Tropical Blunder

Robert Downey, Jr.’s latest roll in Tropical Thunder is going to draw some sting. C’mon, take a look at this scene. He still looks white.

Bush looked into Putin’s eyes and said, “Back off!”

I didn’t think he had it in him. President Bush has finally done what heretofore I did not expect–he stood up for the principle of international sovereignty that requires recognition of the separate but equal station to which the Laws of Nature and Nature’s God entitle a nation. He officially gets a mulligan from the Oath on the ridiculous “I looked into his eyes” nonsense.

Because he merits this accolade, President Bush has finally realized that Putin, former head of the KGB, is simply not a good man. Because you and I like pictures, here’s a scene of how real it is, courtesy of the New York Times:

Georgian president Mikheil Saakashvili, protected by bodyguards after a jet plane was heard flying overhead on Monday. (Joao Silva/The New York Times)

And, here is the favorable AP article on Bush in its entirety:

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Bush warns Russia to pull back in Georgia

Aug 11 06:49 PM US/Eastern By MATTHEW LEE Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON (AP) - President Bush on Monday demanded that Russia end a “dramatic and brutal escalation” of violence in Georgia, agree to an immediate cease-fire and accept international mediation to end the crisis in the former Soviet republic.

Almost immediately after his return from the Olympics in China, Bush warned Russia in his strongest comments since the fighting erupted over Georgia’s separatist South Ossetia region last week to “reverse the course it appears to be on” and abandon any attempt it may have to topple Georgia’s pro-western government.

“Russia has invaded a sovereign neighboring state and threatens a democratic government elected by its people. Such an action is unacceptable in the 21st century,” the president said in a televised statement from the White House, calling on Moscow to sign on to the outlines of a cease-fire as the Georgian government has done.

“The Russian government must reverse the course it appears to be on and accept this peace agreement as a first step toward solving this conflict,” Bush said, adding that he is deeply concerned that Russia, which Georgian officials say has effectively split their country in two, might bomb the civilian airport in the capital of Tbilisi.

He said Russia’s escalation of the conflict had “raised serious questions about its intentions in Georgia and the region” and had “substantially damaged Russia’s standing in the world.” “These actions jeopardize Russia’s relations with the United States and Europe,” Bush said. “It’s time for Russia to be true to its word to act to end this crisis.”

Despite the tough talk, the president’s comments were not backed up by any specific threat of consequences Russia might face if it ignores the warning. U.S. officials said they were committed to the diplomatic track and were working with U.S. allies in Europe and elsewhere, as well as with the Russians, to defuse the crisis.

Earlier Monday, the United States and the world’s six other largest economic powers issued a call similar to Bush’s for Russia to accept a truce and agree to mediation as conditions deteriorated and Russian troops continued their advances into Georgian territory.

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and her colleagues from the Group of Seven leading industrialized nations pledged their support for a negotiated solution to the conflict that has been raging since Friday, the State Department said.

“We want to see the Russians stand down,” deputy spokesman Robert Wood told reporters. “What we’re calling on is for Russia to stop its aggression.”

Rice and the foreign ministers of Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy and Japan spoke in a conference call, during which they noted that Georgia had agreed to a cease-fire and wanted to see Russia sign on immediately, he said, adding that the call was one of more than 90 that Rice has made on the matter since Friday.

They called on Russia to respect Georgia’s borders and expressed deep concern for civilian casualties that have occurred and noted that Georgia had agreed to a cease-fire and said the ministers wanted to see Russia sign on immediately as urgent consultations at the United Nations and NATO were expected, according to Wood.

The seven ministers backed a nascent mediation efforts led by French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner, whose country currently holds the rotating presidency of the European Union, and Finnish Foreign Minister Alexander Stubb, whose country now holds the chair of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, he said.

The Group of Seven, or G7, is often expanded into what is known as the G8, a grouping that includes Russia, but Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov was notably not included in the call.

Wood said the United States was hopeful that the U.N. Security Council would pass a “strong” resolution on the fighting that called for an end to attacks on both sides as well as mediation, but prospects for such a statement were dim given that Russia wields veto power on the 15-member body.

A senior U.S. diplomat, Matthew Bryza, is now in Tbilisi and is working with Georgian and European officials there on ways to calm the situation.

Meanwhile, the State Department said it has evacuated more than 170 American citizens from Georgia. Wood said two convoys carrying the Americans, along with family members of U.S. diplomats based in Georgia, left Tbilisi on Sunday and Monday for neighboring Armenia.

The U.S. Embassy in Georgia has distributed an initial contribution of $250,000 in humanitarian relief to victims of the fighting and is providing emergency equipment to people in need, although those supplies would run out later Monday, the department said.

The Pentagon said it had finished flying some 2,000 Georgian troops back home from Iraq on C-17 aircraft at Georgia’s request.

It said it had informed the Russians about the flights before they began in order to avoid any mishaps, but Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin harshly criticized the step, saying it would hamper efforts to resolve the situation by reinforcing Georgian assets in a “conflict zone.”

Wood rejected the criticism, saying: “We’re not assisting in any conflict.”

Defense Department spokesman Bryan Whitman said the U.S. flew the Georgians out of Iraq as part of a prior agreement that transport would be provided in case of an emergency.

Pentagon officials said Monday that U.S. military was assessing the fighting every day to determine whether less than 100 U.S. trainers should be pulled out of the country.

There had been about 130 trainers, including a few dozen civilian contractors, but the civilians had been scheduled to rotate out of the country and did so over the weekend, Whitman said. The remaining uniformed trainers were moved over the weekend to what officials believe is a safer location, he said.

McCain Calls for More Government in Publik Ejukashun

Oh, no. Another unconstitutional “Leave No Child Behind” Bill with lip service to vouchers. This time, it’s in John McCain’s own unconstitutional words courtesy of the NY Daily Times.

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It’s time for education reform

By John McCain

Sunday, August 3rd 2008, 7:50 PM

Campaigning at town halls across America, I am often asked about my plans to reform our public schools. And the answer begins with two points on which most everyone agrees: Every public school child deserves a first-rate education. And too many of our schools are producing second-rate results.

Beyond that, the education debate divides quickly into two camps. Some say all that’s needed is more taxpayer money, along with more prekindergarten and after-school programs. Others believe that the basic structure of the education system is flawed, and that fundamental reform is needed. You can put me squarely on the side of major reform.

These days, the cause of education reform crosses all boundaries of party, race and financial means. In New York, Mayor Bloomberg and Schools Chancellor Joel Klein have taken up the cause of reform, as have many others, including the Rev. Al Sharpton. These men are strong supporters of the Education Equality Project, a group dedicated to finally changing the status quo in our education system.

This group of leaders is no longer willing to accept a public school system in which many students never even graduate or learn the basics of math, science and English. As Chancellor Klein puts it, “In large urban areas the culture of public education is broken. If you don’t fix this culture, then you are not going to be able to make the kind of changes that are needed.”

The chancellor speaks for many, and especially for parents who cannot afford a private school. Consider the example of the Opportunity Scholarship program in Washington, D.C., which serves more than 1,900 children from families with an average income of $23,000 a year. More than 7,000 more families have applied for that program. What they all share is the desire to get their kids into a better school.

Yet Democrats in Congress, including my opponent, Sen. Obama, oppose this program. Not long ago, addressing the American Federation of Teachers, he dismissed public support for private school vouchers for low-income Americans as “tired rhetoric about vouchers and school choice.” That went over well with the teachers union, but where does it leave children who are stuck in failing schools?

Parents ask only for safe schools, competent teachers and diplomas that open doors of opportunity. When a public school fails, repeatedly, to meet these minimal objectives, parents ask only for a choice in the education of their children. No entrenched bureaucracy or union should deny parents that choice and children that opportunity.

If I am elected President, school choice for all who want it, an expansion of Opportunity Scholarships and alternative certification for teachers will all be part of a serious agenda of education reform. We will pay bonuses to teachers working in our most troubled schools because we need their fine minds and good hearts to help turn those schools around.

We will award bonuses as well to our highest-achieving teachers. And instead of measuring teacher achievement by conformity to process, we will measure it by the success of their students. Moreover, the funds for these bonuses will not be controlled by faraway officials. Under my reforms, we will put the money and the responsibilities where they belong - in the office of the school principal. One reason charter schools are so successful is that principals have spending discretion.

I am proud to add my name to the growing list of those who support the Education Equality Project. But one name is still missing: Barack Obama. My opponent talks a great deal about hope and change, and education is an important test of his seriousness. The Education Equality Project is a practical plan for delivering change and restoring hope for children and parents who need a lot of both. And if Sen. Obama continues to defer to the teachers unions, instead of committing to real reform, then he should start looking for new slogans.

What every elected official needs

The Sword of Damacles is what every elected official needs lest they get too fat on the backs of the people, riding them like animals.

THE HORROR: McCain inspired by Pelosi

McCain: Pelosi ‘inspiration’ to millions

Published: July 30, 2008 at 2:10 PM

SAN FRANCISCO, July 30 (UPI) — Sen. John McCain, the likely Republican U.S. presidential nominee, pledged to work closely with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi if he is elected.

“I respect Speaker Pelosi. I think she’s one of the great American success stories,” McCain said during an interview with The San Francisco Chronicle before a fundraising event.

The Arizona Republican said Rep. Pelosi, D-Calif., was an effective leader and an “inspiration to millions of Americans.”

McCain also praised 2000 Democratic presidential candidate Al Gore and his work on climate change, the Chronicle said. McCain recently startled GOP circles by calling “doable” Gore’s position that the United States could become energy independent in 10 years by using renewable resources.

While saying he differs with Gore on the importance of nuclear power, “I do believe that his goals and his priorities and the visibility that he’s given the issue has been good for America and the world,” he told the Chronicle.

Hoover Institution media fellow Bill Whalen said at some point, McCain is going to have to “make Congress and the Democratic majority an issue in the campaign,” the Chronicle reported. “He has to get rougher.”