The Yankee Republican

Some stories on the death of the "Yankee Republicans". Yankee Republicans are those of you out there that live in New England and vote Republican. I know who you are, here are some stories about you...

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Charles Krauthammer declares: "A SOCIALIST FOR PRESIDENT!"

A response to Mr. Krauthammer's piece "McCain for President" published October 24th 2008. Mr. Krauthammer declares "I'd rather lose an election then lose my bearings." This is in response to the a flood of conservatives that have endorsed Senator Obama. First Mr.Krauthammer labels each of the players,(Ken Adelmen, Colin Powell, Chris Buckely, and Chris Hitchens) second he chides them for supporting "the most liberal and inexperienced presidential nominee in living memory." Now my living memory is not as long as Mr. Krauthammer, but I can think of three Governor Bill Clinton, Governor Ronald Reagan, and Governor George W. Bush. None of these candidates had any foreign policy experience before they assumed office. The only one of the bunch that has the edge is Bush, only because of his father's foreign policy experience. There is one Governor that was absent in Krauthammer's piece, one that is the lynch pin in why these "conservatives" are not backing McCain. That is of course Mrs. Sarah Palin. If Krauthammer shinned his analytical light on Governor Palin, the case of inexperience is overwhelming. Krauthammer can easy dismiss the inexperience of a governor (who has some 20 months of time in office), with the phrase "she has executive experience." Which again, is true but one would have to ignore that if "executive experience" is needed, John McCain has none. Would Krauthammer say McCain is lacking in executive experience, therefore unqualified? I think not. Any reality based looked at the experience of the two tickets would have to conclude Mrs. Palin is the most inexperienced of the four. Krauthammer successfully ignored any mention of the governor in his piece. Yes, McCain has more experience then Obama, I would never argue otherwise. But they are not the only ones running. Like it or not there is about a 20% chance that the Vice-President will become president. Harry Truman, Lydon Johnson, and Harald Ford are three recent VP's thrust into the Oval Office. Krauthammer seems unwilling to accept this reality and thoroughly vet Palin. Another point of annoyance for Krauthammer is the lack of media (and McCain's) attention to Obama's relationship to William Ayers and Rev. Wright. Again Krauthammer refuses to turn his analytical light to the McCain/Palin ticket. What of Palin's connections to the Alaskan Independence Party, whose founder was killed as he made c2 plastic explosive in his basement? Now, I have not seen much of this story in the Media, does that disturb Mr. Krauthammer? What of Mr. McCain's relationship with Rev. Jerry Falwell who declared "9/11 occurred because of the feminist" and that "Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans because of Gay Pride parades"? What about McCain's vote against freeing Nelson Mandela in the 1980's? Or what about McCain's ties to Ronald Reagan who sold weapons to Iranian terrorist to pay for Nicaraguan terrorist (the Iran-Contra affair.) Or McCain's ties to Barry Goldwater (who McCain replaced in the Senate) who said he would bomb Vietnam "back into the stone age." Again, no mention, why? because these can be easily brushed off and demised because McCain is a Conservative Republican. Which leads me to my point, Mr. Krauthammer has "lost his bearings." Krauthammer's article is not a rational support for McCain, it is an appeal to ignorance. It is an appeal that McCain is conservative therefore "we must endorse him." Krauthammer is unwilling to apply his cirques of Obama to McCain. Now, if Mr. Krauthammer wanted to have a reasoned debate on the policy positions that McCain/Palin have versus Obama/Biden; he could, but he decided to throw substantial reasoning away in favor of this appeal to ignorance. The very fact that Mr. Krauthammer can level the charge of socialism at Obama and not McCain is down right absurd. The United States has passed the most socialist bill in "living memory" several weeks ago. The $700 billion bailout was not only endorsed by McCain, he voted for it, and even suspended his campaign to urge fellow republicans to support the bill. Mr McCain likes to point out his leadership role in the bill's passage, Mr. Krauthammer see this leadership quality and chides Obama for "not lifting a finger." Well, Mr. Krauthammer you can not have it both ways, clearly McCain is willing to accept socialist legislation. Mr. Krauthammer has "lost his bearings" by supporting a senator that has worked with Ted Kennedy, and Russ Feingold; Who rejected Bush's tax cuts; Who said "it is unfair that people who make more money should get a tax cut" (McCain in 2000.) If Mr. Krauthammer truly believes his own words he should be supporting Bob Barr the Libertarian candidate not this socialist McCain.

READ THE KRAUTHAMMER STORY IN THE WASHINGTON POST

The Arab Peace Initiative

The Arab Peace Initiative

(translation by Reuters).

The Council of Arab States at the Summit Level at its 14th Ordinary Session, reaffirming the resolution taken in June 1996 at the Cairo Extra-Ordinary Arab Summit that a just and comprehensive peace in the Middle East is the strategic option of the Arab countries, to be achieved in accordance with international legality, and which would require a comparable commitment on the part of the Israeli government.

Having listened to the statement made by his royal highness Prince Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz, crown prince of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, in which his highness presented his initiative calling for full Israeli withdrawal from all the Arab territories occupied since June 1967, in implementation of Security Council Resolutions 242 and 338, reaffirmed by the Madrid Conference of 1991 and the land-for-peace principle, and Israel's acceptance of an independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital, in return for the establishment of normal relations in the context of a comprehensive peace with Israel.

Emanating from the conviction of the Arab countries that a military solution to the conflict will not achieve peace or provide security for the parties, the council:

1. Requests Israel to reconsider its policies and declare that a just peace is its strategic option as well.

2. Further calls upon Israel to affirm:

I- Full Israeli withdrawal from all the territories occupied since 1967, including the Syrian Golan Heights, to the June 4, 1967 lines as well as the remaining occupied Lebanese territories in the south of Lebanon.

II- Achievement of a just solution to the Palestinian refugee problem to be agreed upon in accordance with UN General Assembly Resolution 194.

III- The acceptance of the establishment of a sovereign independent Palestinian state on the Palestinian territories occupied since June 4, 1967 in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, with East Jerusalem as its capital.

3. Consequently, the Arab countries affirm the following:

I- Consider the Arab-Israeli conflict ended, and enter into a peace agreement with Israel, and provide security for all the states of the region

II- Establish normal relations with Israel in the context of this comprehensive peace.

4. Assures the rejection of all forms of Palestinian patriation which conflict with the special circumstances of the Arab host countries

5. Calls upon the government of Israel and all Israelis to accept this initiative in order to safeguard the prospects for peace and stop the further shedding of blood, enabling the Arab countries and Israel to live in peace and good neighbourliness and provide future generations with security, stability and prosperity

6. Invites the international community and all countries and organisations to support this initiative.

7. Requests the chairman of the summit to form a special committee composed of some of its concerned member states and the secretary general of the League of Arab States to pursue the necessary contacts to gain support for this initiative at all levels, particularly from the United Nations, the Security Council, the United States of America, the Russian Federation, the Muslim states and the European Union.