0)

Jesse Jackson and MALDEF go to Mexico

Jesse Jackson shows exactly what type of person he is. When he first condemned Vicente Fox's remark that "[illegal aliens do the jobs] that not even blacks want to do" I (to a very minor extent) thought he might actually try to do some good. Instead, we get "Fox 'expresses regret' to Jackson for remark":

...During a 40-minute meeting, Fox said he was sorry the statement had offended Americans, Jackson said.

"He expressed his sincere regret of any misinterpretation of what he meant," Jackson said afterward. "He expressed with a very contrite heart that he is not a racist."

The two men pledged to work together on human rights, U.S. immigration reform and other issues, Jackson said. After talking, they posed with a large picture of Jackson and the late Hispanic civil rights leader, Cesar Chavez.

Jackson was accompanied by Ann Marie Tallman, president of the Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund. The group is leading the legal challenges against Arizona's Proposition 200 and similar initiatives in other states...

Al Sharpton is expected to fly in shortly.

MALDEF gets most of their money from the Ford Foundation. I wonder whether they contribute to the Rev. Jackson as well.

Larry Elder responded to this visit on Lou Dobbs' show:

Think about that. MALDEF wants open borders, effectively. They want driver's licenses for illegals. They want in-state tuition for illegals. They want us really to do nothing about -- about the borders... Then Jesse Jackson is standing there and talking to Vicente Fox about the "problem of illegal immigration." It's a joke...

For his next visit, let me suggest that Jesse Jackson go there with Gil Cedillo:

"Latinos have displaced other work communities - clothing, hotel, and restaurant industries that used to be done by blacks and anglos... Since Latinos are now central to union revitalization, through immigration and high birth rates unions can be partisan for full Latino empowerment."

Posted to Immigration2005a at 01:19 PM | Comments (0)

Feinstein has her own mass illegal alien amnesty plan

From the OCR's "Feinstein gives immigration plan ideas":

Feinstein, D-Calif., said any new guest worker program, even one that required employees to eventually return to their home country, would be a "magnet for illegal immigration" and something she could not support...

OK, I'm with her so far...

"There are plenty of workers here who will work legally if given the opportunity to do it," Feinstein said. "And I think the first step should be taken in the one industry that most assuredly needs it."

Under Feinstein's idea, which hasn't yet been finalized, longtime agricultural workers would get a "blue card," allowing them to continue to work in agriculture. After a period of years of continued agricultural work, they would be entitled to trade their blue card in for a green card.

Doh! Note that at least she's opposed to Kennedy and McCain's 'Open Borders, Open Wallets' plan.

Posted to Immigration2005a at 12:10 AM | Comments (1)

"[Kennedy-McCain] Guest-Worker Plan is Un-American"

Terence P. Jeffrey:

Sen. Ted Kennedy may do a lot of talking about his love for the little guy, but if two major proposals he has made in this Congress were to become law it would be a disaster for the poorest American workers and a blow to American freedom...

...[the Kennedy-McCain massive illegal alien amnesty program] would provide amnesty to illegal aliens while creating a permanent, ongoing guest-worker program to fill--as a summary on Kennedy's website puts it-- "jobs that require few or no skills." This would thrust the American employment ladder down into Mexico and other under-developed regions of the world so that workers who are used to laboring for Third-World wages could routinely, legally and in massive numbers climb into the U.S. job market and compete directly with American workers for pay and positions...

Until now, the American ideal of an immigrant has been someone who comes here with the ambition to work harder, earn more, save more, perhaps start a business, and succeed in the free-enterprise system. But this entrepreneurial spirit will not be encouraged among the sub-class of guest workers Kennedy would create. The bill, says Kennedy's summary, "Prohibits the hiring of temporary workers as independent contractors."...

Posted to Immigration2005a at 12:03 AM | Comments (2)

Bonnie Erbe: Anchor Babies hurt working class

PBS host, columnist, and presumed liberal Bonnie Erbe reports on the children born to illegal aliens:

...Since their children are delivered on U.S. soil, the children immediately become U.S. citizens and "anchor" the mother (and later, the rest of her family) as future legal U.S. citizens as well...

...California will get the largest chunk of this new federal outlay or almost $71 million [for healthcare]. No wonder. FAIR cites Census Bureau data showing Californians spent $10 billion last year (whew!) to subsidize education, medical care and incarceration costs for (not legal but) illegal immigrants.

Guess who's hit the hardest? Not the wealthy Hollywood types, nor the Silicon Valley billionaires, but the hard-working, low-income recent and legal immigrants. It's costing them nearly $1,200 per native-headed household to subsidize illegal immigration in the Golden State.

...This is not about race. For my part, I am the granddaughter of immigrants who came from Poland, Russia and Cuba. My father's side of the family speaks Spanish as a native language and English with heavy Spanish accents. This is about preserving the quality of life for legal immigrants, and the progeny of immigrants who have come here legally since the birth of our immigrant nation.

It's also about fairness to America's working class -- many of whom are legal immigrants. Their housing, education and health care costs go up as their wages are driven down by immense competition from illegal immigrants. Where's the fairness or practicality in that?

Posted to Immigration2005a at 11:54 PM | Comments (3)

Today's Kennedy-McCain news

In the posts "Tamar Jacoby on the Kennedy-McCain mass amnesty", Kennedy-McCain in "accord" with Bush's "principles", and "McCain, Kennedy introduce Open Borders, Open Wallets bill" I presented some of those who favor their massive amnesty for illegal aliens plan.

Another one of the usual suspects has weighed in: U.S. Rep. Raul Grijalva (Democrat-AZ). Grijalva is a former member of MEChA, and he's proud of having been involved with that group.

Here's what he said about the amnesty plan:

"[the bill] looks to the reality of immigration and attempts to create a safer, accessible and regulated immigration system... Arizona, like no other state in the nation, understands the need to address immigration and realism, fairness and a sense of urgency... [this is a chance to] move forward toward a solution and not merely react with empty rhetoric and increased divisiveness."

And, in other news, McCain has backtracked from recent remarks. Here's what he said last week:

"If we went down to the Camelback Inn today in Phoenix and arrested everyone who's working there illegally, the place would probably shut down..."

The Camelback Inn says everyone they employ is legal. Accordingly, here's yesterday's version from the Senator:

"I did not mean to single out any particular resort in my remarks... The legislation we introduced ... is designed to comprehensively address a broken immigration system. The reference to a specific business in my remarks detracts from the intent and import of my comments and this legislation."

Posted to Immigration2005a at 12:13 PM | Comments (0)

Who rules the world?

I have absolutely no idea. However, the purported list of attendees at this year's Bilderberg confab is here. In addition to the Queens of the Netherlands and of Spain, the following Americans took part:

William C. Ford, Jr., Chairman and CEO, Ford Motor Company
Timothy F. Geithner, President, Federal Reserve Bank of New York
Donald E. Graham, Chairman and CEO, The Washington Post Company
Richard N. Haass, President, Council on Foreign Relations
Richard C. Holbrooke, Vice Chairman, Perseus
Allan B. Hubbard, Assistant to the President for Economic Policy and Director of the National Economic Council
Vernon E. Jordan, Jr.,, Senior Managing Director, Lazard Frères & Co. LLC
John M. Keane, President, GSI, LLC; General, US Army, Retired
Henry A. Kissinger, Chairman, Kissinger Associates, Inc.
Henry R. Kravis, Founding Partner, Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co.
Marie-Josée Kravis, Senior Fellow, Hudson Institute, Inc.
Michael A. Ledeen, American Enterprise Institute
William J. Luti, Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Near Eastern and South Asian Affairs
Jessica T. Mathews, President, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
Mark C. Medish, Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP
Kenneth B. Mehlman, , Chairman, Republican National Committee
Frank H. Pearl, Chairman and CEO, Perseus, LLC
Norman Pearlstine, Editor-in-Chief, Time Inc.
Richard N. Perle, Resident Fellow, American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research
David Rockefeller, Member, JP Morgan International Council
Judith Rodin, President, The Rockefeller Foundation
Dennis B. Ross, Director, The Washington Institute for Near East Policy
John Vinocur, Senior Correspondent, International Herald Tribune
Mark R. Warner, Governor of Virginia
James D. Wolfensohn, President, The World Bank
Paul Wolfowitz, President designate, The