Who To Believe?

After watching Kerry's convention speech last night, TyroWife remarked that the next 3 months are going to get ugly.

This morning, Jim Spencer has his usual, blatantly-liberal drivel spattered across the DP. His column is about Kerry's Vietnam service (can't Spencer write about something more current than questions about military service) and the fact that veterans who served with Kerry are accusing him of faking injuries for his 1st and 3rd Purple Hearts:

The charges fly over conservative talk radio and right-wing spam on the Internet:

John Kerry didn't earn his medals.

The worst of the lies insists that Kerry self-inflicted minor wounds that earned him three Purple Hearts so he could get out of the Vietnam War. The people pushing this story also claim Kerry didn't deserve his Silver Star or the Bronze Star.

Here's what I love about the blogosphere and all the information available: You don't have to accept what columnists say as truth because you can easily un-distort their half-truths and misrepresentations. A reader with the paper copy of the DP may think, "Wow, these veterans are taking cheap shots at Kerry."

Of course, Spencer gives you all the facts, right?:

"I was there when Sen. Kerry got his second Purple Heart," said Short, a 56-year-old systems analyst from North Little Rock, Ark. "I've seen Sen. Kerry's blood on the deck of a Swift boat. ...

"I watched (Kerry) run under my gunfire with a landing party to chase a fleeing Vietnamese who had a loaded rocket-propelled grenade. If he let it go and hit the boat, you and I would not be having this conversation."

Note the key words: "second Purple Heart."

The people who are questioning Kerry's service are disputing his 1st and 3rd Purple Hearts. A little slight of pen from Spencer who fails to mention this in the column.

These aren't just random statements from disgruntled veterans against Kerry. They have published a book:

The book, "Unfit for Command: Swift Boat Veterans Speak Out Against John Kerry," from Regnery Publishing, is written by John E. O'Neill. Mr. O'Neill served in Vietnam at the same time as Mr. Kerry and followed him as commander on the swift boat.

...The book quotes Mr. Kerry's fellow combatants as saying two of his Purple Hearts came from friendly fire, not the enemy. The veterans also will dispute other stories Mr. Kerry has told.

Before you think that this is just some election year stunt orchestrated by Republicans:

Mr. O'Neill, riled by what he considered Mr. Kerry's false charge in 1971 of widespread war crimes committed by U.S. troops, has waged a public debate with the politician dating back to the "Dick Cavett Show" that year.

Since 1971, this guy has been railing against Kerry! I expect that he is satisfied with the coverage the story is now getting (the book is up to #2 at Amazon).

In reality, neither party, Spencer or the Swift Boat Veterans, is saying anything that is inaccurate. Spencer is simply not telling the whole story to make it seem like those dirty Republicans are smearing an honest guy.

The Swift Boat veterans may or may not talk about the 2nd Purple Heart in the new book, and since I haven't read it, I can't really pass judgment there.

Back to my point about the blogosphere: Spencer gets to make statements based on information of his choosing. The reader doesn't get to explore and investigate the sources behind the information. However, when I put my opinion down in my blog, I need links to other stories and information that my readers can follow and determine whether I am telling the whole story or not, and since they are already online, they can use a simple Google search to reinforce or refute my argument.

Of course, I don't need to put in the links, but then my argument would be just as weak as Spencer's.

A Review of Blogging Coverage at the DNC

I found this interesting story regarding the blog coverage of the DNC:

In many respects, the arrival of independent Web journalists at the Democratic National Convention in Boston was largely about hype. One of the "bloggers" had even compared his presence to the introduction of television to politics more than a half-century ago.

But it quickly became clear that bloggers were still trying to figure out their role. Three dozen of them were granted media status alongside an estimated 15,000 traditional journalists.

I can imagine that, if you have never been to the national convention before, it would take awhile to understand what was worth blogging about. I know that when the call comes for the RMA to blog at the RNC in September that the gents will be more than equipped to avoid these "rookie" mistakes.

Funny that the Boston.com article doesn't mention anything about the Republicans that were blogging at the DNC.

Not To Be Missed!

It's sophomoric, but damn funny:

(Hat Tip: Hugh and Powerline)

Moore Vs. O'Reilly - The RMN Responds

When I first read this exchange between Michael Moore and Bill O'Reilly at the DNC, I thought, "Come on O'Reilly, you can do better than that." Vincent Carroll of the RMN serves up the correct responses to Moore's ridiculous questions:

If you are asked if you're willing to send a child to fight in Iraq, as Moore asked members of Congress in his movie, the sensible answer is, "My child makes his (or her) own decisions and I couldn't send him if I wanted to. If you're asking me whether I'd support my child's decision to join the military and take a chance on being killed in Iraq, then the answer is yes, I would."

Moore Manure

It looks like Michael Moore has backed out of a screening of F911 in Crawford, TX:

"There had been rumors of threats against Moore, and clear signs that some here did not welcome his arrival.

Overnight, 20 bags of composted cow manure were dumped near the spot where television crews do live broadcasts from Crawford, a few miles from Bush's Central Texas ranch.

The fertilizer, in 25-pound bags, included a sign addressed: 'To Michael Moore. One piece of Bull**** deserves another.' "

Indeed.

The Genius of Lileks

Great post on the exchange between Lileks and the American bureau chief for Paris Match on Hugh's show yesterday.

RMA at the RNC

Clay Calhoun has a great open letter to the DP and RMN regarding their Convention blogs and how much better they would be if the RMA covered the Republican National Convention.

These bloggers are doing a great job of covering the DNC from Colorado. Check out today's posts at Clay Calhoun, Damascus Road, Exvigilare, and Thinking Right.

Better yet, do what I do every morning and go to my BlogRoll on the left and click through all the RMA blogs.

UPDATE: According to the AP, invitations for bloggers to attend the RNC have already gone out. I wonder if any members of the RMA received one?

Now This Will Be Fun To Watch!

Drudge has some info on the fireworks about to go off at the DNC.

This goes back to yesterday's post about who you would rather have as First Lady?

Never Send a Photog To Do A Blogger's Job

Check out the RMN's on-the-scene Convention blog. Out of the entire first day, this is what they give us? Of course, the guy shot 700 photographs, but if the RMN is going to bill its Convention blog then it really needs to do better.

Here's the competition's blog

And check out the roundups from the Rocky Mountain Alliance here and here and here. And this one from Powerline

The Tiebreaker

Given that the Presidential election is a dead heat, I propose a tiebreaker. Voters should vote for who they would prefer to be the first lady. Your choices are Laura Bush or Teresa Heinz Kerry.

Who would you rather have come visit your kids' elementary school? Keep in mind that Teresa will most likely tell your kids to "Shove It" if they ask her a question.

9/11 Commission Report - Don't Buy It!

Instapundit points out the obvious fact that you don't need to spend money on the 9/11 Commission's Report.

As soon as it came out, I downloaded my free copy from the government website.

But the fact that it is #1 on Amazon raises a question:

Where is the money that people spend on this book going?

I sent an email to the address listed at the website: info@9-11Commission.gov

I received the following Out Of Office Reply:
Thank you for your email to the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States. Due to the volume of correspondence and our available resources, we regret that it is not possible to respond to each piece individually and personally. Please be assured that your correspondence will be forwarded to the appropriate staff members for further study. We appreciate your taking the time to share information with the Commission as well as your thoughts, concerns, and opinions and encourage you to continue to follow its work. Information about past and future Commission activities is available on our website at www.9-11commission.gov.

I'm starting a pool to guess how many days it will take to get a response. Right now, the smart money is on NEVER!

A few other observations:
Check out what other books have been bought by the people buying the 9/11 Commission Report at Amazon. As of this morning they were:

-Imperial Hubris: Why the West is Losing the War on Terror by Anonymous
-Plan of Attack by Bob Woodward
-Against All Enemies: Inside America's War on Terror by Richard A. Clarke
-Ghost Wars: The Secret History of the CIA, Afghanistan, and Bin Laden, from the Soviet Invasion to September 10, 2001 by Steve Coll

Also, check out the Listmania section:
-2004 Election: A list by mattgabe, Political Junkie & Kerry Fan
-Reasons for Regime Change in 2004: A list by autonomeus, citizen
-Hail to the Thief! ... George W. Bush: A list by divadome_com, Bye Bye Bush

What does it all mean? Probably that publishers are getting rich off the anti-Bush book craze. While they will probably tell their liberal buddies on the Upper West Side that they want Bush to lose, they are secretly hoping for a Bush victory to keep the money flowing through the door.

I do love a free market!

A Good Sign, But A Long Road Ahead

Bush is leading in the electoral college according to this Associated Press Analysis.

Given the source, I'd say this is a good sign, but at the 100 day mark, there's still a long way to go.

For other analyses of the electoral college check out Dale's Electoral College, ElectionProjection, and Electoral Vote 2004 - all linked in the BlogRoll on the left.

9/11 Commission - Did They Read Their Own Report?

Josh Marshall points out a difference of opinion between those who have apparently read the Commission's Report and those who haven't.

In this interview, Gorton and Gorelick say they had all the documents that they needed to make their report, but over at JustOneMinute, the Commission's references to the documents that Sandy Berger may have stolen are made clear.

Here's A Quarter, Call Someone Who Cares

Diane Carman's Thursday column in the DP is its usual waste of space. She cleverly tries to use the Colorado commemorative quarter design to air her grievances about living in Colorado: traffic jams, homelessness, miller moths, burritos, local scandals, and parking boots.

Apparently, Carman has never left Colorado (which might explain her narrow view of the world). These issues are global. Ever been to LA, NYC, Chicago, Houston, or any other major population center?

I have a solution for Carman that I think will be acceptable for all parties:

LEAVE!

By moving out of Colorado, there will be one less car on the road, more parking spaces, thereby eliminating the need for parking boots, and the miller moths will have more habitat to inhabit.

Better yet, take all of your liberal leaning journalist friends with you. That will free up even more traffic lanes, parking spots, and moth habitats. It will also create job vacancies that some of our homeless can fill, and maybe, just maybe, they will produce fair and factual headlines, rather than the sensationalistic ones Carman and her cronies manufacture on a daily basis.

Yep, acceptable to all parties, indeed! I can eat my burritos and expand in peace.

Now This Is Spin!

With the news of TrouserGate becoming the focus of Congressional Hearings, I expected the whining on the left to be along the lines of, "The timing shows this is politically motivated," or "It's all a part of the VRWC." But I didn't expect this from Josh Marshall:

There's no doubt this Berger imbroglio has thrown the Dems seriously off message for a couple days. And it's embarrassing. There's no denying it. But Hastert's words are those of folks who are desperate -- real desperate. Folks looking at November 2nd, not liking at all what they see, and casting about for anything that will change the political lay of the land.

It's cornered, wounded animal time.

A cornered, wounded animal? Granted, polls change and are mostly inaccurate, but a cornered, wounded animal would be 10-15 points down before the opposition's convention. A cornered, wounded animal would be farther behind after the announcment of the opposition's veep candidate. Instead, Kerry is in a statistical tie with the President. The President's job approval rating is 53% today at Rasmussen. Edwards has provided only a dead cat bounce.

Is Josh just projecting?

Nuclear arms reportedly found in Iraq - Too Good To Be True?

This would be huge! Although it is being reported by UPI and The Washington Times, it could turn out to be less than hoped for.

(Hat Tip: Instapundit)

Drudge also has the story linked on his website.

According to Reuters, the Iraqi Interior Minister is calling the report "stupid"

UPDATE: Of course it was too good to be true.  The Washington Times has replaced this morning's story with an update denying the claims.

TrouserGate

Instapundit, as usual, has the comprehensive round-up of the emerging scandal in Sandy Berger's pants. Check back often as updates keep coming.

Also, for the take on how the local papers are handling it, check out MangledCat who is wondering why the RMN and DP are burying the story?

I Love These Guys

Finally, an anti-anti-war protest group. Check out the slogans and the merchandise.

My only issue with this group is the speed at which the website loads.

Dueling Polls

Although he is supporting Coors for Senate, MangledCat is skeptical of the polling results on the Pete Coors for Senate website.  This type of poll is hardly different from the one run by Schaffer and posted on Schaffer's campaign website.

I guess we just have to wait until August 11th to know for sure.

Also, check out BestDestiny's Letter to the Editor Regarding Ballot Initiative 99.

Mea Culpa

I received an email from Mangled Cat stating that that blog was supporting Coors for the Senate race.  Although I did state that it was a very quick perusal of the sites that led me to my conclusion, I should have been more diligent in my research. 
 
Sorry Mangled Cat!
 
I also got an email from Thinking Right stating that that blog was supporting Schaffer in the primary but would support the Republican candidate in the general election.

In Case You Needed A Reason

A story from the Sunday Denver Post regarding the victims of Iraq's bloody past. Whether you believe that Iraq had WMDs or not, these accounts provide justification for ousting Saddam:

"Everything, even in my body, reminds me," she (Laila Qabani) said later at the couple's Lakewood apartment, referring to a cigarette burn on her hand, a scar from a skewer on her forearm, numb fingertips where captors attached electrodes. Wincing, she told of a gang rape in the Olympic compound run by Hussein's son Odai - punishment, Laila said, because she had refused to collaborate with Odai in a business venture.

The article also put into perspective the abuses at Abu Ghraib relative to what the Iraqis endured under Hussein:

Americans need to grasp that U.S. abuses at the Abu Ghraib prison are "a small fire," Kareem said, compared with abuses under Hussein. Thousands of children born to women raped in prison are evidence of what happened before, he said.

"Where was the American media when I was in prison and when that happened to my wife?" he asked.

RMA and the Colorado Senate Race

I've added the Rocky Mountain Alliance to my BlogRoll on the left.  After a very quick perusal of the blogs, it seems that the RMA bloggers are either supporting Bob Schaffer or have not publicly declared their support for either candidate.
 
In previous posts, I've voiced my support for Pete Coors, but have stated that I'll support and campaign for whoever the Republican candidate is in the general election. 
 
My question to the rest of the RMA is:  Will you do the same?

Coors and Schaffer Face-Off

I watched the taped replay of the Coors-Schaffer Q&A session on KBDI last night. I only have the story to link since I can't find the transcript.

While I am supporting Pete Coors in the primary, I think that both of them are sharp and differ little on their positions. I just think that Coors has the best chance in November. Whoever emerges from the primary will definitely have my support in the general election.

Denver Dailies Ignoring Truth About Joe Wilson

Dave Kopel, author of 59 Deceits in Fahrenheit 911 (also linked in BlogRoll on the left), admonishes the Denver Post and the Rocky Mountain News for ignoring the latest crisis of credibility for Joe Wilson:
 
"...So given all this attention to Wilson and his claims, it would seem responsible for the Denver papers to let readers know that the U.S. Senate has determined that Wilson is not exactly a guy who always acts "in defense of truth," as detailed recently by The Washington Post..."
 
"...The Washington Post story has traveled all over the Internet, but has been ignored by much of the establishment media. From the Denver dailies, we have not a word now that a major anti-Bush scandal - which the papers considered newsworthy just a few weeks ago - has turned out to be a con...."
 
It seems that bad news, rather than the truth, is how we sell newspapers in Colorado.

Update to the High Jacking Dry-Run Story

There has been a lot of follow-up blogging on the story that I linked to yesterday of an apparent dry-run of a high jacking on a Northwest Airlines flight.  Hugh has a great round-up of the various arguments for and against the story's authenticity and what to do if this really does happen and you are on the plane.

The Kerry/Edwards Colorado Connections

Colorado is cementing its status as a purple state with Kerry's visit to his birthplace - Aurora, CO.

God forbid, he actually win in November, and I have to see the "Welcome to Aurora, CO: Birthplace of John Kerry" sign evertime I drive to DIA.

Also, it looks like John Edward's brother got into a little trouble here. Of course, this has nothing to do with Edwards, but check out the photo - does this guy look anything at all like John Edwards?

Bush's National Guard Service - Must Be a Slow News Day

Jim Spencer from the Denver Post is hurting for material. He's back on the Bush-was-AWOL-from-National-Guard-Service meme again.
 
"If the president was AWOL from the Air National Guard in the 1970s, nobody in Denver covered for him in the 1990s, insisted Roger Still, the local spokesman for the accounting service.

A one-time restoration project in 1996 and 1997 meant to preserve records, not destroy them, Still said. Washington may have used the word destroyed, but self-destruction was more like it."

I would expect the only reason he's on this tired, old story, which has been refuted here and in many other places (search the blogs of the Heroes of the Blogosphere on the left side of the page), is that the destruction of the documents in question took place in Colorado.

I'm still trying to decide which Denver-area journalist I will adopt as part of Hugh Hewitt's "Adopt a Lefty Journalist" program. Right now it is between Jim Spencer, Cynthia Rodriguez, and Diane Carmen.  Any suggestions?

Someone's got a lot of time on their hands

Check out this fun "music video" about the 2004 Presidential Election. You'll need sound, a high-speed connection, and a sense of humor. Warning: Some explicit language.
 
UPDATE: Well, someone removed the link, but it really was funny.

Two Americas

John Kerry and John Edwards have been talking about Two Americas since the Democratic primary. Kerry hit the theme again at his speech before the NAACP today:

W.E.B. Du Bois talked about the two Americas years ago. He called it "a nation within a nation." John Edwards and I have talked about that divide for many years now.

He's right. There are Two Americas. There are the adults and there are the children. Adults realize that, while they may not always be pleasant, tough decisions have to be made for the sake of the country. Children live in idyllic worlds where pretending and name-calling are part of daily life. So who would you rather have run the country: The adults who stand up and deal with threats before they do harm or the children who chose to pretend it doesn't exist?

George Miller over at London Calling has a much more eloquent way of making this point in his analysis of the British Intelligence report that cleared Tony Blair:

"We need to defend our democracies and leave moral posturing to the French and the Bishops. We need to measure the question of going to war with Iraq by a politically pragmatic yardstick. By all means we need to question whether George Bush is a better strategist than John Kerry. We need to ask whether Blair’s spinning isn’t corrosive of trust in government itself. But we also need to stop acting like teenagers and remember that one of the signs of adulthood is an ability to discern between the lesser of two evils."

(Hat Tip: HobbsOnline)
 
UPDATE: These are the types of situations that we need to be adults about and address before it is too late.
 
(Hat Tip: Instapundit

In the Interest of Equal Time...

The Rocky Mountain News continues its series on the candidates for the Colorado Senate race. Today, it's Schaffer's turn

BTW, I received my vote by mail ballot for the Republican primary yesterday. Voting has begun! It's time to get serious!

If You're On The Left, You're Open-Minded; If You're On the Right, You're Intolerant

Dennis Prager does such a good job of summing up what many of us already know:

"The Connecticut branch of the ACLU, the Connecticut Civil Liberties Union (CCLU) 'informed the Windsor Locks (CT) School District that it would face (legal) action if education officials chose to allow a presentation by clergy at Windsor Locks High School on homosexuality and related topics.'

The high school had previously invited a gay activist organization, the Stonewall Speakers, to address students on homosexuality and same-sex marriage. In order to attempt to present an alternate view, the school then invited clergy to speak to the students.

Because 'the clergy was supposed to offer a view based on religious scripture,' Annette Lamoreaux, a legal director of the CCLU, 'reported that the clergy presentation could violate the Establishment Clause of the United States Constitution and the Connecticut Gay Rights Law, which prohibits discrimination based upon sexual orientation. . . . She added that it would have violated the rights of gay and lesbian students to equal protection . . .'

Here is another 'smoking gun' illustrating the secular and leftist brainwash American children receive throughout their school life. For no defensible educational reason -- especially given the poor general education that so many Americans receive -- a public school invited gay activists to address students on behalf of same-sex marriage. But clergy defending man-woman marriage are not allowed to be invited."

Read the whole thing.

RMN Pete Coors Profile

The RMN has their profile: on Pete Coors. However, you have to get to the end of the article to see the wisdom in supporting Coors:

"Ultimately, said both Duffy and Atkinson, the race will come down to money. Coors has $760,000 on hand, compared with Schaffer's $130,000. Coors has run two different TV commercials. "

Coloradoans need Republicans in the Senate. I'm supporting Coors for the same reason that California Republicans supported Schwarzenegger: Because he can win!

It won't be easy though as the Bob Schaffer backers, in the spirit or MoveOn.org, are ponying up through their own 527

Holy Cow!

I just went to HughHewitt.com and saw that TyroBlog has been added to the Blogroll under The Rocky Mountain Alliance. I better get busy and get this thing up to speed. Thanks Hugh!!!

Sensational Headline Alert

Whether you are flipping through the Rocky Mountain News or reading the site on the internet, this headline, AP Poll: More Voters See Bush as Arrogant, looks bad for Bush. If you went a little farther into the article, past the lead, you would see that slightly more voters feel more optimistic about the future with Bush as President than with John Kerry.

But go to the actual poll results and you'll see that there is an 8 point spread on the arrogance question and a 6 point spread on the optimism question. So I guess the difference between 6 and 8 is 6 is slightly more and 8 grabs a headline.

UPDATE: Not exactly what I would expect from ABC News, but more objective than the RMN: ABCNEWS.com : AP Poll: Bush Seen Decisive, Kerry Smart

Colorado Senate Race - Candidate Profiles

The Rocky Mountain News is running a series this week on the candidates for the Colorado Senate seat. Today is Ken Salazar's turn.

The article does mention his ownership of a Dairy Queen, but doesn't mention that it lost $38,811 last year.

Wednesday we'll get to see what RMN says about my man Pete Coors.

Fred's Franks

Here's to the great American entrepreneurial spirit. My brother-in-law has started a great new business outside of Boston called Fred's Franks. If you're in the Boston area, stop by and have a dog.

Deceit, Thy Name is Moore

My wife and I have a lot of friends that love Michael Moore. I happen to think he is a self-hating propagandist. So rather than continually emailing these friends the fisking of Moore's works that exist in the blogosphere, I am dedicating a section of my blogroll to the exposure of Moore's deceits. From now on, I'll refer these friends to my blog. The most comprehensive rebuttal of Fahrenheit 911 is here.

Who am I and why am I here?

My journey into the world of blogging started a year and a half ago. My wife and I moved from New York City to Littleton, CO. As residents of NYC for the previous 2 years, we were without a car and little money to purchase a new one. My grandmother was gracious enough to give me her 1980 Buick Regal with 42,000 original miles. After a few months, we got a new car, but I kept the Buick to get to work. In addition to the original miles, the interior was also original, which included only an AM radio.

I had listened to AM Talk Radio before, but never on a regular basis. Now, every car ride provided the opportunity to listen to 710 KNUS. One particular program, the Hugh Hewitt show caught my attention. It was Hugh, also known as the Keeper of the Collegiate Peaks here in Colorado, who introduced me to the blogosphere.

Over time, I thought of starting a blog, but knew that with the demands of a new job and a new son, I would have difficulty keeping the blog up to date.

As I said in my first post, I decided to take the plunge and make it work.

Some other pertinent facts about me:
1. Grew up in Colorado.
2. Went to college at Texas A&M University - Class of '97 (look for Aggie links in blogroll in the future).
3. Worked in Houston, Chicago, the Caribbean, New York, Los Angeles and now Denver.
4. Met my wife while working on a cruise ship.
5. Had a son in September 2003
6. Registered Republican (my wife is a registered Democrat)
7. Moderate Conservative
8. Voting for "W" in 2004
9. Supporting Pete Coors for Senate in 2004
10. Will never replace the AM radio in the Buick.

Up and running...

I've started adding features to the blog like a blogroll on the left and a site meter. However, I am having a bit of difficulty getting the site meter into the template. It will also take awhile to build the blogroll. As I said before, I am new to this, but have some coding experience that will allow me to customize the HTML. I plan on spending half my time updating the features and half my time actually blogging. I didn't state the amount of time that will be the sum of those to parts.

TyroBlog - What does it mean?

As you can see from my definition, I am new to blogging. I have wanted to start a blog for some time now. As with all of life's pursuits, you have to just get started. There is never a better time or less going on, so it just has to start somewhere.

This blog will cover current political events and will follow in the footsteps of some of the great bloggers that have influenced me: Hugh Hewitt, Instapundit, Powerline, Lileks, HobbsOnline, and so many others that I can't name them all.

As you may have guessed from the bloggers I aspire to emulate, this blog will have a center-right perspective. For the first few days it will be mostly links and commentary, and, as I ease into it, I'll try to provide my own, original musings.

Here's to a new adventure...