Now What Do You Do, Mr. President?

Faced with an uncooperative Iranian government, the International Atomic Energy Agency has thrown up its collective hands and effectively said, "We give up."

Obviously, the situation presents another test for President Obama and his international policy. Almost just as obvious is the likelihood that the president will cower to Tehran in another example of a foreign policy that seeks only to appease.

BCS Craziness

Back to college football.

Desperate for respect and legitimacy the Bowl Championship Series recently hired former Bush press secretary Ari Fleischer to "spiff up its image." Interesting selection. Though Fleischer does now run a firm that specializes in training athletes on how to handle the media, he was the press secretary for a president who had one of the lowest approval ratings since Nixon. Good luck with that, BCS! Let's see how YOUR ratings and rankings do.

Air Rights

Interesting story out of Minnesota. Continental Airlines passengers diverted to Rochester, Minnesota in the middle of the night "were kept waiting nearly six hours inside the cramped regional airliner amid wailing babies and a smelly toilet even though they were only 50 yards from a terminal." Despite repeated pleas from the captain of the flight, employees of another airline in the terminal, Mesaba, refused to open it to the stranded passengers. Continental was fined $50,000 and the other airline, Mesaba, was fined $75,000 by the Department of Transportation, a first for the Department.

I hope the FAA starts handing out these fines like Snickers on Halloween. How is it that airlines believe they have some superior right to imprison people in a titanium tube for as long as they want? Oh, wait, that thinking is coming from the same geniuses who ran those companies into the ground (no pun intended). If it's the result of goofy FAA regulations, then those regulations must be fixed.

At any rate, and despite industry moaning, an airline passengers bill of rights undoubtedly is long overdue and necessary. I'd suggest we reach out to our own Frank Wolf, a member of the House Transportation Subcommittee, to lead the charge. He only has one of the nation's largest airports in his district, for Pete's sake. In the meantime, I sure wouldn't fly Mesaba.

Mangi-NO

Putting aside, for a moment, petty distractions like the health care debate and the floundering economy, I'd like to focus on something of utmost importance - college football. And, more specifically, let's focus on this big tub of goo. I normally try to avoid personal attacks, but Mark Mangino deserves everything anyone throws at him.

His personal attacks on his players (like telling players they would end up back in the ghetto from whence they came or that one player would end up a drunk like his father) are unforgivable. And he doesn't deny saying those things either, claiming that he was set up by people simply seeking fame.

Keep in mind that these are teenage college students, struggling to make better lives for themselves. Granted, football coaches are traditionally tough on players to "take them down before building them up," but Mangino's actions crossed the line - by a long shot. Remarks like those do nothing to motivate a player, unless you want to count motivating a player to ring his fat neck.

Kansas should fire the jerk immediately - and "for cause" so he forfeits any buy-out clause. Let's see how it responds.

Lou Dobbs for Senate?

I can't bring myself to even write that he would run for president. Not that I don't like the guy, I'm just tired of people with no political experience running the White House. I do like the idea of a Senate run, though. He has the name recognition and a strong conservative following. More on it here

Help Wanted

Governor-elect McDonnell's transition team has created a website for those interested in serving the Commonwealth under a McDonnell administration. Let's hope the new administration can attract some talented people to lead us out of this economic malaise.

Oba-Wow!

How apt is it that the most socialist president in American history is now the darling of the Chinese Communist establishment? Love this article on how much the Chinese are afraid of offending the President. Or is it that the President if afraid of exactly this reaction back home and has asked his buddies in Bejing to shut it down?

Civilian Trial for Yamamoto?

Isoroku Yamamoto, the mastermind of the Pearl Harbor attacks on December 7, 1941, died before the war was over when his plane was shot down by an American fighter. Had he survived the war, do you think he would have been tried for terrorism in a San Francisco CIVILIAN court by a CIVILIAN judge and jury? Of course not, yet that's exaclty what the Obama administration is doing with respect to the admitted mastermind of the September 11 attacks, Ron Jeremy . . . uh, . . . I mean Khalid Sheikh Mohammed. As one of the family members of a victim aptly put it, ""We have a president who doesn't know we're at war."

Can you imagine what his attorneys will come up with? Among the most likely defenses: (a) post-partum depression; (b) it was another Ron Jeremy look alike; and, my favorite (c) it's all a big misunderstanding - he was just trying to sell a screenplay.

Indeciderer in Chief

President Obama "ponders" what to do in Afghanistan. Wonderful. What "more information" could he possible need? What is it that the generals could not have told him already? How many more troops will die while he delays? It is simiply a pathetic ruse for indecision and cowardice.

The Cold War - 20 Years Later

One of the single greatest victories of America is winning the Cold War. I'd even put it ahead of winning WWII.

We won that war because of a relentless opposition to totalitarianism led, primarily, by Republicans who saw it as America's place to control the epidemic enslavement of the human spirit. We did not beat communism because we negotiated nuclear development with the Soviets. We did not put an end to the domino effect by offering aid packages to the East Germans.

We won that conflict, one of the most significant in the history of mankind, because we knew well our obligation to our fellow man to preserve freedom everywhere - and we had the courage act upon it.

Super Tuesday

No, it's not an election post. This Tuesday, John Allen Muhammad is set to die by lethal injection for the Washington-area sniper murders in fall 2002. See the stories here.

A few thoughts on that. First, I'm proud that Gov. Kaine has kept his word on the death penalty. Though he opposes it on religious grounds, he has proven true to his word and not let that get in the way of following the law. Second, I can only hope the Supreme Court lets justice be done.

Young, Rich and Suburban

Interesting article in today's Post about Loudoun's young, wealthy demographic - undoubtedly driving anti-growth people up the wall.

Ha stinking ha.

Nominees for Biggest Loser

Though Obama certainly captures the title on the national level, the biggest loserin yesterday's election on the local level is . . . envelope please . . . the Loudoun Independent. In running a filthy story that even the Post wouldn't touch, it debased itself to a schocking new low. And now with Tag having conquered the 32nd despite those wretched allegations, the "other LI" has shown that it not only has no class, but no relevance either.

Three more years! Three more years!

Tonight will be the first major setback for the Obama administration as it moves closer and closer to ensuring Republican victories in 2010 and 2012. Virginia is a lock for the Republicans which is particularly telling of Obama's lack of clout. A recently-dubbed swing state, Virginia is the best indicator (and least better than Virginia) of the way the entire nation is feeling. And that can't be a good feeling for the Dems.

Danger Will Robinson!

The robocalls must stop! I don't care if its about a conference call with God, I do not want to be automatically called with a pre-recorded message during the dinner hour. We must get three a day. Some of these fundamentalist organizations, in particular, just don't get that repeated calls on the same topic are very counterproductive.

Big Tuesday Coming

Republicans will win big on Tuesday. McDonnell, as good a candidate as he is, is greatly helped by the Democrats hybris and insane economic policies. Expect McDonnell, Bolling and even Cuccinelli to win. Also, expect significant pick ups in the the VA HOD - Greason and Comstock among them.