The Perky Papist

More info on how Cowboy Bill was tough on terrorism

Aide: Clinton Approved Killing Bin Laden

Bill Clinton gave the CIA "every inch of authorization that it asked for" to carry out plans to kill Osama bin Laden, the former president's national security adviser testified Wednesday, bluntly disputing claims that the spy agency lacked the authority it needed.

"If there was any confusion down the ranks, it was never communicated to me nor to the president and if any additional authority had been requested I am convinced it would have been given immediately," Sandy Berger said in nationally televised testimony before a bipartisan panel probing the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, the worst in the nation's history.

Hmmm, Sandy, well, maybe the problem was that Clinton almost never met with his CIA directors, which of course frustrated Tenet no end, and was the main reason James Woolsey resigned. I bet that would definitely inhibit clear communication.

Sheesh.

Besides, I'd like to see Bill Clinton take personal responsibility for anything, but especially for a state assasination. In Madeleine Albright's words, I don't think he has the cojones.

We unsophisticated "Shiite" types couldn't appreciate his movie, of course

Writer describes Christ movie as 'medieval'

Actually, I've been waiting for someone affiliated with that film/novel to say something . . . Kazantzakis himself not being able to comment, of course.

You thought the whole Clarke thing sounded a little familiar?

It should. It's in reruns.

The Clinton Terrorism Blame Game from the September 22, 2002 issue of National Review.

Some humor as we head into the "Summer of Love"

The serious bit: David Morrison blogs on an absolutely awful book already on elementary school shelves. The humorous bit: Jeff Miller "updates" childhood classics in the same vein here. Because, sometimes, you've just got to laugh.

Bad news for us, good news for them . . .

Well, G., your homeboy's coming back to that part of the world. We sure will miss him, but he'll do a great job up there and he'll be close to family as well, which is a plus.

Dallas bishop appointed to New Jersey post

Fresh outta Rome this morning.

Look, people, I'm telling you . . .

. . . this is going to rip two key Democrat constituencies apart from each other. I know I've predicted this before; well, it's coming down. Keeping these two different but essential constituencies together over this "summer of love" - John Kerry, that's your mission, should you choose to accept it.

Black Clergy Rally Against Gay Marriage

"To equate a lifestyle choice to racism demeans the work of the entire civil rights movement," the statement said. "People are free in our nation to pursue relationships as they choose. To redefine marriage, however, to suit the preference of those choosing alternative lifestyles is wrong." . . .

But the Rev. Paul Turner, a gay pastor from Atlanta who helped organize a pro-gay marriage rally last month outside the Georgia Capitol, disagreed: "How do they figure that it's not a civil rights issue?"

"This is just a way for those conservative leadership in the black community to say, 'Look, this isn't a matter of civil rights because we're black and we didn't have a choice in being black.' And they think gays do, and that's not true," Turner said.

Meee-yow. Who will win the victim-stakes? Stay tuned. It'll be a long year yet.

France, here's a preview for you

Remember: Bahrain is one of the crazy-liberal Gulf states. Once the Islamists finally out-reproduce you, it's auvoir le vin, bonjour l'eau.

Crowd Storms Restaurant Over Alcohol

Some 100 Bahraini Islamists shouting "God is Greatest" stormed a French restaurant serving alcohol in the pro-Western Gulf Arab state and threatened diners with knives, witnesses said on Thursday.

One diner managed to wrest a knife away from the Islamists and stabbed one with it, causing him severe injuries, a witness said.

Oh, give me a break

Puh-leeze. And if reporters are so intimidated by the "punitive government", then how can we trust any of the media? Well, except Robert Scheer, I guess. And Robert Fisk, of course.

Fears Impacted U.S. Reporting on Iraq

The journalists on the panels at the University of California at Berkeley this week blamed the Bush administration for leaking faulty information, but said the media also has itself to blame for not being more skeptical about the case for war.

"The press did not do their job," said Michael Massing, who wrote an article in the New York Review of Books that found The New York Times and The Washington Post particularly at fault.

Journalists fear they will be seen as unpatriotic if they challenge White House statements, said Robert Sheer, a syndicated columnist for the Los Angeles Times.

"There is no doubt that there is an atmosphere of fear in the media of being out of sync with the punitive government," Sheer said.

Sheesh, it's like a Bravo movie-of-the-week directed by Michael Moore.

Okay, I'm dubious . . .

. . . that these folks actually carried out the Madrid bombings. However, I think they're certainly saying what Zapatero and others in Europe (and here in North America and elsewhere, to be sure) want to hear: Get your troops out of Iraq, and we'll leave you alone. As if. We are the infidel! I don't care if you are the coordinator of Hitler Remembrance Day or a card-carrying Parisian Communist - if you are a Westerner, they hate you as much as George W. Bush. Mark Steyn puts it well in his column, "These guys want to kill us anyway."

I mean, people, it's been 500 years and they still haven't gotten over finally being shoved back into Morocco by Isabel the Catholic and Ferdinand - Osama's "tragedy of Andalusia" (although you must give him props for putting it in such an elegant way). We Irish are good at nursing grudges, but at least we get on with life while we're doing so!

Report: Group Claims Truce With Spain

The Islamic militant group that claimed responsibility for last week's Madrid train bombings has called a truce with Spain to give the new government time to withdraw troops from Iraq (news - web sites), a London-based Arabic-language newspaper said Wednesday.

The Al Hayat daily newspaper said it received a statement from the Brigade of Abu Hafs al-Masri, which earlier said it orchestrated the bombings to punish Spain for supporting the U.S.-led war in Iraq. The blasts killed 201 people. . . .

The group said the Madrid attacks destroyed one of the evil pillars of the Crusaders, according to the newspaper editor.

Modern-day Spain an "evil pillar of the Crusaders"? I'm sure Isabel and Cardinal Ximenes could have a good laugh over that, if they weren't crying over secularization and the loss of faith in the country.

I'm so sorry!

I didn't mean to be gone so long! But I was meeting the in-laws . . . planning the wedding . . . time got away from me, I just wasn't reading the news that much, ergo not posting that much. I heard your pleas and I was not unmoved, and yet . . .

But the Madrid bombing's gotten me out of my stupor. So I'm back. You knew I would be.

And happy Saint Patrick's Day, y'all.