Joining the Hilton pig-pile

No, not that Hilton. Let's start with Chris Muir's Day-by-Day.

...and a stolen bit from Mudville Gazette:

---

CBS has picked up the Fran O'Brien's story:

A two-year tradition for wounded war vets is about to go by the wayside. A downtown DC steak house that’s catered to injured troops every Friday night is about to close, reports CBS affiliate WUSA-TV correspondent Doug Buchanan.

"We're not feeling very good about leaving and especially the Friday night dinner," O’Brien said.

For the past two and a-half years, the restaurant has served steaks and drinks to soldiers being treated at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. Many of the soldiers have lost hands, feet or limbs.

Some say the sports-themed steakhouse is the first place where they've felt at home since they left the battlefield.

But restaurant managers said their lease won't be renewed when it expires at the end of the month. Hotel officials said the decision is purely financial, and has nothing to do with the dinners.

Outraged veterans are calling Hilton's New York headquarters and flooding its e-mail boxes with protests.

In a statement from Hilton hotels, a spokesperson wrote: "this is a business decision whereby Hilton Hotels is exploring several options to utilize this space."

There are many non-veterans outraged and contacting the Hilton too.

The story is also out nationwide on the AP wire. Yesterday a google news search found nothing on this story, today's results are quite different. Expect even more tomorrow.

This isn't just about the wounded Iraq and Afghanistan vets. If you haven't read the story of Vietnam veterans Jim Mayer, whose "Alive Day" celebrations were the basis for this new tradition, and Hal Koster, co-owner of Fran O'Brien's, please do so.

---

Lex has "formed-up" as well:

---

I don’t know if we’re going to win the Fran O’Brien’s fight - just can’t say at this point, but by the way: Has your congressman written back?

The company has played their cards, and walking back from the “failed negotiations” meme - thin though it may be - would entail sacrificing Important People in the company now, probably. Not just those they’re maybe covering for, the ones who made the original decision to kick Frannie O’s to the door.

---

If you have not already, dig around the above links. If it makes you angry, Fuzzilicious has some ideas for you. For my regular readers, if the steak dinner sounds familiar, you are right.

Feeling upbeat?

Arnaud de Borchgrave has a cure for that.

Hurricane force geopolitical winds are in the forecast for the rest of the year -- and beyond.

Read it, and you will understand what he means.

The unbearable brilliance of Democrats

If you don’t like it when I stick my toe in Party politics, then go here; because I am taking a chance to vent a spleen.

A great bit in Opinion Journal last THU has been bouncing around my head all weekend. Fold in what Newt and George Will have added, and I am starting to believe more and more that there will be a mini-94 for the Left in NOV….unless the Republicans get their act together….they are running out of time.

If Republicans lose control of Congress in November, they might want to look back at last Thursday as the day it was lost. That's when the big spenders among House Republicans blew up a deal between the leadership and rank-in-file to impose some modest spending discipline.

Read the whole bit, it is about Earmarks, I’m not going to get into the details. What is tells a story about is a Party that is mired in the ooze of the Beltway and is doing just about everything with 180 deg lockoff when it comes to the core to winning in elections in a 50/50 country – turning out your base.

The Republican plan for such a thing has the hollow ring of election year patronizing.

On tap for action in the Senate, Republican aides confirmed, is an anti-flag-burning amendment and a House-passed bill making it a federal crime to skirt a state parental-notification law by taking a minor to another state to obtain an abortion without her parents' involvement. The House will probably vote for the first time on a relatively new bill requiring doctors to inform women seeking abortions that the procedure will cause pain to the unborn child, said a House Republican aide.

There's also talk in the Senate about taking action against what some conservatives see as a judicial attack on the Pledge of Allegiance because of the phrase "under God," one Senate Republican aide said. The House passed such a measure in 2004.

"Just those three alone -- marriage, abortion and religious freedom ... that would be really exciting to our grass roots, and it'd probably ensure that the Republicans keep the House and Senate," Mr. Backlin said.

Ummmm, where have you been the last few years?

"It seems like for only six months, every two years — right around election time — that we're even noticed," said Tom McClusky of the Family Research Council.

Truth in advertising here: I think a Flag Burning Amendment is about as stupid as you can get. Fold that into McCain/Feingold and the 527 foolishness that George covered above and I just want to ask, “Ever hear of the 1st?” Burn ‘em all you want. All six of you. Yawn. The other items IMAO belong to the States, and in any event should not be in the Top 5 right now. For the last 12 years the right has heard the same bleating so you can avoid the hard work. Vince Lombardi is what you need to get your base back. Control spending; get your ethical house in order – then work hard on those issues.

A category five political storm is building in GOP precincts around the country, and it is going to blow Republicans right out of the majority in November if they don't soon give their supporters some reason to re-elect them. So far this year they've passed limits on free speech that liberals love, but they haven't been able to extend the wildly successful 2003 tax cuts by even a mere two years. And now they won't even allow a vote on budget reforms that their own President and a majority of their own Members support.

At the current pace, a Democratic majority in Congress would be preferable, if only for reasons of truth in advertising.

And after a couple of years with the Democrats in charge of the House and/or Senate, the horror will be such, perhaps the base will demand the right leaders and policies and will turn out in style in ’08. The Republicans could use it as a chance to clean house....if they were smart....and come back stronger.

There is a pent-up backlash that usually happens in year 6, like of like what happens (but didn’t) in year 2. In the unlikely event the Republicans hold one or both Houses after the NOV elections, the results in ’08 may be ugly. More of the dithering of the last 2 years will not make anyone happy, the base will stay home, and the squishy middle will fade left just for a change.

So, why the title of the post? Simple – look for a Democrat plan, you cannot find one. Besides, “We oppose…..” there isn’t much there. The reason? They know that “When you enemy is destroying itself, get out of there way. Don’t just do something; stand there.” Their policy is out of line with the American Public, but the Republican actions in the House and Senate are out of line with themselves. When faced with a real Democrat of a fake Democrat, the American Public will take the real one every time.

The trend right now is a good chance the House goes (D), just a bit, and the Senate just hold the Senate, keeping it (R). There is 6+ months to go, a lot can change, but ......

Oh, another reason the post-’06 world will be fun. Say it loud, say it proud, Senator Sanders.

I am having some trouble with TurboTax

I usually do my taxes earlier, and the webcam thing is a little risky for an AnonoBlogger.

I think I should shift to decaf. Maybe lay off the second language as well; though when angry, you always get a better result in German.

EO Calibration - IR Benchmarking

Rotorhead - is this really the best way to calibrate your EO gear?

Sunday Funnies

Yes, Gen. Zinni - let's move on

Another knockout piece by Victor Davis Hanson on where we stand, and where some out-of-the-loop Flag officers need to find a new hobby.

Imagine that, as we crossed the Rhine, retired World War II officers were still harping, in March, 1945, about who was responsible months during Operation Cobra for the accidental B-17 bombing, killing, and wounding of hundreds of American soldiers and the death of Lt. Gen. Leslie McNair; or, in the midst of Matthew Ridgeway's Korean counteroffensives, we were still bickering over MacArthur's disastrous intelligence lapses about Chinese intervention that caused thousands of casualties. Did the opponents of daylight bombing over Europe in 1943 still damn the theories of old Billy Mitchell, or press on to find a way to hit Nazi Germany hard by late 1944?

Though he doesn't mention General Zinni by name (the title editors at NRO did) I think he is one of the top 10 retired Flags that need to move on.

You can tell it is an election year because those who you have not seen in 24 months are starting to come out of the woodwork. Many of them just plain prostitute themselves looking for a job with the upcoming/next Democrat administration - but some are a little more complicated. Gen. Zinni is one of those.

I sent some ordnance downrange under Gen. Zinni's command back in Desert FOX with all its sending B-1B after army infantry barracks in the middle of the night and making TLAM missions on the fly to take out parked trucks at the end of an airfield - simply because we were out of targets. Hey, I actually met the man once. Not that means anything.

If you recall, Zinni was the Israel/Palestinian envoy in the early parts of the Bush Administration. He failed, with style over three trips. His behavior prior to the election was classic bitter-boy politics.

It is 2006, Zinni is out there again. Yawn. Take up golf.

---

UPDATE: Powerline has a very strong piece on the same subject, and a link to something, I think, started it all. On the same subject, you need to visit BLACKFIVE and COUNTERCOLUMN.

---